Probiotic pills help obese children lose extra weight

OBESE youngsters could lose extra weight on a diet by taking probiotics, say researchers.

Children who took the tablets for a study lost an extra 1½ inches (3.5cm) from their waistlines, the scientists found.

The results add to the evidence that probiotics, which boost ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, may help people feel full longer and eat less.

For the study, 100 children aged six to 18 were put on their own personal calorie-controlled diet, high in fruit, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains and seafood. Half were given a daily probiotic capsule, while the rest were given a placebo containing no probiotic.

The probiotic capsules contained two strains of bacteria different from those found in high street yogurt drinks.

The children taking the probiotic not only saw their waistlines shrink more, but were found to be better at regulating their blood sugar after eight weeks.

The study, presented at the virtual conference of the European Society of Endocrinology, has not yet been published in a scientific journal.

The evidence on probiotics generally still comes largely from studies on animals, so some nutritionists remain sceptical.

But the authors say their findings suggest children’s risk of developing diabetes and heart disease later in life could be reduced by eating healthily and taking a probiotic.

Dr Flavia Prodam, who led the study from the University of Piemonte Orientale in Italy, said: ‘The next step is to identify patients that could benefit from this probiotic treatment, with a view to creating a more personalised weight loss strategy. Diet and gut bacteria is a hot topic, and a food supplement to help children manage obesity could be a simple solution for families.’

There is growing evidence that bacteria in our guts have a major influence on human health.

There are five strains of E.coli in the gut that are linked to obesity, for example, and the growth of these strains was reduced in the children who took probiotics.

On average, the children in the study taking probiotics lost 1½ inches more from their waistlines than those dieting without a probiotic. The children and teenagers taking probiotics appeared to keep shedding more pounds in the four weeks after they stopped taking them.

They also became less resistant to insulin – the hormone that controls blood sugar – which could put children at lower risk of developing diabetes as adults. Their blood pressure was also reduced, which could lower their risk of developing heart problems.

The study authors say more research is needed as they are one of the first teams to test the effect of probiotics on children trying to shed weight. Can popping a pill beat obesity?

Good Health – Pages 36-37