A study finds that Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420 alone or in combination with the prebiotic fiber Litesse Ultra polydextrose reduced body fat mass, trunk fat mass, waist circumference and energy intake compared to placebo in those participants who adhered to the study protocol over the six-month intervention.
The study was published in EBioMedicine.
The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter six-month trial demonstrated the probiotic and synbiotic (fiber plus probiotic combination) seem to control body fat mass, especially in the abdominal area in overweight adults.
The probiotic and synbiotic treatment groups both demonstrated reduced energy intake during the trial and reduced waist circumference.
“The potential influence of the gut microbiota on the regulation of body weight and shape is an exciting area right now,” said Megan DeStefano, probiotics global marketing lead at DuPont Nutrition & Health.
“Around the world, consumers are seeking natural support for weight management.”
“In DuPont proprietary market research, we have identified that 57% of the global population are confused about what they should eat and what will help them achieve weight goals without making major lifestyle changes.”
Of particular interest, the improvements in waist measurements observed in this study equate to a reduction in one waist size of pants.
The volunteers in the study were randomized into one of four groups and asked to consume the study product daily for six months.
Subjects consumed either placebo, microcrystalline cellulose, 12 g/d, the prebiotic fiber Litesse Ultra polydextrose, 12 g/d, DuPont proprietary strain of probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis 420, 1010 CFU/d in microcrystalline cellulose, 12 g/d, or the combination of the prebiotic fiber and the probiotic strain.
This study assessed changes in fat and lean tissue using a precise tool, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, for analysis of body composition to detect changes in different regions of the body.
Both the probiotic and synbiotic products helped control body fat mass, leading to an approximately 1.4 kg difference compared to placebo in those participants who adhered to the study protocol.
Only the consumption of the combination of Bifidobacterium lactis 420 with Litesse Ultra polydextrose led to improvements in lean body mass.
The study was conducted following Good Clinical Practice guidelines at four research clinics in Finland.
