Feeding Microbes vs Starving Them

Could your gut microbiome influence how many calories you absorb from the same food? Karen Corbin explains the science behind energy absorption, faecal calorie loss, and why feeding your microbes may support metabolic health.

We also cover practical diet upgrades, the reality on probiotics, and where microbiome research is heading next, including metabolite signatures and gut–brain links.

What We Cover

• How the microbiome may change calorie absorption and energy balance
• Why fibre and resistant starch matter, and how to increase them
• Where “lost” calories go, and what microbial biomass could mean
• Probiotics vs prebiotics: what is worth your time and money
• How fast microbiome changes can happen with diet
• The future: metabolites, objective diet measures, and brain health research

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You can keep up with Dr Karen Corbin’s latest research by connecting with her on LinkedIn and exploring her profile at the AdventHealth Research Institute.

• Intro (00:00)
• Can the Gut Microbiome Increase or Reduce Calorie Absorption? (01:02)
• Karen Corbin’s Microbiome Research Journey in Nutrition Science (04:17)
• New Microbiome Experiments That Could Change How We Eat (11:17)
• Energy Balance Explained: Calories, Metabolism, and Weight Gain (18:28)
• How Scientists Study the Gut Microbiome (29:19)
• Is the Gut Microbiome Causing Obesity and Metabolic Disease? (38:54)
• How Medications Like Metformin Affect the Gut Microbiome (43:31)
• Can a High-Fiber Microbiome Diet Reduce Hunger and Cravings? (45:06)
• Liver Fat, Type 2 Diabetes, and Metabolic Dysfunction Explained (50:44)
• Best Diet and Nutrition Strategies for Fatty Liver Disease (56:01)
• How Diet Changes the Gut Microbiome and Metabolism (1:02:27)
• Probiotics vs Prebiotics: What Actually Improves Gut Health? (1:07:08)
• GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs and Their Effects on the Microbiome (1:13:07)
• Gut Microbiome Metabolites and How They Impact Health (1:16:28)
• Gut-Brain Connection: How the Microbiome Affects the Brain (1:21:57)
• Future of Gut Microbiome Research and Personalized Nutrition (1:30:24)

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