Common Types Of Probiotics
There are dozens of different strains of bacteria in different probiotic supplements. According to Dr Perlmutter, there are just a few that are really beneficial for most people .
What he recommends, as well as many others, are bacteria from the lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidum bacterium families .
These are available in abundance in yogurt, kefir, and naturally fermented sauerkraut to name a few.
Its wise to eat a variety of fermented foods to ensure youre getting all the different strains you need. But if you dont like yogurt, adding a separate supplement is your best bet.
Sohow Can I Add More Probiotics To My Diet
While you can get probiotics through food, the easiest way to get some probiotics in your diet every day without fail is likely through a probiotic supplement.
But here’s the thing: There are dozens of probiotic supplements on the market, with different supplements containing different strains. Unfortunately, according to Apovian, the few studies that have been done so far offer no real evidence about which probiotic strains might work best for weight-loss results. In the 2013 British study, LGG was chosenbut why? They just picked one! Apovian says.
If you still want to experiment with probiotics for weight loss, though, Gorin says to hit up your doctor for the go-ahead before taking any supplementswhile probiotics are generally considered to be safe, they may cause some gastrointestinal upset at first, like bloating and gas.
Gorin notes that one study in Obesity found daily supplementation with the brand VSL#3 may provide some protection against weight gain when eating a high-calorie, high-fat diet. However, the sample size was limited: only 20 non-obese men were studied.
Similarly, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Functional Foods found a link between loss of body fat and the probiotic strains lactobacillus fermentum and lactobacillus amylovorus , but only 28 participants were studied.
Once you get the green light, you can try any of the following:
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
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Probiotics For Weight Loss
Research on probiotics is ongoing, but many studies show a link between probiotics and improving bowel regularity, immune function, inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms, Cresci says. Theres a possibility probiotics might help with weight loss.
Animal and human studies show that people with obesity have a different microbiome composition than those who are lean, she says. Its believed that adding probiotics to your diet could help correct this difference. Theres just not enough data available yet to fully recommend probiotics for weight loss, Cresci explains.
Related: What Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
But consuming more probiotics improves gut microbiota, and this can help people achieve a healthy body weight, says Ryan Andrews, principal nutritionist and adviser at Precision Nutrition.
This is because of the widespread effects that occur throughout the body originating in our gut including everything from inflammation to insulin sensitivity to digestion to metabolism to mood, he explains. When our digestive system contains healthy amounts of probiotics, this can allow us to better metabolize foods, absorb nutrients, and prevent harmful microbes from colonizing and regulate overall immune function.
Related: Eat Your Way to a Healthier Gut
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.
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How Do I Get More Probiotics On My Diet
To keep your gut healthy and your weight loss journey on target , choose foods and supplements that are naturally abundant in probiotics. You can start by choosing some of them from below:
What Are Probiotics And Are They Different
Probiotics are different to prebiotics, yes.
Probiotics are not fiber compounds, they are strains of live bacteria which live in the gut and help to balance up a good versus bad picture.
Probiotics are good bacteria, and they ensure the smooth running of the gut, as well as providing a boost to the immune system, and many other benefits along the way.
Prebiotics work in a different way, as we mentioned above, but they also provide food for the probiotics.
Probiotics cannot work effectively without prebiotics they need food in order to do their work, just like me and you do!
Many people choose to take a probiotic supplement on a daily basis, or they can get a good amount of benefit from their diet.
If you choose to go down the supplement route, its a good idea to find one which contains both prebiotics and probiotics, for a complete picture.
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The Link Between Probiotics And Body Weight
Although there is still uncertainty on how probiotics affect our body weight, two recent studies indicate that there is a connection. The first study, published in 2018, asks: “Is It Time to Use Probiotics to Prevent or Treat Obesity?” and goes on to examine the link between gut health and obesity or the conditions that lead up to it, including weight gain, such high blood sugar, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
The authors state: “Several studies have shown that in individuals with obesity, the gut microbiota composition can be significantly different from that of lean individuals,” and they posit that your gut ” bacteria can exert a fundamental role in modulating energy metabolism,” and pose “that modifications of gut microbiota composition can be associated with increases or reductions of body weight and body mass index. Based on this evidence, manipulation of the gut microbiota with probiotics has been considered a possible method to prevent and treat obesity.”
A subsequent study in 2019 in the British Medical Journal, examined the effect of “oral intake of bacterial probiotics on 15 variables related to obesity, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.” The analysis found that “probiotics consumption improves anthropometric parameters and BMI,” as well as improving blood sugar, chronic inflammation, and triglyceride levels in the blood, as well as liver function.
Some Bacteria Trigger Weight Gain
Changes in gut bacteria may play a role in weight gain. For example, people with obesity tend to have fewer or less diverse gut bacteria than lean people .
Some animal studies also show that when gut bacteria from mice with obesity were transplanted into the guts of lean mice, the lean mice developed obesity.
How does this happen? It might be due to how your gut bacteria interact with the cells involved in the digestive process. One study even found that overeating can trigger an increase in obesity-causing bacteria.
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Should You Try Probiotics For Weight Loss
“There are studies out there suggesting some strains could help with weight lossLactobacillus and Lactobacillus gasseribut it’s just really not that simple,” Bulsiewicz said. “If probiotics were that effective, we would all be using them.”
Bulsiewicz explains that while gut health is relevant to our metabolism, energy balance and weight, that doesn’t mean upping your intake of probioticseither through a supplement or foodwill necessarily give you the results you want. He says this is in part to two major thingsthe first being that every strain affects us differently.
“There is no one-size-fits-all probiotic,” Bulsiewicz says. “We each have our own unique microbiome, as unique as your fingerprint, so there’s no guarantee for how a person will respond to any given strain.”
Secondly, Dr. B says that we can’t expect for one small lifestyle change to drastically affect our weight if we don’t change our other lifestyle habits. While he does say probiotics can help with bloating, heal previous damage to your microbiome and relieve constipation, it’s not going to give you the long-term results that eating healthy and exercising regularly will.
Related: Best Foods for Weight Loss
Probulin Total Care Probiotic
Probulin is a business that has created a new standard of probiotic supplements. They have numerous probiotic supplements to cater to your digestive health needs.
Their supplements are backed by science, effective and high-quality.
Key Benefits
- Probulin contains 15 various strains of probiotics for maximum effectiveness.
- This supplement does not have to be refrigerated.
- It uses the MAKTrek 3- Delivery system, which ensures the probiotics reach the gut undamaged by the digestive system.
- It is free of GMOs, dairy, soy, and gluten, making it allergen-friendly.
The probiotic strains are partially formed from the fermentation of fruit and vegetables.
It improves immune response and digestive health.
Pros
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They Contribute To Feeling Full Which In Turn Can Make You Eat Less
Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LDN, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition stresses that this link is in an indirect way, but “foods that contain probiotics as well as nutrients, such as protein and fiber, can help you feel satiated and therefore eat less and lead to weight loss,” she says, adding that foods like kefir and yogurt offer protein and probiotics whereas foods like kimchi and pickled vegetables are good options for probiotics coupled with fiber.
Want to learn even more about how probiotics can help you in addition to weight loss? There are also five surprising benefits of probiotics.
Gut Bugs Are Personal
If you want to learn more about the microbes in your gut, join the ZOE program, which includes the most advanced gut microbiome test in the world.
We use the latest microbiome analysis to tell you exactly which bacteria call your gut home, and we provide you with personalized recommendations for foods that support optimal gut health.
Unpublished research from the ZOE team shows that closely following our personalized nutrition program led to an average weight loss of 9.4 pounds after 3 months. And around 80% of participants didnt feel hungry and had more energy after their meals.
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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.
Can You Consume Too Many Probiotics
Researchers and health experts arent sure whether consuming too many probiotics is harmful, Cresci says. Taking some probiotic supplements could make you gassy, though.
Its also uncertain what a combination of different strains of bacteria may do in the gut, as they are live microbes that will compete with each other for resources, she says. Think of it as taking your dog to a dog park and setting it loose to play with a variety of other dogs. They are all canines, but of different breeds. Some may get along, others may fight.
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Andrews suggests aiming for one to two servings of probiotic-rich foods each day, and one to two servings of prebiotic-rich foods, such as barley, bananas, berries, garlic and beans.
Its always a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements or drastically changing your diet, he says. Thats especially true if youre immune-compromised, take any medications or have a compromised gut integrity or a yeast allergy.
Next, read more about probiotics and prebiotics.
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Other Types Of Probiotics Good For Weight Loss
Continuous research has led to more discoveries on how probiotics assist in weight loss.
Lactobacillus paracasei, for instance, has been proven to be effective in body weight and food intake.
Paracasei reduces food intake in both animals and humans, and an extract from it is capable of reducing body fat and weight. What paracasei does is reduce the number of lipid plaques at the aorta.
The result is lipogenesis or lower production of fat. It also leads to better absorption of nutrients and reduces the size of fat cells.
One of the best probiotics for women and men is Lactobacillus plantarum as it is an effective fat burner. Plantarum PL60 and 62 generate CLA that stimulates burning of fat.
Studies done on mice show that after 8 weeks of regular feeding with PL60, mice lost considerable weight without adjusting calorie intake. The animals fat tissues were also reduced by a significant margin.
Combining L plantarum with a low fat, low-calorie diet led to lower BMI results, especially among adults with hypertension and obesity.
Another lactobacillus that is known to stimulate weight loss is rhamnosus. In a research study done at the Nutrition and Health Research Department in Lausanne, Switzerland, nutritionists learned that L rhamnosus is very effective in lowering fat mass as well as weight loss.
L rhamnosus is also effective in lowering concentrations of leptin in the body. It also enhances liver parameters in overweight children.
Life Extension’s Florassist Gi With Phage Technology
“We’re big fans of Life Extension’s Florassist GI Phage because it is unique and it includes bacteriophages and a proprietary probiotic blend that’s been shown to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and promote the growth of good bacteria,” say The Nutrition Twins . “It’s designed to reach the lower intestine for a greater benefit,” they continue, specifying that this is key since many probiotics don’t do this and that accounts for why they don’t work.
Bonus rec? “We live for their magnesium, too. So helpful during these stressful times, it’s like a massage before bed.”
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Are Probiotics Good For Weight Loss
Likely, yes! That overweight people have different gut bacteria than those with healthy body weight. Probiotics may assist you reduce because they create your gut less leaky, meaning fewer molecules that contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases can enter your bloodstream. Sounds great, right!
Probiotics & weight loss can go hand in hand. You might already know that probiotics play an integral role in boosting immunity and regulating gut, brain, heart, and digestive health. Still, to your surprise, they may also be beneficial in attaining healthy body weight.
Lets see how! Your body is a hub of bacteria, but not all of them are bad. Probiotics are friendly bacteria found naturally in fermented foods like yogurt or taken in supplement form, necessary for your body to break down food and support a healthy immune system.
