Probiotic blend reduces body fat, BMI: Study
The study conducted by researchers from the Republic of Korea assessed the effect of a blend of probiotic strains (BN-202M) or placebo in 150 participants over 12 weeks of oral administration.
Results showed a significant change in weight loss and BMI reduction was observed only in the BN-202M group.
“The probiotic combination BN-202M was effective in reducing body fat, elucidating its mechanism through metabolomic and gut microbiota changes, and confirming its efficacy and safety with human clinical data,” the authors wrote in the journal Nutrients.
Metabolic disorders
The Global Metabolic Disorders Therapeutics Market is anticipated to achieve a value of $122.3 billion by 2030, and projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% from 2023 to 2030.
With the rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes, there is a necessity for effective approaches to prevent and manage metabolic disorders.
Previous research has found that probiotics positively impact obesity and insulin resistance. It is suggested that short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) propionate and butyrate, induce the expression of gluconeogenesis-related genes through various mechanisms and reduce body weight and fat cells by activating gluconeogenesis in the intestines.
The researchers previously found that the same probiotic blend decreased body weight gain at six weeks and decreased the food efficiency ratio, white adipose tissue volume, and adipocytes in high-fat diet-fed mice, potentially through adipocyte differentiation inhibition, the suppression of lipid metabolism, and increased lipid oxidation.
Probiotic effect
Participants (aged 19–60 years) with a BMI of 25–29.9 kg/m2 were given either a 2g sachet of BN-202M containing a blend of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53, or a placebo, and were instructed to take one sachet daily on an empty stomach for 12 weeks.
Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose in the serum were analyzed to assess the safety and efficacy of BN-202M at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.
Safety was assessed via blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature measurements on every visit as well as via blood laboratory testing, and fecal samples were collected baseline and after 12 weeks of intake in the BN-202M group.
After 12 weeks of oral administration, the body fat percentage and body fat mass of the BN-202M group decreased significantly compared to those of the placebo group. Body weight and BMI were also found to decrease significantly at 12 weeks in the BN-202M group, but not in the placebo group.
Metabolome analysis revealed that β-alanine, 3-aminoisobutyric acid, glutamic acid, and octopamine decreased in the weight-decreased BN-202M post-intake group.
In the gut microbiota analysis, Akkermansia showed a statistically significant increase in the BN-202M group post-intake compared to the placebo group, aligning with previous research which has found that successful weight reduction among obese individuals coincides with heightened Akkermansia levels in fecal samples.
“Concurrently, our findings consistently revealed a marked negative correlation with Akkermansia in the bottom 25% of the BN-202M group,” the authors wrote. “Thus, this microorganism merits further investigation to explore its association with obesity."
They noted that ‘future studies should include individuals with obesity and use CT scans for more detailed fat composition analysis’.
Journal: Nutrients
doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16131993
“The Effect of the Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53 Combination (BN-202M) on Body Fat Percentage Loss in Overweight Individuals: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.”
Authors: Kwon, H.S. et al.
