The Best Probiotics for Weight Loss | 5 Surprising Truths

by Joy Wang | April 18, 2021

Are you satisfied with your weight loss results after weeks of workouts and dieting, now that the summer is around the corner? If you are not achieving your weight loss goal – you are not alone, and there is no need to feel disheartened. Losing weight is a tough challenge, and there are many factors that can affect the outcomes of your weight loss journey.

In addition to the typical aspects that we are familiar with such as physical exercises and diet modifications, there is a new trend and buzz word that you might be surprised to hear: probiotics. People seem to have become more and more interested in researching and understanding the effects of the microbial environment in our gut, and particularly the effects of the probiotics, in relation to weight loss.

With its popularity and emerging probiotic-infused “weight loss” products of foods, snacks, beverages, supplements… what is exactly the research behind this health trend? How do probiotics, especially the dairy-free, gluten free, plant-based, vegan probiotics, really help lose weight? We took a deeper look into the science so that you can make better-informed decisions for your weight loss efforts.  

The Evidence Behind Probiotics and Weight Loss

As you might know by now, probiotics are the good bacteria that bring benefits to your body.[1][2] They perform several vital functions such as digesting nutrients in food, preventing the growth of disease-causing bacteria, maintaining the digestive floral balance, and strengthening immunity.

In terms of the roles of probiotics for weight loss, actually, there have been quite many studies supporting their positive effects on weight loss. Not in the sense that taking probiotics will cause you to lose pounds overnight, but it may help make your weight loss effects more efficient and sustainable.[3]

Here are 5 research-backed ways that regular probiotic use can help with weight loss.

1. Probiotics Can Help Stabilize Body Weight

There are studies supporting the use of probiotics to improve body weight in overweight individuals. A 2015 review[4] of published studies showed that probiotics may have a potential as an intervention or treatment for obesity. It also mentioned that the habitat of bacteria in the gut is highly dynamic and modifiable. It featured certain studies where probiotic supplementation helped improve body weight scores in comparison to controls.

2. Probiotics Can Lessen Weight Gain 

A 2015 study examined the effects of probiotics in healthy, young, normal-weight adults who were then fed high-fat diet. Participants were randomized to receive either probiotics or placebo. The supplementation and high-fat diet went for 4 weeks. The participants were examined before and after the intervention with x-rays, blood glucose levels, and muscle biopsy. It showed that those who were given probiotics gained less fat and body mass compared to placebo.[5]

This study is interesting because there is placebo control, and the participants were examined with imaging and testing of blood glucose and muscle biopsy to determine the values.

3. Probiotics Can Benefit Several Regulating Mechanisms in Our Bodies

This study tried to explore the possible mechanisms of probiotics for obesity. It also explored studies showing that the makeup of indigenous bacteria in our intestines have an effect on body weight, inflammation levels, and even blood sugar levels.[6]

This particular research is very interesting as it shows how probiotics could work in the body, since the exact mechanism on that matter is still not fully understood. It also mentioned that strains such as Lactobacillus casei are reported to have the most prominent effect on the body. [7]

4. Probiotics Can Benefit Obesity-Related Health Conditions

Clinical trials have been conducted on probiotics and were featured in another study[8] which examined the possible role of probiotics for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver.

This study concluded that select probiotics and synbiotics provided beneficial effects in patients with obesity mainly affecting the body mass index and fat mass, and even improved the carbohydrate metabolism, fasting blood glucose and insulin sensitivity, and also reduced metabolic stress in subjects with T2D.

Even though the precise mechanism of how probiotics and synbiotics affect these metabolic disorders is still unknown, it is concluded that probiotics could be good adjuvants, or in other words helpful, for treating the mentioned conditions.  

5. Probiotics Can Help Decrease Abdominal Fat

A study randomized 87 overweight individuals to either fermented milk with Lactobacillus gasseri or placebo for 12 weeks, and measured abdominal fat using computed tomography (CT) scan. Those randomized with probiotics experienced decreased abdominal fat measurement and body weight.[9]

The study showed that those given probiotics experienced a reduction of belly fat by an average of 4.6%, and lost around 1.5% BMI (body mass index). That might not sound a lot, but note that the participants in the experiment did not stick to diet nor exercise; all they did is drink the probiotics (or placebo) on a daily basis.

More likely than not, you can benefit from taking probiotics regularly. 

You probably want to take probiotics now that you found some solid scientific information about their weight-loss related benefits. Probiotics can be found in certain fermented foods such as yogurt, soft cheeses, kefir, or pickles like kimchee.

These are healthy food items with good bacteria, but you need to pay attention to what’s the source of the probiotics, and what are the nutrition facts of these food products - you do want to watch the calories intake when on the journey of losing weight, after all. 

Many yogurt brands in the supermarket especially flavored ones contain sugar or other artificial additives.[10] Soft cheese can contain high calories e.g. finishing a small tub could pack in 300 calories.[11]. When you are calorie conscious, choosing a plant-based, vegan probiotic may give you the best peace of mind. Check out our ultimate guide of vegan probiotics.

Another consideration when choosing a probiotics product is whether the probiotics would survive when passing through the acidic stomach. Especially when you are out of home and on the go, you may prefer the shelf stable products that don’t need refrigeration.

What is your best bet to consume only the effective probiotics such as lactobacillus casei without worrying about the additives, calories, or shelf stability? We truly believe our scientifically formulated sho Balance gives you the best digestive protection and peace of mind.

sho Balance is a dairy free, gluten free, vegan probiotics supplement that contains a hefty 100 billion CFU of Lactobacillus casei K-1 per dose, a well-studied Lactobacillus bacteria that have clinically proven benefits to the colon health. [12]  

Taking sho Balance will give you the full benefits of gut protection as a clean and efficient formula without all the other additives. It is free of sugar, dairy, gluten, and other common allergens, therefore it is perfect to those who are lactose intolerance and who want to be careful with calorie counts when on the weight loss journey.

The vegan probiotics in sho Balance have also gone through the most advanced manufacturing process and strict testing that ensure their stability and potency surviving the stomach and bile acid to reach colon with effectiveness.

In addition to its star probiotics, lactobacillus casei k-1, sho Balance also contains a premium blend of prebiotics, spirulina, flaxseed oil and olive oil, further enhancing intestinal flora balance and immune health.

• Prebiotic Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) acts as “food” for probiotics in the intestine, further assisting with intestinal microflora balance.In addition, sho Balance also contains several other premium ingredients that further enhance its potency and immune health benefits.
• Spirulina not only contributes to the natural dark green color of sho Balance Spheri-Gels, but more importantly, helps boost your gut and immunity power with its potent antioxidant effects.
• Plant-based flaxseed oil and olive oil rich in omega-3 fatty acid help keep digestive tract lubricated and anti-inflammatory, while adding immunity benefits.

What's not to overlook is also sho Balance's one-of-a-kind smart design, from easy to swallow Spheri-Gels, to portable, daily tracking dispenser, that makes taking quality nutrition a daily healthy habit, easy to swallow and easy to remember. It's recommended that you take sho Balanced daily for minimum two weeks for best results of restoring digestive regularity. 

There is no magic bullet to help you reach your weight loss goal overnight. Your plan has to be grounded in real personal efforts and science combining physical activities, healthier diet, and smart addition of nutritional supplementation, in this case, effective and efficient probiotics like sho Balance. 

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments, and we wish you all the best in your journey of living a simple, healthy, organized - sho lifestyle. 

 

References:

 [1] Probiotics. MedicineNet. http://www.medicinenet.com/probiotics/article.htm

[2] Probiotics: In Depth. NIH NCCIH. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics/introduction.htm        

[3] Probiotics contribute to weight loss, researchers say. Consumer Affairs. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/probiotics-contribute-to-weight-loss-researchers-say-071216.html          

[4] Targeting Body Weight Regulation with Probiotics: A Review of Randomized Trials in Obese and Overweight People Free of Comorbidities. J Nutr Food Sci 5:422. doi:10.4172/2155-9600.1000422 https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/targeting-body-weight-regulation-with-probiotics-a-review-of-randomized-trials-in-obese-and-overweight-people-free-of-comorbidities-2155-9600-1000422.php?aid=63480     

[5] Probiotic supplementation attenuates increases in body mass and fat mass during high-fat diet in healthy young adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015 Dec;23(12):2364-70. doi: 10.1002/oby.21230. Epub 2015 Oct 14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26466123   

[6] Probiotics in prevention and treatment of obesity: a critical view. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2016; 13: 14.

Published online 2016 Feb 20. doi:  10.1186/s12986-016-0067-0 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4761174/    

[7] Probiotics in prevention and treatment of obesity: a critical view. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2016; 13: 14.

Published online 2016 Feb 20. doi:  10.1186/s12986-016-0067-0 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4761174/    

[8] Effects of Probiotics and Synbiotics on Obesity, Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Review of Human Clinical Trials. Sáez-Lara MJ1,2, Robles-Sanchez C3,4, Ruiz-Ojeda FJ5,6,7, Plaza-Diaz J8,9,10, Gil A11,12,13,14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27304953

[9] Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010) 64, 636–643; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2010.19; published online 10 March 2010 http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v64/n6/full/ejcn201019a.html               

[10]Yogurts With More Sugar Than A Twinkie. Huffington Posts. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/26/yogurt-sugar-twinkie_n_5379590.html 

[11] Cheese spread, cream cheese base. Self Nutrition Data. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/7647/2

[12] Probiotics in prevention and treatment of obesity: a critical view. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2016; 13: 14.

Published online 2016 Feb 20. doi:  10.1186/s12986-016-0067-0 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4761174/    

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Posted in dairy free, digestive tract, gluten free, health, healthy, immunity, nutrition, organized, probiotics, shonutrition, simple, supplements, vegetarian

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