Can Probiotics Help To Lose Weight

Do probiotics work? There are very few supplements I believe in.  I mean - have you been in GNC lately or Vitamin Shop?  It's wall to wall supplements promising one fix after another.  One thing is for sure - the supplement industry is a big money making industry.  We are always looking for a quick fix to our ills -- and the first place we look is pills!!!

But probiotics are definitely something that we all should be taking.  Gut health is very important for effective weight loss.  Without a good gut - weight loss can be extremely challenging. 

A study in Canada was done and the results showed that there was a greater decrease in body weight and body fat in women who were taking a probiotic than those taking a placebo during the 12 week study.  In fact, the women taking the probiotic continued to lose more weight on average compared to those who used the placebo.

How Many Billion Probiotics Should I Take For Weight Loss?

Now don't we all wish there was a pill for that!! But in this case, yes, probiotics do work to reduce abdominal visceral fat.  Abdominal visceral fat is the fat that is gained under the stomach muscles rather than the squishy kind (subcutaneous fat) that is right underneath the first layer of skin. 

Well, studies show that belly fat is directly linked to the stress hormone called cortisol.  Too much cortisol = too much belly fat.  Probiotics do help your gut which has shown to also help your mood, depression, anxiety, etc. which can make cortisol levels worse.  So….it begins with your gut.  If your gut is unhealthy….it affects your mental state and your mind….which affects your hormones (cortisol) which affects your waistline.   This is a very simplified explanation of a very complex study from the British Journal of Nutrition.

But if you have thought about using probiotics you may have noticed that there are TONS of different kinds on the market and the prices range from reasonable to extremely expensive!!

Probiotics And Prebiotics: What's Really Important

Studies showed that finding a product with 100 billion cells helped the most with subcutaneous fat loss (that squishy fat around the middle of your stomach).  Another study found that a probiotic with 162+million cells helped in weight loss in obese women if a pre-biotic was also used.   

I like to use Consumerlabs.com for my supplement info.  They are a non-biased company that is not affiliated with any particular supplement company (another words - there is no incentive to sell a particular product because they receive a kickback).   

These options are VERY affordable and effective.  Funny things.....people will make sure they have their Prilosec or Zantac on hand when they are feeling stomach discomfort and pain....but they somehow justify putting the GOOD STUFF in their bodies because it's an extra expense.  Doesn't make sense?

The Probiotic Diet Protocol: How Probiotics Can Reset Your Gut Health And Help You Lose Weight And Belly Fat: Campbell, Jessica: 9781546627623: Amazon.com: Books

3. Messaoudi, M., Lalonde, R., et al. Assessment of Psychotropic-Like Properties of a Probiotic Formulation (Lactobacillus Helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 in Rats and Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. 2011. 105, 755-764.

The T.H.I.N.K. Holistic Fitness mission is to teach, inspire and empower women to  achieve and maintain optimal levels of health through the many phases of life and to live with VITALITY.Some probiotic strains may help support weight loss and provide other health benefits, including to your heart, immune system, and digestive system.

There are two main families of good bacteria in the gut: bacteroidetes and firmicutes. Body weight seems to be related to the balance of these two families of bacteria (

What Are The Best Probiotics For Weight Loss?

People with obesity tend to have less diverse gut bacteria than lean people. What’s more, those with obesity who have less diverse gut bacteria tend to gain more weight than people with obesity who have more diverse gut bacteria (

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 (

Probiotics seem to influence appetite and energy usage via the production of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are short-chain fatty acids (

How A Quality Prebiotic Can Help You Lose Weight

Strong evidence links obesity to inflammation throughout the body. By improving the health of your gut lining, probiotics may reduce systemic inflammation and protect against obesity and other diseases (

Summary Probiotics may reduce the number of calories you absorb from food. They also affect levels of hormones and proteins related to appetite and fat storage, as well as potentially reduce inflammation, which can drive obesity.

A recent review of well-designed studies on probiotics and weight loss in people with overweight and obesity suggests that probiotics can help you lose weight and lower your body fat percentage (

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Women taking the probiotics lost 50% more weight over 3 months, compared with those taking a placebo pill. They also continued to lose weight during the weight maintenance phase of the study.

Or a placebo for 12 weeks. Those taking the probiotic experienced significant decreases in both body fat mass and waist circumference (

Shows some of the most promising effects on weight loss. Numerous studies in rodents have found that it has anti-obesity effects (

Ways Probiotics Can Help With Weight Loss

What’s more, belly fat was reduced by 8.5%. However, when participants stopped taking the probiotic, they gained back all of the belly fat within 1 month (

Daily for 3 months lost significantly more belly fat and had reduced BMI and waist circumference, compared with those taking a placebo.

Summary Several strains of probiotics in both the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium family have been shown to reduce weight and belly fat. Lactobacillus gasseri appears to be one of the most effective.

Best Probiotics For Weight Loss: Recommended Top 5 Probiotic Weight Loss Supplements

Losing weight is not the only way to fight obesity. Preventing unwanted weight gain in the first place may be even more valuable in avoiding obesity.

In one 4-week study, taking a probiotic formulation called VSL#3 reduced weight gain and fat gain in people following a diet that provided 1, 000 extra calories than they needed per day (

This indicates that some probiotic strains might prevent weight gain in the context of a high calorie diet. However, this needs to be studied further.

Should You Use Probiotics For Weight Loss?

One recent review found that probiotics’ effects on body weight depend on which species and strains are used. For instance, while one strain of

Summary Not all probiotics aid weight loss, and some may even cause weight gain. The effects depend on the probiotic strain and may vary by individual.

May help people with obesity lose weight and belly fat. Additionally, a probiotic supplement blend called VSL#3 may reduce weight gain in those on a high calorie diet.

Solved A Nutritionist Would Like To Test Whether Probiotics

At the end of the day, certain types of probiotics may have modest effects on your weight, especially when combined with a healthy, whole-foods diet.