Probiotics Can Help Enhance Your Gut
“Probiotics can help you lose weight by improving your gut health,” say registered dietitian nutritionists Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT & Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, The Nutrition Twins, and co-founders of the 21-Day Body Reboot. “An unhealthy digestive system leads to an imbalance of gut microbes, and research has suggested that this imbalance could contribute to obesity.” Of course, before starting a new probiotics regime, always consult with your doctor or nutritionist.
Are Some Strains Better Than Others
Many probiotics contain mixtures of two or more individual strains of bacteria or yeasts. They may also contain prebiotics, which are compounds that the probiotics can feed on. If a formula contains both probiotics and prebiotics, it is called a synbiotic.
Products most often contain Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium species, although many other species exist. Different strains of the same species of probiotics can act in different ways, according to some research .
Some people take probiotics for maintaining everyday health. When using a probiotic for a specific health concern, people should speak to a healthcare professional about the best strategy. This is because show that different probiotics and dosages are effective for different conditions and situations.
Read on to learn more about the best probiotics for specific uses.
People can take probiotics in supplement form or in the form of foods and beverages such as yogurt and drinks that have live cultures added to them.
Fermented foods also naturally contain beneficial bacteria. Examples of fermented foods include:
Probiotic manufacturers measure amounts of bacteria in colony-forming units . Supplements can vary, with some commonly having a CFU of billions. Foods with added probiotics often contain lower numbers of bacteria. Generally, people might take higher-CFU products for specific conditions and a lower-CFU product for general health maintenance.
How We Made The List Of These Probiotic Brands
Probiotics have many properties, including digestive system support, boosting the immune system, and regulating metabolism. We did complete research to find brands that provide probiotic formulations, and our top priority was the brands that offer weight loss qualities in their products.
Therefore, we made a list of brands selling probiotics for weight loss and reviewed their products according to our checklist. After going through the checks, we shortlisted the five brands with all the necessary qualities and features in their products.
Moreover, we described our checklist below to help you understand why we selected these five brands as the best ones to sell probiotics for weight loss.
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Physicians Choice Thin 30 Probiotic
Physicians Choice is a dietary and nutritional supplement company that uses scientifically backed ingredients to develop its products. All products are tested by third-party laboratories.
One of their most popular products is a line of probiotics made specifically for weight loss called Thin 30 probiotics. This probiotic has six active strains of probiotics selected to help with weight loss. It also uses green tea to boost metabolism. Furthermore, it includes an organic blend of pre-biotics to facilitate probiotic growth. Physicians Choice advertises that there are 15 billion CFUs in every serving.
Physicians Choice is one of the few companies that share references to clinical research supporting the benefits of their products. For example, they have cited a study showing that overweight and obese individuals taking their products lost an average of 30 pounds more than the control group while undergoing other lifestyle changes. The company speculates that part of the benefit is due to the green tea, but the probiotics also appear to help.
Using Probiotics For More Weight Loss
Theres a vast amount of research still being done on the ways probiotics influence weight loss, metabolic function, and obesity. But many initial findings show that probiotics for weight loss are beneficial, especially to lose belly fat.
Scientists have identified several strains that can support a healthy weight, such as many types of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus gasseri, and L. rhamnosus. If you want to get started with a probiotic to help you lose weight, its always good practice to let your doctor know so he or she can best advise you. You can also incorporate more fermented foods into your diet like yogurt or sauerkraut.
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Probiotics For Weight Loss: Verdict
Youll notice that the studies that didnt find much of a weight loss benefit for probiotics, or had mixed findings, are more numerous than those that do. Additionally, they are all meta-analyses and systematic reviews, meaning that they analyze many studies in one go and give us access to much better quality data and more insights.
This highlights the need to use caution before putting too much clout into weight loss trends. However, this doesnt mean we should cast aside the use of probiotics for weight loss completely. While probiotics may not instigate weight loss directly, this doesnt mean they cant be part of the overall picture when it comes to losing weight.
Beneficial bacteria can be used alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise routine as they shine in healing the gut, which can indirectly impact your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Lets hone in a bit more on what probiotics can do for your digestive health, metabolic health, and overall well-being.
Final Thoughts On Using Probiotics For Weight Loss
Lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, and balanced sleep still remain the most important and effective therapies for obesity and related metabolic disorders. However, lifestyle modification results arent satisfying and obesity is still growing worldwide.
According to the studies weve presented in this article, therapeutic interventions with probiotics may offer novel treatments for obesity. Some specific probiotic strains such as the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera seem to be more effective than others. Further research is needed though to clarify all the probiotic species that are beneficial for weight loss.
Since probiotics for adults, women, and kids are safe, we can freely add them to our daily diet to promote our wellbeing and to provide our body the extra ingredient needed to achieve our weight loss goals. When probiotics are combined with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and quality sleep, you will manage to improve not only your body weight, but also experience a happier life!
References
Kim, D., Yoo, S. and Kim, W., 2016. Gut microbiota in autoimmunity: potential for clinical applications. Archives of Pharmacal Research, 39, pp.1565-1576.
Yan, F. and Polk, D., 2011. Probiotics and immune health. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, 27, pp.496-501.
Mazloom, K., Siddiqi, I. and Covasa, M., 2019. Probiotics: How Effective Are They in the Fight against Obesity?. Nutrients, 11, p.258.
Ioannis Nikitidis
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Should You Try Probiotics For Weight Loss
For a quick recap, probiotics are living microorganisms that can be found within certain foods and positively impact your health. Health benefits include balancing your gut bacteria, boosting your immunity, regulating digestion and improving your skin. But what about losing weight?
According to a 2017 systematic review published in Obesity Reviews, probiotic supplementation can reduce body weight and fat percentage, but the changes are relatively small. The authors concluded that long-term studies are needed to understand the correlation.
Furthermore, Dr. Bulsiewicz explained 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.
“There are studies out there suggesting some strains could help with weight lossLactobacillus and Lactobacillus gasseribut it’s just really not that simple,” Dr. Bulsiewicz said. “If probiotics were that effective, we would all be using them.” Dr. Bulsiewicz said this because of two major thingsthe first being that every strain affects us differently.
“There is no one-size-fits-all probiotic,” Dr. Bulsiewicz said. “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.”
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Can Probiotics Cause Weight Gain
While some probiotic species are noted for effects on weight loss, these effects may vary by strain. For example, while L. gasseri BNR17 showed weight loss effects in a clinical trial,³ L. gasseri L66-5 promoted weight gain in a different trial. This means its important to pay attention to the genus, species, and strain to find a product promoting weight loss.
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Are Probiotics Safe For Weight Loss
Probiotics are generally safe for most people, with a few exceptions. If you have any of the following conditions, its essential to consult a doctor before beginning probiotics:
- Chronic health condition
- A condition that compromises your immune system
Its crucial to remember that the FDA does not regulate probiotics, so you should pay close attention to the supplement ingredients and the companys manufacturing practices. You should be able to easily find out which strains of probiotics are included in the supplement formula in addition to other added ingredients. Information about third-party testing and quality control should also be readily available. If the company isnt transparent about this info, keep looking to find a company that is.
Consult your doctor if you have questions about which probiotic is best for you and before giving probiotics to children under 18. If you have any adverse reactions after beginning a probiotic , discontinue use and talk to your doctor.
Improves Overall Gut Health
Prebiotics help strengthen gut health overall. Research has shown HMO to be vital for digestive health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria , inhibiting the adhesion of pathogens, taming inflammation, and normalizing gut movements.11All of these factors play into a healthy gut which, in turn, helps you maintain a healthy weight.
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Avoiding Worrying About Setbacks
It is normal to have days where TRE does not work out. For example, a night out with friends, a special occasion, or a slip-up may lead to people eating outside of their fixed eating window.
However, this does not mean that they should quit.
It is best to see setbacks as an opportunity to get back on track. The next day, people can recommence the TRE plan and continue toward their goal.
The Link Between Gut Bacteria And Weight
However, this is not to completely discount the role of gut bacteria in combating obesity. For example, we know there are differences in the microbiota of obese individuals and lean individuals . Lower levels of Bacteroidetes and higher levels of Firmicutes species have been found in obese people, though research is conflicting. Its not known if being overweight causes bad bacteria to thrive or if bad bacteria drive obesity .
Interestingly, having a disrupted microbiome, specifically small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO, is linked with higher BMI, further hinting at the relationship between the microbiome and overall weight.
Two studies have shown a relationship between SIBO and body weight. In these studies, patients who tested positive for SIBO had higher BMI scores than patients without SIBO [4
Trusted SourcePubMedGo to source].
The research isnt perfect, but it does illustrate that the microbiome is tied to metabolic health. As probiotics are excellent in restoring the gut flora, its reasonable to assume that they can also have an effect on overall weight lets see what the research says.
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Probiotics May Help With Improved Energy And Glucose Metabolism
“There are some studies that link certain strains with improved energy metabolism and glucose metabolism. While there are some studies on specific bacterial strains, it seems that low diversity is a major culprit in obesity and inflammation,” says Foroutan. “So from that perspective, any high-quality probiotic could be helpful in addition to establishing the habits that promote bacterial diversity. Strains of interest include lactobacillus acidophilus, gasseri, reuteri, and fermentum, and bifidobacterium including B. longum, bifidum, and infantis,” she says.
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How To Use Probiotics For Weight Loss
To get the most out of your probiotic supplement, it’s important to take it regularly. Probiotics are living organisms, and they need time to establish themselves in your gut.
For this reason, it’s best to take them daily for at least eight weeks. After that, you can reduce your dosage to a maintenance dose of one or two capsules per day.
When first starting out, it’s also important to give your body time to adjust to the probiotics. Start with a lower dosage and increase it gradually over the course of a few weeks. This will help to minimize any side effects like gas or bloating.
Probiotics are a safe and effective way to jumpstart your weight loss journey. By choosing the right probiotic supplement and taking it regularly, you can experience all the benefits that probiotics have to offer.
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Prebiotic Health Benefits For Losing Weight
How do prebiotics help you lose weight, exactly?
Since prebiotics are fiber, they naturally fill you up faster. The more fiber you fill up with, the less caloric food youll have room for. Interestingly, since its considered a carbohydrate, each gram is assigned 4 calories on nutrition labels. Given that it cant be absorbed, it may only provide around 2.5 calories per gram.
Besides making you feel full, prebiotic fiber can also reduce the amount of fat your body absorbs from the food you eat. The overall effect is a decrease in metabolizable energy, which is defined as energy consumed minus the loss in feces and urine.
While prebiotics play an important but passive role in the small intestine, they really start to get to work in the large intestine. Here, they begin to ferment, which produces short chain fatty acids . These chemicals help with weight loss by:
Prebiotic fiber alone, whether consumed through food or supplementation, helps you reach or maintain a healthy weight. It also works synergistically with probiotics and the gut bacteria already present in your body.
Certain prebiotic fibers help provide food sources to important anaerobic bacteria in the gut. This group of bacteria cannot be manufactured into dietary supplements because they die when coming in contact with oxygen.
Is There A Recommended Probiotic Dosage Or Intake Suggestion
No. There is currently no research to suggest an ideal number of CFUs or preferred methods of consuming probiotics.
7 sourcescollapsed
- Álvarez-Arraño, V., et al. . Effects of Probiotics and Synbiotics on Weight Loss in Subjects with Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review.
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Probiotics Can Be Effective For Weight Loss
A growing body of research indicates that probiotics are helpful supplements for people trying to lose weight. They can improve your metabolism and suppress your appetite. They also offer other health benefits, such as improving your gut health and strengthening your immune system.
However, it is important to use the right probiotics when trying to lose weight. Some lines of probiotic supplements have better track records than others. Therefore, it is best to use the clinically tested probiotics listed above rather than untested alternatives.
You should also consult with your doctor before using any probiotic supplements. They can help you determine the best for your body type and hope you figure out the ideal dose.
The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
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Don’t let the marketing angle fool you, although the manufacturer markets Biotics 8 heavily towards men, it’s equally good for women. A good all-arounder that aids digestion, enhances immunity, and helps eliminate gas and bloating Biotics 8 is also one of the best probiotic supplements for weight loss.
Like all the best probiotic fat burners, Biotics 8 provides a mixture of probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fiber. It’s a little different from the other top options, though, because each dose also provides digestive enzymes.
Although supplements that have digestive enzymes in them can increase energy and offer other desirable benefits, their presence in Biotics 8 is unlikely to directly support weight loss.
However, the Biotics 8 formulation also provides Vitamin D. This is an unconventional inclusion for a probiotic product but it’s still a useful addition.
Vitamin D is one of the best nutrients for boosting immune function. Of greater importance is the relationship between Vitamin D and obesity.
Research shows overweight people are often deficient in Vitamin D. There is an ongoing debate over the reason why this is so. It’s unclear if the deficiency is a cause or a consequence.
Regardless of the dynamics, getting some extra Vitamin D is only going to be beneficial.
Bearing in mind the fact Biotics 8 is primarily designed to improve gut health, it’s also worth noting research shows Vitamin D is a “gut microbiota modifier” that helps provide a healthy gut microbiome.
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The Positives Are Plentiful
Probiotics offer a wide range of health benefits and are definitely a vital part of the lose weight puzzle. Probiotics do help you lose weight. A number of scientific studies have established the positive effects of probiotics on weight loss in their initial findings.
However, you need to make sure to choose the right strains of the bacteria species. Not all probiotics will help in weight loss. For instance, Lactobacillus acidophilus found in yogurt increases weight. It is best to take probiotic supplements that are designed for weight loss.
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