Do probiotics make you lose weight?
Wondering to yourself – do probiotics make you lose weight? If you’re looking for weight loss supplements with your gut health in mind then you’re on the right track!
You’ll be surprised to know that a handful of studies suggest an association between probiotics and weight loss. Probiotics are not, however, the very best at helping you shed pounds. In fact, the most effective way to help you lose weight and belly fat is not a probiotic. It’s actually a postbiotic – more on that later. But if you’re ready to ditch probiotics in a hurry, head over to our guide here:
Postbiotics Supplements
Do probiotics make you lose weight or gain it?
It really depends on who you ask or what research you read. Probiotics have been shown to be beneficial throughout the years. Defining probiotics from a 30,000-foot view is simple.
Probiotics are live microorganisms in your intestine that provide health benefits. You can also increase the number and composition of probiotics in your gut by taking probiotic supplements. Let’s call them good bacteria.
Why are we ingesting good bacteria in the first place? Do these probiotics trigger weight loss?
Well, approximately 100 trillion microbes live in your intestinal tract, so bacteria in the gut is normal! In fact, this bacteria has been shown to interact with body fat, so we know it affects weight. Good gut health relies on good bacteria; however, good and bad are relative to their functions in our body.
If you research any topics related to probiotics, you’ll undoubtedly come across their impact and interaction with gut flora (our gut microbiome). It’s in this symbiotic relationship that we exist with microorganisms, whether we want to or not!
These microbes are crucial for our digestive success. Moreover, recent research is showing that microbes living in our gut come to play big roles outside of the digestive system.
They actually play a major role in homeostasis because imbalances in gut microbiota (also known as dysbiosis) are linked to various infections and even obesity! Let’s look at the results of a randomized, double-blind clinical trial in 2013 that studied Lactobacillus gasseri.
Specifically, the effect of Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 on overweight and obese adults was studied to see what role it plays in weight loss. After 12 weeks of taking a Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 supplement, participants noted a slight reduction in body weight. That being said, there were no significant weight changes between the BNR17 and placebo groups.
The full study can be located here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3611107/
Do some people gain weight by taking probiotics?
Yes. A group of studies found that certain probiotic strains may actually lead to weight gain, not loss. This may come as a shock to some because most advertisements for probiotics supplements will rave about their weight loss properties. The specific strand of probiotic that was shown to correlate with weight gain was Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Take a look at the study here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882401012001106
Even though probiotics’ weight loss success is a mixed bag, it has a place and role to play in our gut microbiome. As humans that need to consume food for energy, we get some probiotics from our diets. These microorganisms are found in fermented foods and cultured milk and can be added to meals as gut health supplements.
The scoop on probiotic foods & microorganisms:
Foods that contain probiotics include:
- Yogurt and/or kefir
- Traditional buttermilk
- Cheeses, Kombucha, Kimchi, Tempeh, Miso, Fermented Pickles, etc.
If you aren’t familiar with these foods and don’t have a taste for them, consider different probiotic supplements as an alternative. Be warned, research shows that many probiotic supplement brands fail to adequately protect bacteria from human digestion. That is to say, bacteria in probiotic supplements do not reach the intestines in a usable state!
So what is the best probiotic supplement?
You’re probably scratching your head at this point because we have evidence that probiotics may actually be involved in weight gain rather than weight loss. Additionally, some brands that sell probiotics supplements don’t actually make a product that ensures delivery of probiotics to their effective destination!
Until recently, fiber and probiotics were the only supplements that helped your lower colon create incredibly powerful health-promoting gut nutrients known as Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA).
But the problem with this old fiber plus probiotics method is it’s very slow, inefficient, and involves a painful 5-step process (see below) that literally requires “in-gut fermentation” that leads to embarrassing bloating, gas, and pain. Dumping more probiotics into an unhealthy gut is like pouring gas in an engine that does not run; it is a waste of money. Just take a look at this typical process of probiotic supplementation:
5 painful steps for obtaining probiotics
- Step one is to eat lots and lots of fermentation-resistant starches, better known as fiber (also known as prebiotic).
- Then spend lots of money on probiotic supplements and take them multiple times daily. Forced to hope that they make it through your intestines far enough to work.
- These two substances need to transfer through your entire digestive system. Stomach, upper colon, and then finally to the lower colon.
- Then your gut bacteria digest the fiber, fermenting in your gut. That is why you often experience painful bloating and embarrassing gas when you eat more fiber.
- Your gut bacteria digest the fiber. It then excretes gut health super nutrients. These are Short Chain Fatty Acids.
These SCFA miracle workers strengthen your gut lining, dramatically improve digestion, and aid in weight loss. They are the only way to fix a leaky gut, and without them, you are at risk of unwanted diseases and weight gain.
But now, thanks to a patented breakthrough, YOU can skip that painful 5-step process and get what top doctors call the “optimal” Short Chain Fatty Acid† — Butyrate — delivered directly where it is the most helpful — your lower colon. This powerful substance provides gut-healing benefits unlike any other substance on the planet. It really is the definition of a healthy gut!
After years of research, scientists have combined 3 Butyrate molecules with a glycerol molecule. This creates a radically more effective version of this “optimal” Short Chain Fatty Acid.
TRIbutyrate is time-released directly into your lower colon. This is the only place it can provide all these life-changing benefits, unlike probiotics. It is the main active ingredient in our new one-of-a-kind gut health breakthrough Viscera-3™.
