CAN PROBIOTICS HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS?

If you haven’t heard before, let us introduce you to probiotics that we consume through fermented foods (such as yogurt) and support to keep our digestive system healthy. Along with their many benefits, these bacteria can improve your immune system, digestion and heart health, but can probiotics also help you lose weight? Here’s what we know…

How do gut bacteria affect your weight?
At the moment we can say that there is a liaison amid probiotics and weight loss. But it’s not as simple as saying that a single type of probiotic can help you lose or avoid weight gain. Instead, your weight seems to be influenced by the overall diversity of gut bacteria that probiotics contribute. For example, a 2013 study in Denmark showed that overweight individuals with less gut diversity gained weight more quickly than those with a more diverse gut bacteria.

There are several possibilities as to why gut bacteria have such an impact on weight. Some probiotics affect your appetite and power; some prevent your body from absorbing too much fat from the food you eat and instead cause your body to pass it through your stool. Others may help reduce inflammation in your body, which is linked to obesity. To sum things up, a 2017 review found that probiotics can help you lose weight and body fat. But the researchers noted that the measure lost in most studies was not dramatic.

Which probiotics are best for weight loss?
Several studies have shown that probiotic strains of Lactobacillus can help you lose weight and body fat. For example, one study found that people who ate yogurt containing the probiotics Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus amylovorus lost three to four percent body fat over six weeks. One strain that looks particularly promising is Lactobacillus gasseri. A 2013 study found that 210 people with high body fat reduced BMI, waist size, and hip circumference after taking Lactobacillus gasseri for 12 weeks; found that she lost weight, belly fat, and visceral fat (fat around the organ).

Another potentially promising probiotic for weight loss is Bifidobacterium. One study found that people who took a strain of Bifidobacterium for three months lost more belly fat; It showed reduction in BMI and waist circumference.

Some studies gave participants these probiotics through supplements, others through food. You can find these strains in foods such as yogurt, cheese, soy and other fermented products; just check the nutrition label to see if the food contains probiotics. You may see abbreviated names for Lactobacillus gasseri, such as L. gasseri.

Still, the best you can do for both your weight and overall well-being is to keep your microbiome as diverse as possible by eating a variety of foods and probiotics. Physicians recommend a varied and “colorful” diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables (which also encourages good bacteria) in addition to fermented foods.