Three Ways Probiotics May Help with Weight Loss
Probiotics Help Cut Cravings Which Impacts Weight Loss
When you take probiotics they attack any yeast overgrowth, which is important because too much yeast often leads to more intense cravings for high sugar foods or processed carbs. Both of which can sabotage our efforts for weight loss. A yeast overgrowth happens if you've been on antibiotics or take a lot of ibuprofen or some prescription medications.
How can you tell if you have a yeast overgrowth? Signs could be sinus issues, athlete’s food, yeast infections or a white coating on the tongue to name a few (our nutritionists can help pinpoint more symptoms and reasons for an overgrowth). To combat this yeast imbalance, we recommend crowding out the yeast by incorporating probiotic supplements AND incorporating naturally- occurring probiotics into your diet. Good-quality sauerkraut, full-fat plain yogurt and kimchi are all great examples of probiotic high foods.
Think of it like this, when you start taking a supplement of bifidobacteria or another probiotic, over time, those probiotics will repopulate in your intestinal tract and start taking over that yeast overgrowth, so that your cravings go away.
Probiotics Help Healthy Digestion Which Impacts Weight Loss
Are you currently struggling with bloating, gas, fluid retention or any other digestive issue? If so, those are signs that your digestion is not working properly. That also means you’re not breaking down food efficiently. And if you're not breaking down food as your body was meant to, you're likely not getting all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that food should be supplying you. And this can hinder your metabolism. By taking probiotics daily, or eating foods that naturally contain probiotics, you are supporting your gut flora to help with your digestion and thus nourishing your body and metabolism.
Research Shows Probiotics Impact Weight Loss
A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that obese women who ate a lower calorie diet, then also supplemented with a probiotic, lost more weight than the obese women who were just taking a placebo. This study seems to show that probiotics can support metabolism. Additional research, presented at a European conference a couple of years ago, showed a similar result with obese children and adolescents. The children were put on a calorie-controlled diet, and then one group was also given a bifidobacteria supplement while the other group got a placebo. After eight weeks, they found that the children who had also taken the probiotics had a bigger reduction in their waist circumference, better overall BMI (body mass index) and improved insulin resistance than the placebo group.
It's all adding up to show that probiotics can be helpful with weight loss – not to mention better moods and better immune function. If you’re interested in incorporating a probiotic into your daily routine, check out this article – Which Probiotic Is Right For You? – that will help you pick out just the right one.
If you’re interested in digging deeper into your gut health, ramifications of poor gut health and the signs your body is sending you, please sign up for virtual or in-person nutrition counseling with one of the licensed nutritionists and dietitians at our sister company, Nutritional Weight & Wellness. They are here to help you tackle your health goals, from weight loss and beyond. For additional education, check out the online class Gut Reaction: An on-demand online class to restore digestive health.