How to use Probiotics for Weight Loss

Are bad bugs in your gut hindering your weight loss efforts?

It may sound strange but it’s a legitimate question.

Research has shown that the composition of bacteria in your gut plays a role in how many calories you absorb (1) in each meal and your appetite by altering neurotransmitters.

Together, they can and do impact your ability to gain or lose weight.

The good news is that there are things that you can do to alter this composition in your favor thereby accelerating your weight loss efforts.

And this is where probiotics step in.

Here’s how using the right ones can help you lose weight faster:

#1. Reduce Caloric Absorption and Influence Food/Nutrient Breakdown

The first way that bacteria contribute to weight loss is through their unique ability to break down food and contribute to the absorption of calories. 

Studies have shown (11) that the number of calories (known as “energy extraction”) that you absorb from your food is based (at least in part) on the concentration of certain bacteria in your gut. 

Let’s break this down:

Let’s say you have two people who both consume 100 calories of food.

Person A has a “healthy” microbiome (existing concentration of bacteria in their gut) because this person takes probiotics, exercises regularly, and tries to eat as healthy as possible.

When person A consumes 100 calories they absorb 70 calories of the 100 that they consumed. 

Person B, on the other hand, has a different microbiome that is the result of eating processed foods, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, and not exercising regularly. 

When ​person B consumes 100 calories they absorb 90 of the 100 calories that they consumed. 

This concept shows us that two completely different people can consume the exact same TYPE and AMOUNT of food but do completely different things with that energy.

Person B will obviously end up gaining more weight over time even if we fed both person A and person B the exact same diet. ​

This concept helps illustrate the importance of a healthy microbiome and its influence on both nutrient AND caloric absorption of food. 

The difference between the calories absorbed by both individuals results from a variety of factors including the fact that certain bacteria may actually feed off of some of the food that we consume which results in less absorption.

In addition, bacterial concentrations may result in increased movement (through serotonin) of the intestinal tract which may also reduce the absorption of food as it is lost through bowel movements. 

Regardless of the mechanism, we know that this difference does indeed exist and may be playing a role in obesity in many people.

By the way, this connection may explain the phenomenon seen when two people consume the same food, and yet one continues to gain weight while the other stays the same. 

Does this sound familiar to any of you? ​

• Bottom line: Restoring the right type of bacteria in your gut may reduce the number of calories and energy that you consume without reducing the total amount of food that you eat. 

#2. Influence Appetite, Mood and Reduce Food Cravings

The bacteria in your gut also influence the number of calories that you consume. 

It has been shown that the bacteria in your gut (12) influence host behavior including host appetite and food preferences. 

This influence is mediated through a mechanism known as a positive feedback loop and it makes perfect sense. 

Bacteria in your gut secrete certain molecules and enzymes that trigger cravings for the type of food that sustains THAT bacteria and allows that bacteria to grow and survive.

Let’s break this down:

When you eat processed foods or when you eat out you are promoting the growth of certain bacteria in your gut.

As this bacteria grows and becomes the dominant force in your gut it secretes enzymes that make you crave the types of foods that it needs to grow.

​So you start to crave processed foods, sugars, bread, pasta, etc. 

Why?

Because that’s the type of food that the bacteria in your gut need to survive.

In addition, these bacteria also cause changes to your mood through their mediation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin (13).

Changes to serotonin then feedback to your brain to increase your appetite. 

So now you are not only craving poor food choices but you want more than is necessary (you overeat).

So taking high-quality probiotics may reduce food cravings and reduce the total amount of food that you eat resulting in weight loss. 

• Bottom line: Probiotics may reduce the concentration of negative bacteria in your gut and promote healthier food choices. 

#3. Improve Metabolic Function and Reduce “Fat Storing” Hormones

Probiotics seem to also have a direct impact on certain “fat storage” hormones. 

Hormones such as leptin and insulin directly result in increased fat storage and high levels are seen of both hormones in patients who are overweight. 

Taking probiotics may help reduce these hormones which may help with weight loss. 

Beyond the effects that probiotics have on leptin and insulin, they also seem to have at least some influence on sex hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. 

In particular, probiotics have been shown to help women with PCOS. 

Studies have shown (14) that 12-week use of daily probiotics helped reduce weight, improve cholesterol markers, and reduce insulin and triglyceride levels. 

The exact way that probiotics help reduce these fat storage hormones is not well known but appears to be through a combination of reducing bacterial cytokine release, lowering inflammation, and reducing fat liver storage (hepatic steatosis). 

​A point worth mentioning:

Reversing fat storage hormones can be a complex problem so make sure you use much more than just probiotics if you suffer from existing hormone imbalances such as leptin resistance and insulin resistance. ​

• Bottom line: Probiotics may help reduce fat-storing hormones such as leptin and insulin by reducing bacteria inflammatory markers. 

#4. Lower Local and Systemic Inflammation

​Inflammation has always been implicated as a key component in weight gain. 

Inflammation can result on a systemic level (which means it’s in the entire body) and on a local level (which means it’s just in the gut).

What you may not realize is that certain bacteria promote inflammation both at the systemic and local levels.

This low-grade inflammation triggers a cascade of changes that promotes hormone imbalance, changes to bacterial concentration, and therefore weight gain.

​Intestinal syndromes such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth occur when certain bacteria (even good bacteria) grow and overpopulate the GI tract. 

SIBO results in local inflammation which may reduce thyroid function and metabolism leading directly to weight gain.

Reversing this condition is possible through a combination of changes including taking probiotics and prebiotics. ​

In addition to reducing local gut inflammation, probiotics have also been shown to reduce systemic levels of inflammation (15), even in patients with autoimmune conditions. 

• Bottom line: Probiotics can be used to outcompete both good and bad bacteria and reduce local and systemic inflammation. 

#5. Promote Regular Bowel Movements

Probiotics have been shown to help regulate and normalize bowel movements (16) which are a serious problem for many people. 

Constipation defined as less than 1 healthy bowel movement per day may result in the retention of bacterial byproducts and bacterial load in general.

Constipation also results in symptoms such as bloating and water retention which cause an increase in total body water and therefore in weight.

Taking probiotics may help reduce constipation and improve bowel movements which may reduce weight by limiting excessive water retention, bloating, and constipation. ​

So while promoting regular bowel movements doesn’t directly result in fat loss, it can result in weight loss.

Just realize that this loss in weight is not true fat loss like the other mechanisms listed above. ​

• Bottom line: Probiotics help regulate bowel movements which may reduce total body water and weight. 

#6. ​Increase Metabolism & Basal Metabolic Rate

​Your metabolism helps to control the total amount of calories that you burn AT rest throughout the entire day. 

This amount of calories is one of the most important factors that determine if your body is able to lose weight.

In addition, your basal metabolic rate is responsible for determining if your body will maintain weight loss.

Probiotic supplementation has been shown in certain individuals to increase basal metabolic rate.

This doesn’t mean that taking probiotics will help increase your metabolism if it’s normal, but it does mean that some people with already damaged metabolisms may find a “normalization” of their metabolism with probiotic supplementation.

This effect is mediated through the influence of carbohydrate and fat metabolism at the cellular level.

Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli strains (17) have both been shown to regulate metabolism in people. 

• Bottom line: Taking probiotics may help improve the metabolism in certain people who have a lower-than-normal metabolism, to begin with. Probiotics may not increase your metabolism if it’s already normal. 

Which Probiotic Should You Use For Weight Loss?

Is there a special type of probiotic that you need to take in order to lose weight?

Not really.

Instead of focusing on a specific species, use these guidelines:

First: Try to find a probiotic with multiple species. The more species the better.

Second: Look for a probiotic that has at least 50 billion CFU.

Third: Combine your probiotic with diet and exercise.

By doing all three of these, you are setting yourself up for the success and weight loss that you’re looking for.

Personally, I’m partial to this probiotic (party because I created it but also because I know it works).

It’s a 3-in-1 probiotic with 10+ species and 60 billion CFU per serving so it hits all of the needed criteria.

Back to you 

​Probiotics can help you lose weight in a variety of ways. 

Does this mean that they are a miracle weight loss pill?

No, but they can be very effective for certain people with GI-related issues or hormone imbalances.

If you decide to take a probiotic for weight loss make sure that you use more than 10+ strains/species at a dose of more than 300 billion CFU per serving and use it in combination with other weight loss therapies.

​Now I want to hear from you:

Have you tried taking probiotics for weight loss?

Did it work for you?

Why or why not?

Leave your comments below! ​