Junk food kills bacteria that keeps you thin - expert

A third of people naturally possess microbes which prevent them from getting fat. Photo / Thinkstock

Junk food kills the gut bacteria that can help keep people thin, while Belgian beer and coffee increase them, a new book by a leading academic claims.

Microbes that live in people's bodies make up 90 per cent of living cells and when disrupted could be a major cause of obesity, according to Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London.

In a new book called The Diet Myth, he researches the links between microbes, food and health in an attempt to gain an insight into the burgeoning obesity crisis.

Prof Spector's research also found sweeteners in diet fizzy drinks had adverse affects on metabolism, leading to weight gain, while fasting diets such as the 5:2 diet could benefit microbes and metabolism.

But he found some elements were down to genetics, with a third of people naturally possessing microbes which prevented them getting fat, while genes even determined some people's preference for salads, broccoli or garlic.

- PAA