Is Probiotic Supplementation Useful for the Management of Body Weight and Other Anthropometric Measures in Adults Affected by Overweight and Obesity with Metabolic Related Diseases? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effectiveness of probiotics in inducing body weight loss in patients with overweight or obesity with related metabolic diseases. The research was carried out on PubMed and Scopus, focusing on studies reporting the effect on anthropometric measures (weight, body mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) after administration of various probiotic strains compared to placebo. Twenty randomized controlled trials, that included 1411 patients, were considered. The meta-analyzed mean differences (MD) for random effects showed no significant decrease in body weight after probiotic supplementation (−0.26 kg [−075, 0.23], p = 0.30), while a significant BMI decrease was found (−0.73 kg/m2 [−1.31, −0.16], p = 0.01). For WC and HC, the meta-analyzed MD for random effects showed a significant decrease (WC: −0.71 cm [−1.24; −0.19], p = 0.008 and HC: −0.73 cm [−1.16; −0.30], p = 0.0008). The risk of bias was also evaluated considering a high risk and a low risk according to PRISMA criteria. In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis highlight a positive trend of probiotics supplementation on the amelioration of anthropometric measures of overweight and obese patients with related metabolic diseases. However, further research is needed before recommending the use of probiotics as a therapeutic strategy for these patients. The focus of the future research should be to evaluate the efficacy of different probiotic strains, the quantities to be administered, and the duration of the intervention.

Probiotics as a Treatment for “Metabolic Depression”? A Rationale for Future Studies

“…The recent systematic review and meta-analysis has confirmed the effectiveness of probiotics on the amelioration of anthropometric measures (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC)) of overweight and obese patients with related metabolic diseases [89]. This is partly in agreement with several previous metaanalyses in obese subjects [90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97]; however, the studies lack consistency [98][99][100].…”

Adjuvant and Beneficial Probiotic Therapy for Women Health

“…In another study, the oral intervention with probiotic product to overweight women that lasted for eight weeks was demonstrated to lessen abdominal fat noticeably and simultaneously increased antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase [37]. Two recent metaanalysis systematic reviews evaluating 35 randomized controlled human trials, including obese patients, have reported a significant decrease in BMI and reduced body weight of patients following probiotic supplementation [41][42]. Moreover, a greater tendency in weight and fat mass reduction was reported for women than for men [41].…”

“…Two recent metaanalysis systematic reviews evaluating 35 randomized controlled human trials, including obese patients, have reported a significant decrease in BMI and reduced body weight of patients following probiotic supplementation [41][42]. Moreover, a greater tendency in weight and fat mass reduction was reported for women than for men [41]. Similarly, a previous Korean clinical study including women and men suggested that the probiotic L. sakei CJLS03 harbors anti-obesity effects and can be a suitable probiotic for microbiome-assisted therapy to treat or prevent obesity [43].…”

Effect of Probiotic, Prebiotic, or Synbiotic Supplement on Children, Adolescents, or Infants: A Protocol of an Umbrella Review

“…Probiotics supplementation can pose a positive effect on ameliorating the increasing of weight in human. [13][14][15] Ruth Baron [16] held that infant antibiotic exposure can result in disrupting balance of the gut microbiota, further causing the increasing of overweight or obesity in children. By following the birth cohort of 165 children and their mothers, Stanislawski [17] found that the gut microbiota in the two years before birth can predict the risk of obesity at age 12, potentially offering an opportunity to prevent childhood obesity.…”

“…By following the birth cohort of 165 children and their mothers, Stanislawski [17] found that the gut microbiota in the two years before birth can predict the risk of obesity at age 12, potentially offering an opportunity to prevent childhood obesity. By summarizing the effect of probiotics on body weight and other obesityrelated anthropometric measures in overweight and obese patients, Simone Perna [13] found that by modulating the gut microbiota, probiotics supplementation may effectively reduce body mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), further proving that probiotics supplementation can effectively treat respiratory tract infections. Some researchers have proposed that probiotics may prevent the development of allergic diseases in children.…”