Forget salad, ditch the kale, and prepare to feel a lot less guilty about eating junk food. Recent studies now support the idea that you are not responsible for your cravings. So that burrito bowl you’ve been thinking about all day is actually due to the influence of two warring bacteria clans that live in your stomach and fight to control what you eat: the Bacteroidetes and the Firmicutes.
According to studies published by the scientific Journal, "Nature" research has suggested that people who prefer more fattening foods actually have a higher amount of Bacteroidetes than Firmicutes and experiments have been conducted to manipulate the type and abundance of bacteria in a person’s stomach in order to change his or her diet.
As crazy as it sounds, you are actually not in complete control of your diet. When you eat something, you are actually satisfying the cravings of a few million bacteria in your gut that are using you to get the nutrients they need to survive. Not only can these bacteria control your appetite, but scientists at the University of San Francisco, California also say that the bacteria can affect your mood as well. The digestive system is connected to the nervous system and hormones, so a huge portion of your personality is basically at the mercy of these tiny organisms.
All these years you thought you were eating pizza because you liked it. Little did you know you were actually accommodating the appetites of tiny diabolical bacteria in your stomach. So next time you pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry’s on a whim, don’t feel so bad about it – you may not be in complete control of your actions.