One study found that taking 10 billion CFU of Bifidobacterium lactis B-420 daily helped regulate body fat mass, reduce waist circumference, and reduce food intake over 6 months ( 6 ).
When it comes to weight loss you will want to use a probiotic that contains at least 10+ different strains or species of probiotics. #2. Use a high enough dose (> 300 billion CFUs). Beyond taking 10+ species you will also want to make sure that your probiotic has a high enough concentration of bacteria in each serving.
Several strains of probiotics in both the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium family have been shown to reduce weight and belly fat. Lactobacillus gasseri appears to be one of the most effective.
Many healthy adults can safely take upwards up 30-50 billion CFU if they have a reason or desire to. Interestingly, a study published in the journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2015 showed that between 10 – 20 Billion CFU is all that is really needed.
Depending on how sensitive you are, many people feel a difference after a few days. More fundamental effects of the probiotics such as improvements to mood, weight loss or a reduction in inflammation of your gut barrier might set in after 4-8 weeks.
Probiotics may help you lose weight and belly fat
In particular, studies have found that certain strains of the Lactobacillus family can help you lose weight and belly fat. In one study, eating yogurt with Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus amylovorus reduced body fat by 3–4% over 6 weeks (29).
There's little evidence to suggest that taking the probiotic supplements currently available on the market can help with weight loss, but eating probiotic foods such as yogurt is linked to changes in our microbiomes and less belly fat.
Overdosing – can you take too many probiotics? There is absolutely no harm in taking probiotics in the long term, and there is generally no harm in increasing one's dose of a probiotic supplement if you feel the need.
Answer: As a general rule, a probiotic should provide at least 1 billion CFUs (colony forming units, i.e., viable cells), with doses typically ranging between 1 billion and 10 billion CFUs daily for adults.
Probiotic doses are measured by colony-forming units (CFUs), and they range from 1 billion to 100 billion CFUs. Perlmutter considers 100 billion to be the highest daily dosage anybody needs to take — and most people need much less than that.
Consuming foods that contain probiotics (aka live “good” bacteria) can help reduce belly bloat caused by an overabundance of “bad” flora in your gut.
One effortless way to increase your metabolism is to add a probiotic supplement to your daily routine. By helping balance the bacterial populations of your gut microbiome, a probiotic supplement can effectively change the way your body processes foods and thus your metabolic rate.
Scientists believe that there is a link between reduced bacterial gut diversity and obesity. Also, some evidence in humans shows that some probiotics, such as some Lactobacillus strains, may help people lose weight or body fat. However, probiotics are not a guaranteed weight loss strategy.
While dosage can vary, American Family Physician recommends children take 5 to 10 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of probiotics per day, and suggests adults consume 10 to 20 billion. Additionally, some research shows there's potential value in consuming multiple strands of probiotics daily rather than just one.
Taking too many probiotics can cause mild discomfort
Taking more than a usual dose — 1 to 10 billion colony forming units (CFUs) — of probiotics doesn't necessarily mean better results and, instead, might provoke some mildly uncomfortable side effects.
How much you need varies with different types and what you want to treat. There's no general rule to follow. Most doses range from 1 to 10 billion CFUs that you take once or twice a day. If you don't get enough CFUs, you might not get the results you want.
Although the vast majority of existing clinical trials indicate that probiotic doses of 10-20 billion CFU per day are sufficient for maintaining immune and digestive health, research studies examining the dose-response of larger CFUs and products featuring CFUs of 50 to 100 billion are becoming increasingly common.
Many of the bacterial strains within probiotics already exist in your gut microbiome. Even though the bacteria may be familiar to your body, it is possible to experience side effects from taking large amounts of probiotics. You may experience bloating, gas, nausea, or diarrhea when taking high amounts of probiotics.
The ideal time to take probiotics is right before bed because "the gut is pretty inactive at night. If you think about it, you don't usually wake up in the middle of the night to poop,” says Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterology and internal medicine physician and clinical advisor for Gastro Girl.
The bacteria in your digestive tract can influence the way your body absorbs nutrients from food and uses them for energy. Probiotics help lower the number of calories (dietary fats) you absorb; thereby increasing the excretion of bile from the body, which in turn promotes the loss of belly fat.
Specific strains belonging to the genus Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were the most used and those that showed the best results in reducing body weight. Both probiotics and synbiotics have the potential to help in weight loss in overweight and obese populations.
Over the 12 weeks of the study, both of the groups taking lactobacillus gasseri lost 8 to 9 percent of their visceral fat—the unhealthy internal fat—and 1 to 3 percent of their belly fat.
You may be actively consuming a probiotic strain that promotes weight gain while expecting it to help you lose weight. Some strains of probiotics encourage obesity. One such strain is the Lactobacillus Acidophilus which may alter the bacteria in the gut to promote cellular growth (4).
Vitamins B, D, iron, and magnesium are four well-known weight reduction vitamins. Vitamin B helps the body to convert food into energy. It also plays a role in metabolism and cell function. A lack of vitamin B can lead to fatigue and weight gain.