HEALTH TIP: Probiotics For Weight Control The theory here is that the balance of bacteria in the digestive system might play a role in obesity. To find out if that’s possible, a nutritionist from Finland tested probiotics on 256 pregnant women, giving some capsules that contained Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and others “dummy” capsules during their first trimester. Probiotics provide “friendly” bacteria that can reduce the growth of harmful bacteria. In the study, two groups of pregnant women received standard dietary counseling for a healthy pregnancy and optimal fetal development; one of these groups received capsules containing probiotics and the other got a placebo. A third group received the placebo but no dietary counseling. All the women took the capsules until they completed breast-feeding, up to six months after delivery. Results showed that only 25 percent of the women who took the probiotics developed unhealthy central obesity, where fat concentrates in the belly. Among women who underwent dietary counseling alone, 43 percent developed central obesity; among those who received no advice and did not take probiotics, the rate of central obesity was 40 percent. While these results are interesting, more research is needed to determine whether probiotics really can help prevent obesity. The findings from Finland were presented on May 7, 2009 at the European Congress on Obesity. #dherbs
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:44:02 +0000
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