Want to shed those extra kilos? Probiotics are a quick solution

Probiotics, which are becoming increasingly trendy, can actually help obese adults beat the bulge, according to a recent study published online in Obesity Reviews.

Heidi Borgeraas from the Vestfold Hospital Trust in Tønsberg, Norway and her colleagues examined the effects of probiotic supplements on body weight, BMI, fat mass, and fat percentage in overweight or obese subjects. Previous research has also associated probiotics with weight loss and good sleep.

The authors conducted a meta-analysis to calculate the weighted mean difference between the intervention and control groups. Data were included for 15 studies with 957 subjects, with interventions ranging in duration from three to 12 weeks. The researchers found that compared with placebo, probiotic

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT PROBIOTICS MAY REDUCE BODY WEIGHT, BMI, AND FAT PERCENTAGE

administration resulted in a significantly larger reduction in body weight and fat percentage.

The authors wrote that their meta-analysis showed that short-term probiotic supplementation reduced body weight, BMI, and fat percentage, but the effect sizes were small.

“Further long-term studies are required to examine the effects of probiotic supplementation on various measures on body weight,” they added.