Before GLP-1s took over the weight loss scene, there were probiotic supplements. Probiotics have gained popularity for their potential health benefits, including improving digestion, heart health, and immunity. One area of interest is their use for weight loss. But do they actually work?
Understanding Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can support the helpful bacteria that live all over your body, including the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. According to Katherine Saunders, MD, an obesity medicine physician and co-founder of Intellihealth, good bacteria can support health and immune function by helping our body digest food, produce vitamins, break down and absorb medications, and prevent overgrowth of bad bacteria that can make us sick.
How Probiotics Might Aid Weight Loss
When you eat, your body breaks down food during the digestion process. Gut microbes then absorb nutrients and create compounds that stabilize blood sugar and trigger fullness cues, directly affecting appetite and food cravings, says Jennifer Bianchini, RD, a functional dietitian, mind-body wellness expert, and founder of Body to Soul Health. When digestion works properly this way, the ratio of good-to-bad gut bacteria is balanced. Probiotics “can make weight loss easier by improving the environment inside your body that controls how your body processes and makes energy from food, hormones, and overall metabolic regulation,” says Bianchini. However, it's crucial to understand that they are not a quick fix.
The Science Behind Probiotics and Weight Loss
In theory, probiotics could alter the microbiome in a positive way, however, studies have illustrated minimal, if any, weight loss,” Dr. Saunders says. More research is needed, but a 2024 review of six studies in Obesity Science and Practice looked at the use of probiotics for treating excess weight and obesity. It found that specifically Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and total body fat mass in the absence of dieting. This is likely because probiotics can help reduce bloating and inflammation, regulate blood sugar, and improve how the body uses and stores energy, says Bianchini. It’s important to remember, though, that it’s still not totally clear how probiotics impact weight loss.
Caroline Apovian, MD, the co-director of weight management and wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, adds that while it’s entirely possible that a probiotic-filled healthy gut could be more amenable to weight loss or weight maintenance, it also might be thanks to another kind of cause and effect. “It may certainly be that those people who eat healthy have healthier guts and not the other way around,” she says. “As far as which came first, the healthy diet or the healthy gut, it’s likely the healthy diet.”
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Choosing Probiotic Supplements for Weight Loss
Experts recommend eating foods high in probiotics before taking a supplement for weight loss, but supplements can help fill in the gaps and are the easier method. However, not all probiotic strains are created equal, and there’s not a general consensus on which ones might work best for weight loss results.
What we do know, though, is that a probiotic species known as Akkermansia muciniphila has been shown to regulate metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity, per a 2021 review of studies on the probiotic in Microorganisms. However, Bianchini says a broad-strain probiotic that contains a few of the most researched strains like lactobacillus gasseri, lactobacillus rhamnosus, and bifidibacterium can also be very beneficial in creating a healthy and diverse microbiome to support weight loss.
When shopping for probiotics to assist in your weight loss efforts, it’s important to look for one of the above strains. Also keep in mind that while they may be appropriate for general gut health support, most broad-spectrum probiotics don’t contain the exact strains that have been shown to be effective for weight loss. For example, a probiotic supplement may list Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the ingredient list. However, there are many types of L. rhamnosus, and only L. rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 has been shown to be effective for weight loss.
By looking at the label, it’s impossible to know whether the product in question contains the correct strain for weight loss.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Probiotic Supplement
When shopping for a probiotic to support your weight loss efforts, it’s important to consider several factors, including your dietary needs and the product’s probiotic strains, CFU count, storage requirements, third-party testing, and cost.
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The Clinical Guide to Probiotic Products is a handy reference that lists brand names of clinically tested probiotic strains and their proposed uses. You can check here for one that could assist with weight loss. It’s important to ensure it contains an effective dose of this strain. For example, Bifidobacterium lactis B-420 has been shown to be effective at a dose of 10 billion CFU per day.
Additionally, weight loss studies using a mix of Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL-60, Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL-21, Lactobacillus plantarum CUL-66, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CUL-34, and Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL-20 were effective at 50 billion CFU per day.
- CFU Count: Look for a product that has 100 million to 10 billion CFU, which is the minimum effective daily dose for probiotics.
- Storage: Probiotics may be shelf-stable (stored at room temperature), or they may require refrigeration. Choose a shelf-stable option if you travel often.
- Third-Party Testing: Because the FDA does not regulate supplements in the same way as pharmaceuticals, the best way to ensure the safety, purity, and potency of a probiotic supplement is to purchase a product that’s third-party tested by a credible organization. Some examples of third-party organizations to look for are: NSF International, USP, UL Solutions.
- Dietary Needs: If so, look for products that meet your specific dietary needs, such as vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, soy-free, or gluten-free.
- Cost: Probiotics can vary in price, so compare brands and buy based on what you can afford.
If your doctor gives you the go-ahead, look for a brand that’s third-party tested with the NSF-certified seal or USP-certified mark on the label, says Ehsani. That means it’s been tested to contain everything it says it does-and nothing that it doesn’t. In general, supplements aren’t required to go through rigorous testing; these labels indicate that these products have undergone a quality-control process.
The label will likely also mention CFU, which stands for colony-forming units, or the number of live, active bacteria in a probiotic, but you can generally ignore this number. “It’s more important to choose a probiotic with clinically studied strains and guaranteed live cultures, rather than just purchasing a high number of CFUs,” Bianchini says.
Risks and Side Effects of Probiotics
Probiotics are generally considered safe for healthy adults. However, using an inappropriate strain can upset the balance of your gut microbiome and may cause gastrointestinal side effects such as gas. In some cases, probiotics may be harmful, such as for those with suppressed immune systems.
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It’s generally safe for most people to take probiotics-but you could throw off the bacterial balance in your gut, which may lead to digestive issues such as gas, bloating, or an upset stomach, says Dr. Saunders. However, there are some people who should stay away from probiotics. “Anyone who has a compromised immune system or certain diseases (like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) may get sick from taking probiotics,” says Roxana Ehsani, RD, registered dietitian-nutritionist and board-certified sports dietitian. Those on antibiotics also may not benefit, as some antibiotics prevent probiotics from working well, she adds.
Who Should Avoid Probiotics?
- have autoimmune conditions
- have heart conditions
- have been diagnosed with HIV
- take immune-suppressing drugs
- are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation
- are pregnant or nursing
- have recently had surgery
As with any supplement, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional before adding a probiotic to your wellness routine.
How to Take Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements are usually taken once or twice per day or as directed by a healthcare professional. Supplements can be taken at any time of the day, but the best time is after a meal. This is because food helps neutralize the acidic environment of your stomach, allowing the probiotic bacteria to survive in your digestive tract. Just keep in mind that probiotics and antibiotics should be spaced at least 2 hours apart.
Garden of Life Probiotic Products
Garden of Life offers a variety of probiotic supplements, including:
- Dr. Formulated Triple Action Probiotics 30 Billion: Contains 30 Billion CFU of diverse strains per serving and a prebiotic blend to promote the growth of good bacteria. Also contains a postbiotic blend to support Bifidobacteria growth.
- Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily Women’s: Contains 50 Billion CFU of 16 diverse probiotic strains including L. reuteri and L. fermentum, clinically studied strains shown to support women’s health. Also includes a whole food prebiotic fiber blend.
- Raw Microbiome Ultimate Care: Contains 100 billion CFU per capsule and 34 raw clinically studied bacteria strains, including lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus paracasei and bifidobacterium lactis. The raw blend is made from naturally probiotic foods, including Bulgarian yoghurt and Eastern European wild kefir. Each pill also contains 45mg of raw Eastern European fruits and vegetables, including cherry, plum, carrot, red pepper and strawberry. It also contains added protease, a digestive enzyme that breaks down protein into amino acids.
Real-World Testing: Garden of Life Raw Microbiome Ultimate Care
One tester used Garden of Life raw microbiome ultimate care for a month and noticed some improvements in gut health. The first couple of days of raw microbiome ultimate care did leave our tester feeling a little gassy and bloated, but it soon passed when our system adjusted to taking such a potent probiotic. Within a week, we discovered we were less bloated than before taking the probiotics and reported that we became more regular and comfortable, despite usually having a sensitive stomach and not always eating the healthiest foods.