Do some people gain weight taking probiotics?
Yes. A group of studies found that certain probiotic strains may actually lead to weight gain, not loss. This may come as a shock to some because most advertisements for probiotics supplements will rave about their weight loss properties. The specific strand of probiotic that was shown to correlate with weight gain was the Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Take a look at the study here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882401012001106
Even though probiotics weight loss success is a mixed bag, it has a place and role to play in our gut microbiome. As humans that need to consume food for energy, we get some probiotics from the sustenance we eat. These microorganisms are found in fermented foods, cultured milk, and can be added to meals as gut health supplements.
The scoop on probiotic foods & microorganisms:
- Yogurt and/or kefir
- Traditional buttermilk
- Cheeses, Kombucha, Kimchi, Tempeh, Miso, Fermented Pickles etc.
If you aren’t familiar with these foods and don’t have a taste for them, consider different probiotic supplements as an alternative. Be warned, research shows that many probiotic supplement brands fail to adequately protect bacteria from human digestion. That is to say, bacteria in probiotic supplements do not reach the intestines in a usable state!
