Probiotics Could Help Women Lose Weight: Study

Consumption of probiotics could help women lose weight and keep it off, find researchers.

Studies have already demonstrated that the intestinal flora of obese individuals differs from that of thin people.

Probiotics - Support System for the Gut
Probiotics are live microorganisms that resemble the “good bacteria” in our gut. Science is yet to fully explore the healing potential of probiotics; meanwhile some studies have ruled in their favor.

That difference may be due to the fact that a diet high in fat and low in fiber promotes certain bacteria at the expense of others.

Universite Laval Professor Angelo Tremblay and his team tried to determine if the consumption of probiotics could help reset the balance of the intestinal microbiota in favor of bacteria that promote a healthy weight.

To test their hypothesis, researchers recruited 125 overweight men and women. The subjects underwent a 12-week weight-loss diet, followed by a 12-week period aimed at maintaining body weight.

Quiz on Probiotics
Though probiotics have been a part of our diet since ancient times, their use as medicines has been relatively recent. Test your knowledge on probiotics by taking this quiz.

Throughout the entire study, half the participants swallowed 2 pills daily containing probiotics from the Lactobacillus rhamnosus family, while the other half received a placebo.

After the 12-week diet period, researchers observed an average weight loss of 4.4 kg in women in the probiotic group and 2.6 kg in the placebo group.

Weight Loss Calculator
Weight Loss Calculator calculates calories needed to lose weight for men and women. Find out the amount of calories burned while doing exercises for weight loss and check the list of low calorie foods.

However, no differences in weight loss were observed among males in the two groups.

"We don't know why the probiotics didn't have any effect on men. It may be a question of dosage, or the study period may have been too short," Professor Tremblay, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Environment and Energy Balance, said.

Staying in Cooler Environs Might Aid Weight Loss Efforts
A new study suggests that cooler temperatures can help people in their fight to lose weight.

After the 12-week maintenance period, the weight of the women in the placebo group had remained stable but the probiotic group had continued to lose weight, for a total of 5.2 kg per person.

In short, women consuming probiotics lost twice as much weight over the 24-week period of the study.

Researchers also noted a drop in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin in this group, as well as a lower overall concentration of the intestinal bacteria related to obesity.

The study is published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Source-ANI