Can you lose weight with probiotics?

Veröffentlicht am: October 09, 2024

Naturopath

Did you know that bacteria can contribute to your health? It always depends on the type of bacteria. In this context, we are talking about the benefits of probiotics. Probiotics are one of the best-researched ways to promote a healthy gut. For years, scientists and doctors have been observing the many benefits of probiotics - not just for the digestive system, but for the entire body.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are bacteria that line the body's digestive tract and help the body absorb nutrients and fight infections. Our bodies have about the same number of bacteria in the gut as cells in the rest of the body. For this reason, it is not surprising that our gut is so important to our health.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) describes probiotics as "live microorganisms (mostly bacteria) that are very similar to beneficial microorganisms in the human gut." The NCCIH also makes it clear that probiotic bacteria are very beneficial for numerous bodily functions - despite the fact that we often suspect harmful "germs" behind bacteria.

Our skin and digestive tract are home to around 2000 different strains of bacteria. Scientists have shown that probiotics effectively support the immune system, reduce inflammation, promote healthy digestion and also ensure beautiful skin - especially when combined with prebiotics.

Beneficial intestinal bacteria are also responsible for:

Formation of vitamin B12, butyrate and vitamin K2
Elimination of harmful microbes
Formation of enzymes that destroy harmful bacteria
Stimulation of the release of IgA and regulatory T cells, which support immune function

Probiotics are present in the body from the moment we are born. In the birth canal, a baby is exposed to its mother's bacteria for the first time. This triggers a chain reaction in the baby's digestive tract so that the baby itself produces good bacteria.

In the past, people consumed a lot of probiotics with their food. Food was grown in nutrient-rich soil and people fermented their food to keep it fresh. More than a century ago, the Russian Nobel Prize winner Ilya Ilyich Metschnikov put forward the theory that "health can be promoted and senility delayed by influencing the intestinal flora with gut-friendly bacteria from yoghurt." Metschnikow was ahead of his time with his opinion on the benefits of probiotics. However, he was also aware that most people had regular access to probiotic foods.

Nowadays - due to cold chains and agricultural production methods - most foods have few to no probiotics. In fact, the opposite is true: many foods contain antibiotics that kill good bacteria in the body.

The health benefits of probiotics start in the gut

The most important reason, which is also often overlooked, is that our digestive tract is particularly important for our health. Between 70 and 80 percent of our entire immune system is located in our digestive tract. That is an impressive percentage.

However, the digestive tract is not only important for the immune system, it is also the second largest part of our nervous system. The so-called enteric nervous system is located in the intestine. It is sometimes also referred to as the second brain. 95 percent of all serotonin is produced in the gut. The organ has a significant influence on our brain functions and our mood.

Many health complaints such as thyroid disorders, chronic fatigue, joint pain, psoriasis and autism are linked to the gut. However, all too often the gut is not addressed when treating these conditions.

If these and many other complaints are linked to the gut, what does it take to keep the body's digestive system healthy?

Nowadays, many people suffer from diseases of the digestive tract, costing the healthcare system a lot of money every year. The consequences are serious. Our digestive tract affects every physiological system in our body.

How is this system so complex? Well, first of all, the human microbiome contains 360 times more protein-coding genes than human genes themselves.

Every day we are exposed to toxins and inflammation-causing molecules from food and the environment that impair digestion. The first of these is leaky gut syndrome, also known as gastrointestinal hyperpermeability. In leaky gut syndrome, the so-called tight junctions (TJs), which are designed to prevent pathogenic substances from leaving the digestive system, are impaired, allowing many substances that have no business being there to enter the bloodstream unhindered.

This process is closely linked to inflammation, which is the cause of most diseases, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies and mental health problems (including depression and autism).

The secret to healthy digestion is to create a balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut.

A healthy lifestyle includes the daily consumption of probiotic foods and supplements that contribute to this balance.

The 11 most harmful probiotic killers

Various dietary and behavioral habits can affect the quality of our gut bacteria. Even if you take probiotics daily, the probiotic killers listed below may prevent your body from reaping all the benefits.

All bacteria in the microbiome are part of a complex system that is influenced by a variety of factors. The more factors you consider and adjust, the greater the likelihood that your gut flora will be diverse and healthy.

The most harmful probiotic killers include:

Excessive intake of prescription antibiotics
Sugar
genetically modified foods (GMOs)
Gluten that promotes inflammation
emotional stress
Medication
Alcohol
Lack of exercise
Excessive hygiene
Smoking
Poor sleeping habits

How can probiotics affect our weight?

Scientists suspect that certain probiotics inhibit the absorption of fat from food and therefore increase the proportion of fat that is directly excreted by the body.

In other words: with probiotics, your body utilizes fewer calories.

Scientists have been able to show that certain bacteria, e.g. lactobacilli, work in this way.

Probiotics can also combat obesity in other ways:

Probiotics promote the release of the satiety hormone (GLP-1). This has an appetite-suppressing effect and supports the burning of calories and fat.
Probiotics can contribute to an increase in ANGPTL4 levels. As a result, the body stores less fat.

There is also ample evidence that obesity is linked to inflammation in the brain. When gut health is improved, probiotics can reduce systemic inflammation in the body and protect against obesity and other diseases.

However, you should bear in mind that scientists do not yet know these mechanisms very well. Further research is needed.

CONCLUSION: Probiotics can reduce the number of calories your body absorbs from food. They also affect hormones and proteins associated with our appetite and fat storage. They may even reduce inflammation that leads to obesity.

Probiotics to help you lose weight and reduce belly fat

Studies show that certain lactobacilli can help you lose weight and in particular reduce belly fat.

In one study, test subjects lost three to four percent body fat after regularly consuming yogurt with Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus amylovorus over a period of six weeks.

In another study, the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on weight loss and weight maintenance was investigated in 125 overweight people.

Within the study period of three months, the women who took probiotics lost 50 percent more weight than the women who took a placebo. They were also able to reduce their weight further in the study phase, in which the focus was on maintaining weight.

Lactobacillus gasseri

Of all the probiotic bacteria researched to date, the strain Lactobacillus gasseri shows the most promising effect in terms of weight loss. Numerous studies with rodents confirm that this bacterial strain can counteract obesity.

In addition, studies were carried out in Japan with adult test subjects. These also delivered impressive results.

One study looked at 210 people with a high percentage of abdominal fat. They were given preparations containing Lactobacillus gasseri over a period of twelve weeks. As a result, the test subjects lost weight. The percentage of organ fat also decreased, as did the BMI and the waist and hip circumference.

But the best part: the participants lost 8.5 percent belly fat. After the end of the intake, however, it was found that the test subjects regained the lost abdominal fat within a month.

CONCLUSION: Some strains of lactobacilli can help you lose weight and reduce belly fat. Lactobacillus gasseri appears to be the most effective.

Probiotics to prevent weight gain

But losing weight is not the only way to combat obesity. It is much more important to prevent it from getting that far in the first place.

Scientists conducted a study in which the test subjects consumed 1000 calories more than their daily requirement every day. They were also given a probiotic preparation. As a result, they gained less weight (weight and fat percentage) than the control group.

This suggests that some probiotic bacterial strains may be effective in preventing weight gain associated with a high-calorie diet. However, further research is needed.

CONCLUSION: Certain probiotics could protect against weight gain in the course of a high-calorie diet.

Probiotics and weight gain?

However, not all studies have shown this positive effect of probiotics. Some showed that certain bacterial strains promote weight gain (and not weight loss). These include the strain Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Scientists recently analyzed four controlled clinical trials. They concluded that probiotics did not reduce body weight, BMI or body fat percentage in overweight or obese adults. However, the scientists did not include the previously mentioned studies in their considerations.

CONCLUSION: Not all probiotics support weight loss, some may even promote weight gain. The effect depends on the bacterial strain as well as on each individual and their lifestyle.

Probiotics make a valuable contribution

Probiotics offer a whole range of benefits for our health. However, their effect on our weight is not clear and seems to depend on the particular strain of bacteria. Evidence suggests that Lactobacilli gasseri may help with weight loss and abdominal fat reduction in obesity. In addition, a mixture of different probiotics can limit weight gain as part of a high-calorie diet, but this should not be a free pass for an unhealthy lifestyle.

Certain probiotics make a moderate contribution to our weight management, especially when combined with a healthy and wholesome diet. Regardless of their contribution to weight loss, there are a number of reasons for taking probiotic supplements.

They promote healthy digestion, reduce inflammation, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and even combat depression and anxiety disorders.

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