How Probiotics Promote A Slim Waistline
In one study, obese people consumed a fermented milk product for twelve weeks and reduced 4.6 % abdominal fat. The surprise is the quick results just by consuming 200 grams of a fermented milk product containing a Lactobacillus strain.Effects of probiotics on body weight, body mass. Wiley Online LibraryLactobacillus alter body adiposity and gut microflora in healthy persons ScienceDirectLactobacillus rhamnosus on weight loss in obese men and women PubMed
Other studies show similar resultsconsuming probiotics for weight loss works well. But how do beneficial bacteria promote a slimmer waistline?
Gut imbalances seems to be a factor why some people dont have to eat much to gain weight, which is extremely frustrating! Probiotics bacteria are able to avoid the formation of excess fat. Probiotic bacteria are also involved with regulating appetite via hormones and proteins. In other words, probiotic bacteria can reduce the number of calories execrated from food you consume.Lactobacillus gasseri suppresses fatty acid release PubMed Beneficial metabolic effects of a probiotic PubMed Probiotics for the Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Humans PubMed
How Probiotics Impact Body Weight
The approaches by which probiotics impact body weight and tummy fat arent yet well understood.
Probiotics seem to influence hunger and energy use via the production of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are short-chain fatty acids.
Its thought that particular probiotics might hinder the absorption of dietary fat, increasing the quantity of fat excreted with feces.
To put it simply, they make your body harvest less calories from the foods you eat.
Specific bacteria, such as those from the Lactobacillus family, have actually been discovered to work in this way.
Probiotics might likewise combat weight problems in other ways, consisting of:
Releasing appetite-regulating hormonal agents: Probiotics might help launch the appetite-reducing hormonal agents glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY . Increased levels of these hormones may help you burn calories and fatIncreasing levels of fat-regulating proteins: Probiotics may increase levels of the protein angiopoietin-like 4 . This may result in decreased fat storage.Strong evidence links weight problems to inflammation throughout the body. By enhancing the health of your gut lining, probiotics might lower systemic inflammation and safeguard against weight problems and other diseases.
More research is needed to totally comprehend these systems.
In particular, research studies have actually found that certain pressures of the Lactobacillus household can assist you drop weight and stomach fat.
Can Probiotics Help With Weight Loss
Honestly, no one knows for surethat’s because most probiotic research has focused on how to improve digestive issues or immune health.
The most promising evidence on probiotics and weight loss comes from a 2013 study in The British Journal of Nutrition, which studied the effects of one strain of probiotics, lactobacillus rhamnosus .
Researchers followed 125 men and women throughout a 12-week weight-loss program, giving half the participants LGG and the other half a placebo. At the end of the trial, the women who took probiotics lost more weight than the women on the placebo. The probiotics group also went on to continue losing weight after the trial had ended .
That sounds legit, right? Well…kind of. Caroline Apovian, MD, director of nutrition and weight management at Boston Medical Center, says the difference in weight loss between the probiotic and placebo group in this study just barely qualifies as noteworthy.
There was no weight loss difference overall between the probiotic and placebo groups, she says, but there was a significance when you separate the women in the probiotic group. Even then, she notes, the women in the probiotic group only lost about 1.8 kilograms more than the placebo group.
It may certainly be that those people who eat healthy have healthier guts and not the other way around, she says. As far as which came first , its likely the healthy diet.
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What Science Says About Probiotics And Weight Loss
Kahan says that many studies have found a correlation between good gut bacteria and healthy weight. “In general, heavier patients tend to have more of the unhealthier bacteria, and less of the good, healthier bacteria,” he says. People who are thinner also have a wider range of gut bacteria, possibly indicating the importance of gut diversity to maintaining a healthy weight.
However, Abby Langer, R.D., says experts don’t know whether changes in weight cause differences in gut bacteria or whether it’s the bacteria itself that impacts weight.
“We cannot determine cause and effect,” Langer says to Men’s Health. “We dont know the whole story.”
But there’s still not enough evidence to suggest that taking probiotics can lead to weight loss, in part because there’s a complicating factor at play: we can’t tell whether people with good gut bacteria have it organically, or if it’s a result of their diets.
“When you consider bacteria, you have to consider two sides of the equation: One side is the bacteria in your gut, and the other is the bacteria in your food sources,” Doerfler says. Additionally, Kahan says that most studies looking at the link between gut bacteria and weight loss have assessed animals, not human subjects.
“People who weigh less typically have diets with more plant-based foods, which are good for weight loss and have the benefit of growing good bacteria,” saysDoerfler.
The Science Of Probiotics
In 2014, a study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition that showedcompelling evidence to support the theory of probiotics and weight loss. Thestudy focused on 125 overweight men and women, who were given either aprobiotic supplement or placebo twice a day for 24 weeks.
The results of the research were intriguing. Over the course of thisstudy, women who were taking the probiotic averaged twice as much weight lossas those who were taking the placebo. Interestingly enough, the probiotic didnot have any measurable effect on the male study participants. Not only didthese women lose weight, they also experienced a reduction in obesity-linkedgut bacteria and circulating leptin concentrations.
A second recent study conducted in Japan showed similar effects ofprobiotics on weight loss. In this study, 210 participants were given foodsupplements with high concentrations of the good bacteria strain, Lactobacillusgasseri SBT2055, and they were then followed for 12 weeks. At the end of thestudy, participants experienced a significant decrease in visceral and bellyfat.
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Probiotics To Fight Obesity And Overweight
As we’ve mentioned, probiotics are live bacteria. This bacteria remains alive once we ingest probiotic foods throughout out digestive system. Among the amount of health benefits of probiotics, is that it helps balance the intestinal flora.
Putting on weight can be caused by a change in the body’s internal ecosystem. This means that certain side effects of obesity and weight gain can affect the chances of losing it again. With obesity, people usually experience higher blood pressure, higher levels of cholesterol and distortion of blood sugar levels. These three factors can affect the way that thegut functions in several ways:
- The bacteria found in the gut will save energy from the food you eat. If there is a bigger intake in calories, the bacteria will need to harvest more energy, which will slow the person’s metabolism.
- The bacteria found in the gut is in charge of regulating the hormones that control blood sugar levels, if these hormones decrease, blood sugar levels will rise and there is a higher risk of leaky gut.
- Genetic mutations can occur in the gut that can affect the feeling of being full.
- In the gut we can find two types of good bacteria: bacteroidetes and firmicutes. When there is an unbalance, they can release toxins that trigger inflammation. These are especially common in people with diabetes type 2 and obesity.
- The increase in blood sugar levels and the appearance of toxins can cause Leaky Gut syndrome.
Changing Gut Bacteria May Be A Result Of Weight Loss Not The Cause
It’s unclear from the research, so far, whether losing weight causes your microbiome to change or if changing your microbiome causes you to lose weight.
For example, an article published in Nutrition Today in 2017 found that bacteria associated with leaner individuals called Bacteroidetes increased in obese individuals when they participated in a weight loss diet without any other intervention.
When the study participants were put on a weight gain diet, the bacteria associated with obesity, Firmicutes, increased by 20% while Bacteriodetes decreased by 20%. This suggests that changes in bacteria are the result of weight loss, or gain, instead of the cause.
So eating more probiotics, alone, probably won’t trigger weight loss.
But for the sake of argument, let’s consider that eating probiotics may play a role in helping people to lose weight. There’s another problem with that take: the strains don’t add up.
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Which Probiotic Strains Help With Weight Loss
Obviously I cant just tell you how probiotics can help with weight loss and then not give you specifics of how to get their benefits into your body!
In the first section, I mentioned the two families of probiotics that help with weight loss: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.
Where can you find these probiotics? Lets give some examples.
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First, Id like to start with lactobacillus, which can be found naturally in the stomach, gut, and vagina. Lactobacillus helps with heart health, lactose intolerance problems, increasing iron levels, lowering the risk of yeast infections, and so much more.
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3) Whole grains: Oats and barley, just to give you a couple of examples, can help to increase bifidobacteria. Theyre really good for your gut health in general as well.
4) Polyphenols: These are plant compounds, and they are broken down in the gut by bacteria when we eat them. Cocoa, green tea, and wine help to increase bifidobacteria!
Its really important to remember these two kinds of probiotics, because even doing something simple, such as adding them to your diet, can work wonders on your body.
What If I Don’t Want To Take A Supplement Can I Get Probiotics Anywhere Else
You sure canin fact, it might be better to get your probiotics from food sources. I would always urge people to eat food first,” says Gorinthat way, you’re getting other nutrients too, in addition to probiotic benefits.
Apovian agrees, saying that most probiotic foods are healthy foods and it certainly cant hurt to eat them . Here are a few ways to get probiotics from food:
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How Gut Bacteria Help You Lose Weight
Many of the bacteria that live in your digestive system help your body perform functions it could necessarily carry out on its own, including producing certain B vitamins and certain fatty acids.
They also help break down fiber, which your body cant digest, turning it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids like butyrate
Probiotics seem to influence appetite and energy usage via the production of short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. When the good bacteria digest starches, they produce butyrate. This decreases insulin resistance and regulates the hormones that control appetite .
So, if you dont have enough of these bacteria, then you might not get the signal that you are full, prompting you to consume more calories which contribute to weight gain.
Its also thought that certain probiotics may inhibit the absorption of dietary fat, increasing the amount of fat excreted with feces. In other words, some bacteria extract fewer calories from the foods you eat. Certain bacteria, such as those from the Lactobacillus family, have been found to function in this way.
Do Probiotics Help You Lose Weight: How Can It Help With Weight Loss
Do probiotics help you lose weight? A particular study claims that this probiotic supplementation is effective when it comes to preventing weight gain and promoting weight loss in humans.
The 2018 meta-analysis review, which comprised 821 participants, proved that the participants who received this supplement got more significant weight reduction, body fat, and waist circumference than those who did not use it. Essentially, probiotics supplements tend to influence energy usage and appetite through the production of propionate, acetate, and butyrate using a short chain of fatty acids. In simple words, they typically make the users body harvest very few amounts of calories from the foods they eat.Probiotics can reduce the significant number of calories we absorb from food. Further, they can affect the protein and hormone levels related to fat storage and appetite and reduce inflammation that leads to obesity.
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How Gut Bacteria Affect Weight Regulation
Now that we know what probiotics are, the next question is: how do gut bacteria affect our weight?
In the first section of this article, you may have noticed that I mentioned gut bacteria a few times when talking about probiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria for our guts, which are really important for our overall health and when talking about weight.
In order to understand how gut bacteria affect our weight, its important to have a little bit of knowledge about gut bacteria in general.
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Like I mentioned earlier, probiotics have benefits to other parts of the body as well. For example, research says that probiotics can reduce inflammation in the brain and help reduce the risk of other diseases outside of the gut. Inflammation in the brain can be caused by obesity.
Of course, you have to make sure youre getting the *right* probiotics in order to help with weight loss. Not all strains of probiotics produce the same results!
Do you remember when we talked about lactobacillus? Well, this strain of probiotic has been shown to really help with weight loss and weight management!
There have been multiple studies proving that taking more of this probiotic leads to reduced belly fat and anti-obesity effects.
What if you are just trying to prevent weight gain, rather than lose weight?
Good news probiotics are the thing for you as well!
Probiotics sound like a winner to me.
Best Probiotics For Weight Loss
Since weve already established that probiotics help to balance our gut, the last thing to figure out is what the best probiotics for weight loss are.
There are so many probiotics out there! Weve already talked about two that help us to lose weight but are there more?
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For all of the overachievers out there, the answer is yes!
Remember when we talked about the two main groups of probiotics? Well, there are sub-groups that fall under these two families.
Lets take a look at some relatives of these two probiotics, starting with lactobacillus:
- Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus amylovorus: Studies have shown that these are two of the best probiotics for weight loss.
- Lactobacillus gasseri: Studies have linked this probiotic with a decrease in body and belly fat.
- Lactobacillus acidophilus: Interestingly, this strain on its own hasnt been linked to weight loss. However, one study showed that when it was combined with the other weight-loss probiotics it helps you lose more weight.
We cant forget about Bacteroidetes! Here is one sub-group of this probiotic:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus: This is an amazing probiotic for weight loss according to some studies and has been directly linked to weight loss.
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How You Can Introduce More Prebiotics And Probiotics Into Your Diet
If youre trying to lose weight, foods high in prebiotic fiber might already be on your radar. Try incorporating these into your diet whenever possible:
- Leafy greens and root vegetables asparagus, jerusalem artichoke, onions, garlic, leeks, Belgian endive, chicory root, and jicama
- Fruits apples, berries, tomatoes, avocado and bananas
- Grains oats, brown rice, barley
- Legumes lentils and beans
- Cocoa yes, even compounds found in cocoa beans have health benefits
Inulin and oligofructose are also increasingly common food additives. They add richness and sweetness to dressings, baked goods, dairy products and desserts. While processed foods generally should be consumed in moderation, added prebiotics in some carefully selected ones can be a good source of prebiotics.
While prebiotics help probiotics thrive in the body, including more probiotic-rich foods into your diet could also accelerate your weight loss efforts. Check out this guide to learn more about the differences between probiotics and prebiotics and how they support one another.
If these fermented foods arent part of your diet already, try:
- Dairy or non-dairy yogurt with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners
- Kombucha made from green tea
- Condiments like kimchi, pickles and sauerkraut
Foods chock full of pre- and probiotics can be the cornerstone to a healthful diet, but supplementation offers a more targeted approach, especially when you take the prebiotics at the right time.
How To Take Probiotics
Now for the fun part: how do you incorporate probiotics into your lifestyle, provided your foundations are in place?
Were going to look at diet first, since this is the most holistic and natural way of getting a dose of beneficial bacteria. Add the following foods to your regime daily, either a serving or two:
Sauerkraut Kimchi Coconut, cashew, and almond yogurts Coconut or water kefir Kombucha
As for probiotic supplements, there are a few things you should look for in your local health food store to find a good brand:
10-15 billion CFUs for daily support. Choose from the refrigerated section. There have been debates as to whether heat or light damages probiotics. Make sure there are no added sugars or additives. Look for a wide range of different strains of bacteria
Remember: consistency AND foundations are the key to your success!
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