Probiotics: do they help in weight loss?

Probiotics have been in news for some time now due to its potential to improve gut health. Some even claim that it can help weight loss. How true is this claim? A quick analysis on it.

Probiotics and health

Probiotics are the live microorganisms that are normally present in our body. They assist to maintain a good balance of the good: bad bacteria in the body. And when the good bacteria outnumber the bad bacteria, this is an excellent condition for health. It helps to keep away a number of diseases. These include irritable bowel syndrome, atopic dermatitis and common cold. Moreover, this boosts immunity. And dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth adds that they help in weight management.

But if we take the role of these good bacteria in causing weight loss, the role is not a simple one. There are complexities involved. Mere eating probiotic-rich food like Kimchi or having daily supplements of the probiotic will not magically help you shed weight. Katherine Saunders, obesity medicine physician states:

“Good bacteria can support health and immune function by helping our body digest food, produce vitamins, break down and absorb medications, and prevent overgrowth of bad bacteria that can make us sick,”

Any role in weight loss?

Do probiotics in food or as supplements help in weight management? It is not certain because there is no proper research on it. Most of the studies are on the role of these healthy bacteria in digestive and immune health. In 2013, the The British Journal of Nutrition carried an article of a study in women that revealed that those who had Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) lost more weight and continued to lose it even after it was discontinued, unlike the placebo group.

But Caroline Apovian from the Boston Medical Center feels that in the above study, the weight loss difference was too small to infer anything. And in 2012, a review that the journal Nutrients published inferred that these microorganisms can aid fat loss in overweight and obese individuals. But the active group was also on calories restricted diet and exercise regime. Though not convinced, Katherine says:

“Different environmental and dietary factors can alter the microbiome in ways that can increase inflammation and affect metabolism and digestion,”

What experts say?

Amy Gorin, who owns the Amy Gorin Nutrition in New York city feels that it might be that the gut bacteria comes in contact with the food and change its absorption. So the conclusion is that there is no certainty that these healthy live bacteria affect weight loss. And if they do, the mechanism of action remains unclear. Caroline adds:

“It may certainly be that those people who eat healthy have healthier guts and not the other way around,”

“As far as which came first, the healthy diet or the healthy gut, it’s likely the healthy diet.”

Also, read Foods to eat to get a glowing skin!

Similarly, probiotic supplement studies on weight loss have yielded variable outcomes or have been inconclusive. Hence, one should eat balanced and wholesome and opt for probiotic rich foods rather than the expensive supplements of it.