Ask The Trainer

CFB reader Anne M. sent in a question a couple of weeks ago concerning probiotics and belly fat.

Question: A co-worker mentioned to me that probiotics cuts belly fat. Is this true? I carry excess weight around my mid-section and was wondering if adding probiotic supplementation would help to get rid of the bulge. Anne M., San Francisco, CA

Answer: Anne, I personally do supplement with probiotics as these live cultures help to improve digestion and alleviate bloating.

In regards to probiotics reducing belly fat, let's just say the jury is still out.

There was a great deal of chatter about this last year, surrounding the 2009 European Congress on Obesity conference in Amsterdam.

The study referenced during that conference specifically focused on pregnant women and how if they had been given probiotics from the first trimester of pregnancy, they had a lower level of belly fat and overall body fat a year after giving birth, than those who were not given probiotics.

In the study, 256 women were randomly divided into three groups during the first trimester of pregnancy. Two of the groups received dietary counseling consistent with what's recommended during pregnancy for healthy weight gain and optimal fetal development. They were also given food such as spreads and salad dressings with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as fibre-enriched pasta and breakfast cereal to take home. One of those groups also received daily capsules of probiotics containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are the most commonly used probiotics. The other group received dummy capsules. A third group received dummy capsules and no dietary counseling. The capsules were continued until the women stopped exclusive breastfeeding, up to 6 months.

The researchers weighed the women at the start of the study. At the end of the study they weighed them again and measured their waist circumference and skin fold thickness. The results were adjusted for weight at the start of the study.

What I feel is a major limitation of the study is that it did not control for the mothers' weight before pregnancy, which may influence how fat they later become. So, the question becomes, did the women taking the probiotics have less belly/body fat to begin with?

Ultimately, this is one research study and while it certainly helps to develop a hypothesis, more research needs to be conducted to conclude any validity to this hypothesis.

Getting back to your original question of should you add probiotic supplementation to your daily regime?

There are many studies that support the effectiveness of probiotics in preventing and managing common GI disorders. They improve digestive health, strengthen the immune system and help lower cholesterol.

With that said, the sad fact of the matter is that a good deal of the probiotics available do not survive the manufacturing process.

An advanced probiotic formulation containing strains of the bacterium Bacillus coagulans offers promise in sidestepping the difficulties and maximizing the benefits of probiotic supplementation.

These microorganisms are each surrounded by a natural protective shield, which helps them survive the heat and pressure of manufacturing and the acids and bile of digestion, so they have a far better chance of arriving alive and well in the intestines, where they go to work.

My brand of choice is Udo's Adult Blend which is typically found in the refrigerator section of a vitamin and/or health food store. Refrigeration will ensure maximum potency and stability of probiotics.

Send your fitness questions to AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan