Besides improving digestive health, weight loss may be an additional reason to incorporate probiotics into your diet. Probiotics are the "good bacteria" found in some supplements, yogurt, and other fermented foods.
According to a study published in the journal Obesity, a small sample of men followed a high-fat and high-calorie diet for one month. Some of the men were given a milkshake with probiotics while the rest were given a placebo milkshake. At the end of the study, the men who consumed the probiotics had less fat accumulation and less body mass gain.
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Another study
published in the British Journal of Nutrition followed 125 men and women on weight loss diets for three months. Some participants received probiotic supplements while others received a placebo. At the end of the study period, those who took the probiotic had lost an average of four pounds more than the placebo group. Additionally, the probiotic subjects continued to lose weight beyond the study time period while those in the placebo group maintained a steady weight.
According to Authority Nutrition, many studies have proven that obese people have different gut bacteria, or flora, compared to people who are at a healthy weight. Some researchers believe that probiotics cause you to absorb fewer calories from food while excreting more fat in the feces.
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Especially helpful for weight loss and a flatter stomach are those probiotic strains in the Lactobacillus family. Authority Nutrition summarizes the results of several studies that investigated the following strains:
• Lactobacillus fermentum
• Lactobacillus amylovorus
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus gasseri
While all of these strains showed promise with regard to weight loss and reduced belly fat in the various studies, Lactobacillus gasseri appears to be the most effective.
A Japanese study followed more than 200 subjects over 12 weeks, and discovered that Lactobacillus gasseri helped reduce body weight, fat around the internal organs, body mass index (BMI), and waist and hip circumference.
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