The gastroenterologist doctor Martine Cotinat was the guest of "Sans Rendez-vous" on Europe 1, Friday afternoon, to explain how microbiota, that is to say a set of bacteria, could make you lose weight. This requires respecting certain conditions, such as not dieting, knowing how to identify good and bad foods, eating fiber and varying your diet.

It is a little-known ally of the human body: "A microbiota is a set of bacteria that live together in an ecosystem. There are everywhere in our environment," says Martine Cotinat, gastroenterologist and guest of Sans Rendez you on Europe 1, Friday afternoon. The specialist has just published  Weight loss of pleasure by charming his bacteria : "If our microbiota is not rich enough in good bacteria, it becomes unbalanced, and this promotes weight gain but also the development of many other pathologies", she develops. So she gave three tips for taking care of her microbiota.

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Do not go on a restrictive diet

When summer arrives, many magazines offer restrictive diets, which Martine Cotinat considers counterproductive: "I suggest to my patients to add things, rather than take them out. By adding protective foods and varied, spontaneously you cut back on other foods. So selection is natural and easier. We realized that the microbiota was linked to the glycemic index and calories. It can therefore be disturbed by diets restrictive or hyper protein. By dieting, we damage our microbiota, "she adds. "You should not go on a diet, but change the way you eat," says the gastroenterologist.

Know how to identify the enemies of our microbiota

Unsurprisingly, Martine Cotinat advises to avoid junk food and industrial products. "If we add saturated fat, excess sugar and additives, this makes a great cocktail that will unbalance the microbiota," says Martine Cotinat. Poor nutrition allows bad bacteria to proliferate, to the detriment of good bacteria. And when there is an imbalance, the whole metabolism is disturbed.

Eat fiber and vary your diet

In your diet, you should also favor vegetables, fruits and whole grains, legumes like lentils and chickpeas, oilseeds like almonds, nuts and hazelnuts. "Each bacterial species will degrade a certain type of fiber. To have significant biodiversity, you must above all vary your diet," concludes Martine Cotinat.