According to a recent study, incorporating foods like beans, lentils, and plum juice into your diet may help prevent weight gain, even if you consume a high-fat diet.

Scientists at the University of Utah conducted research on mice over an eight-week period, observing the effects of a high-fat diet. Some of the mice were given supplements containing Turicibacter, a type of bacteria present in the human gut.

Results showed that mice without the supplement experienced a bodyweight increase of about 25% throughout the study.

In contrast, mice that received the Turicibacter supplement saw a significantly lower weight gain, at only around 10% of their bodyweight.

The researchers highlighted in a press release that these findings could pave the way for using Turicibacter as a method to curb weight gain in humans.

Although Turicibacter supplements are not yet widely accessible, previous studies suggest that consuming a fiber-rich diet filled with fruits and vegetables can naturally enhance the presence of this beneficial bacteria in the gut, as fiber serves as nourishment for microorganisms.

A previous study also found that plum juice raised Turicibacter levels in the guts of obese rats, which researchers said may be because it contains polyphenolic compounds that can boost good microbes in the gut.

Experts warn that the bacteria does not grow in people who follow a high-fat diet because it is unable to survive in high-fat environments.

Researchers at the University of Utah tracked mice on a high-fat diet that either received no supplements or a supplement containing Turicibacter (stock image)

Dr June Round, an immunologist at the University of Utah who led the study, said: ‘I didn’t think one microbe would have such a dramatic effect, I thought it would be a mix of three or four.

‘So, when [my assistant] brought me the first experiment with Turicibacter and the mice were staying really lean, I was like, “this is so amazing”.’

She added: ‘It’s pretty exciting when you see those types of results.’

The study was carried out in mice and will need to be repeated in humans to confirm the results. 

It was not clear how Turicibacter may slow weight gain, but the scientists said this could be linked to its ability to break down fatty molecules.

In the paper, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers found that mice fed Turicibacter also had fewer ceramides, a fatty molecule absorbed in the small intestine that was linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

In mice on a high-fat diet, their guts contained about 300 picomoles of lipid per milliliter (pmol lipid/mL). A picomole is equivalent to about 600 billion molecules.

For comparison, the mice that received Turicibacter in their diet had a gut ceramide concentration of about 200 pmol lipid/mL.

Results showed mice that received Turicibacter (red line) gained less weight than those that did not receive the supplement (blue line)

Foods that can promote Turicibacter include onions, garlic, artichokes, asparagus, cacao, inulin and foods with omega-9 fatty acids like olive oil.

Researchers said that this shift was likely linked to the activity of the bacteria.

Dr Round added: ‘We have improved weight gain in mice, but I have no idea if this is actually true in humans.

‘Identifying what lipid is having this effect is going to be one of the most important future directions, both from a scientific perspective, because we want to understand how it works, and from a therapeutic standpoint.’

She added: ‘Perhaps we could use this bacterial lipid, which we know really doesn’t have a lot of side effects because people have it in their guts, as a way to keep a healthy weight.’

Experts say that foods that can promote Turicibacter should be eaten as part of a balanced diet. 

These can include onions, garlic, artichokes, asparagus, cacao, inulin and foods with omega-9 fatty acids like olive oil, avocados, almonds and cashews. 

Saturated fats should be avoided as they have been shown to reduce the bacteria in the gut.  

About 74 percent of US adults are overweight or obese, according to the CDC, with 43 percent considered to be obese.

Dr Federica Amati, a leading nutritionist in the UK, told Daily Mail that when people are dieting, they should not be afraid of upping the volume of food they eat, as long as it is healthy and not loaded with added sugar.

She said: ‘The problem with classic dieting is that it tends to focus almost exclusively on eating less, rather than eating well.

‘When we cut calories too aggressively, the body often responds defensively.

‘Metabolism can slow, hunger hormones increase, and satiety hormones fall, all of which make us feel hungrier and more tired, not more in control or energized to continue.’