Lactobacillus gasseri Benefits

In the last several years a lot of exciting new research has arisen on various health benefits of probiotics. One of the more interesting effects revealed recently was the possibility of certain probiotic bacteria strains to assist in weight loss. First of all, it has been shown that thin people tend to have different gut bacteria than overweight people. It is not known, however, if this is cause or effect. What is known are the results of several clinical trials suggesting that the probiotic strain Lactobacillus gasseri may help reduce abdominal fat and support healthy weight loss. A clinical trial published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2013 reported that 210 healthy adults with excess abdominal fat were given either milk enriched with Lactobacillus gasseri or a placebo milk for 12 weeks. At the study’s end, the participants given the probiotic-enriched milk showed a significantly greater reduction in abdominal fat compared to the placebo group. Another study from 2010 involved 87 adults with a high body mass index and abdominal fat. The participants were given the same gasseri-enriched milk as the study above, also for 12 weeks. Treatment with Lactobacillus gasseri led to a significant decrease in abdominal fat, waist size, and body weight.

While these studies are impressive, there is more to the story involving this particular probiotic strain. Another study showed that gasseri may improve cholesterol levels, in concert with inulin, a prebiotic fiber (which may promote the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestine). One company has taken this science and created a wonderful probiotic supplement. Garden of Life’s Dr. Formulated Fitbiotic is a formula containing 14 probiotic strains featuring Lactobacillus gasseri along with 4 grams of prebiotic organic acacia fiber. This product is in single serving, shelf-stable packets for ease of use. Along with healthy weight management, this product promotes healthy digestion, elimination, and immune health.

Berberine’s Benefits

Another compound with new research showing applications for healthy weight management is the plant alkaloid berberine. This chemical is found in such well-known plants as goldenseal and Oregon grape, and is responsible for much of those plants’ medicinal properties. Reams of new scientific research is revealing previously undiscovered activity through a variety of physiological mechanisms as far as weight loss applications.

1. Blood sugar regulation and insulin resistance. Berberine decreases insulin resistance, making the blood sugar lowering hormone insulin more effective. Berberine increases glycolysis, the breakdown of sugars inside the cell. It also slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the liver, and has been shown to increase the number of healthy bacteria in the gut.
2. Improvement of fat-regulating hormones. The precise mechanism is theorized, but it appears that in addition to regulating the hormone insulin, thereby improving blood sugar levels, berberine favorably impacts adiponectin and leptin, fat-regulating hormones. In one 3 month study, 37 men and women with metabolic syndrome took 300 mg of berberine 3 times a day. At study’s end, the participants had dropped their body mass index levels from 31.5 to 27.4, or from obese to merely overweight. They also lost belly fat and improved many health markers. Another 12 week study showed that 500 mg of berberine 3 times per day caused about 5 pounds of weight loss, and participants also lost 3.6% of their body fat.
3. Berberine also appears to inhibit the growth of fat cells. Multiple studies have shown that the compound inhibited adipogenesis in preadipocytes, meaning that at a molecular level, fat cells are prevented from forming.

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