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November, 2015 |
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Probiotics may improve digestive health, heart health and immune function, to name a
few (2,3, 4, 5).
Several studies also suggest that probiotics can help you lose weight and belly fat.
It is thought that certain probiotics may inhibit the absorption of dietary fat, increasing
the amount of fat excreted with feces (12).
In other words, they make you harvest fewer calories from the foods in your diet.
Certain bacteria, such as those from the Lactobacillus family, have been found to
function in this way (12, 13).
Probiotics may also fight obesity in other ways:
Increase of ANGPTL4: Probiotics may increase levels of the protein ANGPTL4. This
may lead to decreased fat storage (16).
There is also a lot of evidence that obesity is linked to inflammation in the brain.
Byimproving gut health, probiotics may reduce systemic inflammation and protect
against obesity and other diseases (17, 18).
However, it is important to keep in mind that these mechanisms arent understood very
well. More research is needed.
Bottom Line: Probiotics may reduce the number of calories you absorb from food. They
also affect hormones and proteins related to appetite and fat storage. They may also
reduce inflammation, which can drive obesity.
Studies have found that certain strains of theLactobacillus family can help you lose
weight andbelly fat.
In one study, eating yogurt with Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus
amylovorus reduced body fat by 34% over a 6-week period (19).
Another study of 125 overweight dieters investigated the effects of Lactobacillus
rhamnosus supplements on weight loss and weight maintenance (20).
During a 3-month study period, the women taking the probiotics lost 50% more
weight compared to the group taking a dummy pill (placebo). They also continued to
lose weight during the weight maintenance phase of the study.
Lactobacillus Gasseri
Of all the probiotic bacteria studied to date, Lactobacillus gasseri shows the
mostpromising effects on weight loss. Numerous studies in rodents have found that it
has anti-obesity effects (13, 21, 22, 23).
Additionally, studies in Japanese adults have shown impressive results (12, 24, 25).
One study followed 210 people with a lot of belly fat. It found that taking Lactobacillus
gasseri for 12 weeks reduced body weight, fat around organs, BMI, waist size and hip
circumference.
Whats more, belly fat was reduced by 8.5%. However, when participants stopped
taking the probiotic, they gained back all of the belly fat within a month (25).
Bottom Line: Some strains of the Lactobacillus family have been shown to reduce
weight and belly fat. Lactobacillus gasseri appears to be the most effective.
This indicates that some probiotic strains might be effective at preventing weight gain in
the context of a high-calorie diet. However, this needs to be studied a lot more.
Bottom Line: Certain probiotic strains may be able to prevent weight gain on a highcalorie diet.
Not all studies have found that probiotics help with weight loss.
Some studies have even found that certain probiotic strains might lead to weight gain,
not loss. This includes Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus
fermentum andLactobacillus ingluviei (27).
One recent study reviewed 4 controlled clinical trials. It concluded that probiotics did not
reduce body weight, BMI or body fat levels in overweight or obese adults (28).
However, this review study did not include many of the studies mentioned above.
Bottom Line: Not all probiotics help with weight loss, and some of them may even
cause weight gain. The effects depend on the probiotic strain, and may also vary
between individuals.