The Potential Role of Probiotics in Controlling Overweight/Obesity and Associated Metabolic Parameters in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background. The prevalence of overweight/obesity in adults is raised to 39%, which is nearly tripled more than 1975. The alteration of the gut microbiome has been widely accepted as one of the main causal factors. To find an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of overweight/obesity, a systematic review and meta-analysis were designed. Methods. In this study, we systematically reviewed the article published from January 2008 to July 2018 and conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of probiotics on body weight control, lipid profile, and glycemic control in healthy adults with overweight or obesity. The primary outcomes were body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fat mass, fat percentages, plasma lipid profiles, and glucose metabolic parameters. Results. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science and identified 1248 articles, and 7 articles which were manually searched by the references of included studies and previously systematic reviews. Twelve randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including 821 participants, were included in the meta-analysis via full-text screening. Probiotics supplementation resulted in a statistical reduction in body weight (WMD [95% CI]; -0.55 [-0.91, -0.19] kg), BMI (WMD [95% CI]; -0.30 [-0.43, -0.18] kg m−2), waist circumference (WMD [95% CI]; -1.20 [-2.21, -0.19] cm), fat mass (WMD [95% CI]; -0.91 [-1.19, -0.63] kg), and fat percentage (WMD [95% CI]; -0.92 [-1.27, -0.56] %) compared with control groups. As expected, the metabolic parameters were improved significantly, with a pooled standardized mean difference in TC (SMD [95% CI]; -0.43 [-0.80, -0.07]), LDL-C (SMD [95% CI]; -0.41 [-0.77, -0.04]), FPG (SMD [95% CI]; -0.35 [-0.67, -0.02]), insulin (SMD [95% CI]; -0.44 [-0.84, -0.03]), and HOMA-IR (SMD [95% CI]; -0.51 [-0.96, -0.05]), respectively. The changes in TG (SMD [95% CI]; 0.14 [-0.23, 0.50]), HDL-C (SMD [95% CI]; -0.31 [-0.70, 0.07]), and HbA1c (SMD [95% CI]; -0.23 [-0.46, 0.01]) were not significant. Conclusion. This study suggests that the probiotics supplementation could potentially reduce the weight gain and improve some of the associated metabolic parameters, which may become an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of obesity in adult individuals.

A randomised controlled study shows supplementation of overweight and obese adults with lactobacilli and bifidobacteria reduces bodyweight and improves well-being

“…In the most recent meta-analyses detailing probiotics and weight loss, body weight reductions up to 1.05 kg and BMI reductions up to 0.55 kg/m 2 have been reported for overweight/obese subjects 10,22,27 . Studies focusing on free-living overweight and/or obese participants present variable outcomes [18][19][20][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] with many performed in Asian populations 18,[29][30][31][32][33][34] .…”

The Influence of the Gut Microbiome on Obesity in Adults and the Role of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics for Weight Loss

“…A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of probiotics on body weight and glycaemic control in overweight or obese adults. Adults who received probiotics had significant reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass percentage compared with adults in the control group (Wang et al, 2019b). A greater reduction in fat mass was observed with 1) use of high versus low doses of probiotics, 2) probiotics of a single strain versus multiple strains, and 3) probiotics administered in the form of foods compared with capsules or powder.…”

“…Synbiotics (supplements including probiotics and prebiotics that may have a beneficial effect on health) are now often used as functional foods (nutraceutical supplemental additives for healthy eating). Emerging evidence has demonstrated that probiotics may be organic compounds of the microbiome and may ameliorate its function (Wang et al, 2019b).…”

Addition of Probiotics to Anti-Obesity Therapy by Percutaneous Electrical Stimulation of Dermatome T6. A Pilot Study

“…Moreover, a clear tendency was found for fasting glucose, TC and LDL-cholesterol, which could reach statistical significance in a larger group of patients. Previous randomized controlled trials showed that administration of probiotics alone slightly reduced the body weight and BMI (−0.55 kg and −0.3 kg/m 2 , respectively) in parallel with fasting glucose (−0.35 mg/dL) and lipids (total cholesterol, −0.43 mg/dL and LDL-cholesterol, −0.41 mg/dL) [ 19 ]. Particularly, single probiotics such as Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium animalis , and Pediococcus pentosaceus achieved higher benefits than multiple probiotics (i.e., combinations of Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp.…”

“…In a previous study, we had observed that PENS of dermatome T6 (PENS) associated with the hypocaloric (1200 Kcal) diet produced a significantly greater weight loss (BMI = −5.1 kg/m 2 ) than only PENS (BMI = −1.4 kg/m 2 ) or the isolated hypocaloric diet (BMI = −2.0 kg/m 2 ) [ 9 ]. Moreover, data from the literature have shown that single or multistrain probiotics alone produced minimal changes in body weight (BMI = −0.36 and −0.15 kg/m 2 , respectively) and in glycemic/lipidemic factors [ 19 ]. Therefore, we have now treated obese subjects, who previously were unsuccessfully treated only with the hypocaloric diet, with PENS with or without probiotics under the same diet in order to observe the potential differences in weight loss, associated cardiovascular factors (i.e., blood pressure, glycemia, and lipidemia), and microbiota.…”