BEST WAY TO USE PROBIOTICS FOR WEIGHT LOSS AT HOME

Obesity is generally caused due to an imbalance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure. Between 1980 and 2014 prevalence of obesity more than doubled worldwide. According to researchers, probiotics are supposed to help one lose weight and belly fat by 3–4% over a 6-week period. The gut bacteria regulate the overall metabolism and can influence the calorie balance in our body. An imbalance in this gut microbiota may affect fat metabolism and lead to weight gain. Probiotics are good bacterial, taken either with food or with supplements. These probiotics have important physiologic functions to maintain the healthy gut microbiota, regulating food intake and appetite, eliminate fat, and maintain hormonal balance related to weight loss.

A healthy gut is important for our overall well-being. Around 100 trillion microorganisms a human body is believed to carry in the intestines and this is more than ten times the total number of human cells. These microorganisms or bacteria are collectively known as gut flora or gut microbiome. Gut microorganisms evolved and developed a symbiotic relationship with humans. Healthy gut microbiota is required to maintain a healthy gut. They break down the undigested foods and provide nutrients while stimulating epithelial cell differentiation and proliferation. These bacteria regulate intestinal homeostasis by inducing antibody production involved in the development of immune and thereby helping to fight off the bad bacteria that can sometimes invade our intestinal system through contaminated food.

Imbalances in intestinal bacteria can lead to:

·        Obesity and metabolic diseases

·        Malnourishment

·        Inflammatory diseases, like Crohn’s disease and Asthma

·        Allergies

·        Depression and Mood disorders

·        Cardiovascular Problems

                                                     

WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS?

The World Health Organization defines probiotics as ‘live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host’.

Health benefits credited to probiotics are mostly related to your digestive system. Some of these digestive system benefits have either a direct or an indirect effect on your weight.

Few health benefits of probiotics are:

v  Helps in food digestion

v  Improves the immune system

v  Helps in improving the nutritional value of foods

v  Helps in lowering cholesterol

v  Helps in improving mental health

v  Helps in preventing and reducing acne

IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO TAKE PROBIOTICS?

When the balance between good and bad gut bacteria is disturbed, significant health problems can occur. Imbalance in the gut bacterial community is medically termed gut dysbiosis. Many different things can negatively affect our gut flora.

Threats to the gut microbiota include:

1. Antibiotics - Antibiotics (the opposite of probiotics) are used to fight bacterial infections. However, they not only kill or inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria but also kill the useful good bacteria. Long-term use of antibiotics can lead to serious health problems.

2. Triclosan – Triclosan is an antibacterial found in toothpaste, mouthwash, hand sanitizers, and soap products has a role to wipe out our gut flora significantly.

3. Diet - Processed foods and diet low in fiber and high in unhealthy fats increases the levels of inflammation that start to kill off the gut flora within our digestive system.

This is why probiotics consumption is required to restore and rebuilt the bacterial balance of the gut.

HOW DO PROBIOTICS REALLY WORK?

Probiotics are believed to cleaning up the digestive tract and making it function better, thereby making your body burn off fat quickly and effortlessly.

1. Probiotics Help Expel Dietary Fat from the Body

A study on the particular strain of probiotic, lactobacillus gasseri, showed to have help in the expulsion of dietary fat through fecal fat excretion in humans. According to researchers, Lactobacillus gasseri suppresses dietary fat absorption in the small intestine, thereby also inhibiting calories intake. Another research in Japan showed that milk fermented with Lactobacillus gasseri can reduce waist circumference, abdominal fat, BMI, as well as the dangerous visceral fat that accumulates around the organs.

2. Probiotics Have Appetite Suppressant Effects

Leptin is an appetite control hormone, which balances the levels of energy and body weight. Eating probiotic-rich foods can help to suppress appetite by increasing the level of leptin in your body. Probiotics actually stimulated the release of leptin. Leptin is the satiety fullness hormone this actually helps you consume fewer calories and prevent overeating while snacking between meals.   

3. Probiotics Help Burn Fat

Probiotics can have a very beneficial effect to lower fat deposition. Probiotics promote the production of numerous proteins that can reduce the rate of fat deposition in the body. Even if your diet was not perfect, you can reduce the fat stored in your body for belly fat. Research using the strains lactobacillus amylovorus and lactobacillus fermentum and another using lactobacillus rhamnosus has shown to boost your metabolism and burning more calories and fat. Probiotics can help to burn two times as much visceral fat and subcutaneous fat that can lower the risk of diabetes and heart conditions along with achieving weight loss target.

4. Probiotics Prevent Inflammation

Probiotics also, prevent inflammation. Many people who suffer from chronic inflammation in their gut can lead to an increase in fat deposition and a slower metabolism. However, probiotics having the ability to prevent inflammation in the stomach and boost metabolism to burn fat faster.

5. Probiotics Reduce Calorie Absorption

Studies had shown taking probiotics with foods would reduce the absorption of calories in the body without hampering the absorption of nutrients. Probiotics even produce important nutrients such as vitamins B and K. To obtain the best result pair this with exercises for much faster weight loss.  The right amount of probiotics in your body improves digestive efficiency along with the absorption of nutrients more efficiently allowing you to eat less before you feel full yet still obtaining all the minerals and vitamins your body needs.

THE BEST PROBIOTICS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Many studies have been conducted on probiotics, to find out their involvement that affects different aspects of weight loss. Some strains of probiotics appear to have anti-obesity effects and are quite effective in burning off the extra body fat, while others actually seem to cause weight gain.

1.      Lactobacillus gasseri

From the available evidence, Lactobacillus gasseri appears to be the best probiotic strain that can assist in weight loss in humans. In a Japanese study on 30 healthy individuals, researchers prepared two different batches of fermented milk. One batch contains the active milk with Lactobacillus gasseri, and the control milk without. Both milk preparations were indistinguishable in taste and equivalent in energy, in protein, fat, carbohydrates. Fecal samples collected at the beginning and end of the trial showed that the Lactobacillus gasseri group had an increased amount of fat excreted in their feces after two weeks of consuming the milk. Whereas, after the same period, in the control group no changes in fecal fat excretion were noticed. The Japanese control trial also found that fermented milk with Lactobacillus gasseri significantly reduced BMI, waist circumference, abdominal fat, and the dangerous visceral fat that accumulates around the organs.

2.      Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus

Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus amylovorus are two other strains of the Lactobacillus family can help you lose weight and belly fat. According to one study,

participants who ate yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus 

amylovorus reduced body fat by 3–4% over a 6-week period.

3.      Lactobaccilus rhamnosus

According to a study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" in April 2014, found that supplements of another probiotic, Lactobaccilus rhamnosus, when combined with a low-calorie diet appear to help obese women lose both body weight and body fat. Over the two-year study period, the women receiving the probiotic supplements lost about twice as much weight in compare to women who followed the same diet without taking the supplements.

4.      Bifidobacterium lactis

Bifidobacterium lactis appear to reduce fat mass, body weight, and weight gain

5.      Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum, may be more likely to cause weight loss.

According to a meta-analysis of multiple studies, some Lactobacillus strains, including ingluviei, acidophilus, and fermentum showed a tendency toward weight gain rather than loss, both on human and animal subjects.

FERMENTED FOODS HIGH IN PROBIOTICS:

If you do not want to take the probiotic supplements, there are some foods you can eat on a regular basis that will aid in keeping your digestive tract filled with these beneficial bacteria. Do not forget that the key to getting the effects of these foods is being consistent in eating them. Some that are rich in probiotics and help to weight loss are given below. You can take it as individual preparation or in combination.

                              

Dairy Products

1.      Yogurts - Yogurt is one of the food sources rich in probiotic. Most potent strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria are found in yogurt. Homemade yogurt with naturally rich in those live cultures is always better than the packed ones. People with lactose intolerance should avoid this.

2.      Kefir - Kefir is a fermented milk drink, cultured from kefir grains. Kefir grains contain around 30 strains of beneficial bacteria. Some of the major probiotic bacteria strain found in kefir products

include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactococcus lactis. Kefir is actually a much more potent source probiotic than yogurt. Both yogurt and kefir are made from fermented milk but kefir contains many bacteria that aid lactose digestion. Kefir does not produce symptoms of lactose intolerance because these bacteria already pre-digested the lactose in kefir. However, kefir has a broader range of nutrients than does yogurt.  Lactobacillus kefiri, and the carbohydrate kefiran, protect against harmful bacteria.

Non-Dairy Products

3.      Miso - Miso is a traditional Japanese appetizer prepared from fermented soy, rye, beans, barley, or rice. It contains a huge amount of lactobacillus acidophilus. Miso generally used as a condiment.

4.  Kimchi - Kimchi is a Korean fermented foods veggie side dish, made with cabbage, radishes, and scallions.  Korean researchers at Kyung Hee University found that Lactobacillus brevis, the culture strain found in kimchi suppressed the diet-induced increase in weight gain by 28 percent.

5.    Kombucha - Kombucha tea is prepared by fermenting sweet black tea with a culture of yeasts and bacteria known as Kombucha mushrooms. This probiotic beverage helps in boosting the immune system of our body. It also provides energy, helps the body to stay fit and healthy. It helps in losing weight too. However, care must be taken since this tea may not suit everyone.

6.      Sauerkraut - Sauerkraut is fermented shredded cabbage in brine, and it contains natural compounds that have potent belly fat slimming properties. When unpasteurized, sauerkraut is rich in Lactobacillus bacteria. It contains lactobacilli plantarum, which aids in boosting the immune system and reduces the growth of yeast in the body. Sauerkraut is one of the richest non-dairy sources of probiotic, even more so than yogurt.

7.      Fermented Green Olives - Fermented Green Olives contains live cultures of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus. L. plantarum shows great potential shedding belly fat to a flat stomach.

Switching your probiotic supplement is a good idea. Different strains provide different health benefits, even with strains of the same genus and species exhibiting different effects. Probiotics can be dangerous for those with compromised immune systems.

Probiotics may assist very well in weight loss, but only if you already live a very active lifestyle. Of course, do not expect any miracles with probiotis only without a nutritious diet and regular exercise.