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Effect of Lactobacillus on body weight and body fat in overweight subjects: a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials

International Journal of Obesity volume 41, pages 1607–1614 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Gut microbiota is important for maintaining body weight. Modulation of gut microbiota by probiotics may result in weight loss and thus help in obesity treatment. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus on weight loss and/or fat mass in overweight adults. A search was performed on the Medline (PubMed) and Scopus electronic databases using the search terms: ‘probiotics’, ‘Lactobacillus, ‘obesity’, ‘body weight changes’, ‘weight loss’, ‘overweight’, ‘abdominal obesity’, ‘body composition’, ‘body weight’, ‘body fat’ and ‘fat mass’. In the total were found 1567 articles, but only 14 were included in this systematic review. Of these nine showed decreased body weight and/or body fat, three did not find effect and two showed weight gain. Results suggest that the beneficial effects are strain dependent. It can highlight that Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus when combined with a hypocaloric diet, L. plantarum with Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei with phenolic compounds, and multiple species of Lactobacillus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nutrition Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    L Crovesy, M Ostrowski, E L Rosado & M Soares-Mota

  2. Library of Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    D M T P Ferreira

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  1. L Crovesy
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Correspondence to L Crovesy.

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Crovesy, L., Ostrowski, M., Ferreira, D. et al. Effect of Lactobacillus on body weight and body fat in overweight subjects: a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials. Int J Obes 41, 1607–1614 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.161

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