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Probiotics helps women in weight loss: A study
– Reported, February 10, 2014
Specific to women weight loss, consumption of probiotics can help them twice then those who don’t.
A new study claims that the regular consumption of probiotics could help accelerate weight loss in women. Published jointly by scientists from food and yogurt giant Nestlé’s research lab and Université Laval in Quebec, the study suggests that obese women who add probiotics – most commonly found in yogurt – to their diet plan could lose twice as much weight as those who dont.
Based on the premise that the intestinal flora of obese people differs from thin people – likely due to a diet high in fat and low in fiber – scientists set out to see if the consumption of good bacteria could help reset the balance of gut microbiota. To test out their theory, researchers recruited 125 overweight men and women who were put on a 12-week weight loss diet, followed by another 12-week maintenance program. During the 24-week period, half the participants were instructed to take two pills of probiotics daily, while the other half received a placebo.
After the first period, women who took probiotics lost an average of 10 pounds while their placebo counterparts lost about 6 pounds. By the end of the 24-week period, women in the probiotic group had continued to lose weight for an average total of 11 pounds per person, while the placebo group remained stable.
Overall, the results showed that women who took probiotics lost twice as much weight over the test period as those who took none. The probiotic group also experienced a drop in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin and a decline in intestinal bacteria related to obesity. Interestingly, researchers note that the consumption of probiotics made no impact on male participants.
Probiotics are thought to work by altering the permeability of the intestinal wall and helping keep pro-inflammatory molecules from entering the bloodstream, thereby preventing the chain reaction that can lead to weight-related illnesses like glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The research was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Probiotics have also been associated with reducing stress-induced gut flare-ups in a study published in Gastroenterology, and they are also being explored as a pathway for psychological well-being.
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