Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for our health, especially the digestive system.
Different from bad bacteria that cause diseases, probiotics are good bacteria keeping our gut healthy.
One good source of probiotics is yogurt. In a recent review and meta-analysis conducted by Taizhou People’s Hospital in China, researchers find that consuming yogurt can promote weight loss and reduce BMI.
The finding is published in International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.
Researchers combined the findings of 25 human studies that investigated the impact of probiotic consumption on body weight and BMI in over 1,900 healthy adults.
They found that Probiotic consumption significantly reduced body weight by 0.59 kg and BMI by 0.49.
In addition, a greater reduction in body weight was found when people ingested more than one type of probiotics.
Further analysis showed that 8 weeks or longer time of probiotic consumption could reduce BMI more strongly.
Finally, people with a BMI >= 25 showed a greater reduction in BMI after probiotic consumption.
Researchers suggest that consumption of probiotics can lead to a modest decrease in body weight and BMI.
Although the amount of weight loss documented in this study is minimal, even a small reduction can have enormous public health benefits by reducing weight-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
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Citation: Zhang Q, et al. (2016). Effect of probiotics on body weight and body-mass index: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 67: 571-580. DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2016.1181156.
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