Detailed Introduction to Probiotics for Weight Loss
By: Iva Colter
Tags: Enzyme, Biology, Health

The concept of probiotics originated in Greek, meaning “good for life”. As early as in ancient times, humans’ ordinary diets are already rich in lactic acid fermentation foods. Probiotic products refer to live bacteria preparations and their metabolic products that promote the host’s microecological balance and exert beneficial effects to improve the health of the host.

The researchers pointed out that there is a huge but constantly changing group of microbes in the human body. Most of them live in the intestines, and most of the others live in the mouth, esophagus, stomach and upper respiratory tract. Researchers from the University of Washington and Stanford University have found at least 395 kinds of microorganisms in the intestines of three healthy people. These microorganisms also participate in digestion and produce energy. “Some people’s intestinal microbes provide energy more efficiently than others, and they are more likely to gain weight.” Gordon, the person in charge of this study, believes that the energy content of food is not a fixed value. A cup of 110-kcal beverage, its energy may be affected by the microbes in the intestines, some people will absorb all of it, others may absorb less. If there is a difference of 25 kilocalories between people’s daily energy intake and energy consumption, that year may increase or decrease by more than 2 pounds.

This work shows that trying to change the composition of the intestinal microorganisms may be a way to change body weight. One day, people can use probiotics or other microbial control strategies to reduce the efficiency of energy provided by intestinal microbes and help people regulate obesity. Similar research can also help millions of people around the world who do not eat enough or lose weight due to cancer or heart disease.

The formation of human fat is mainly formed by the decomposition of sugars and cholesterol. The human body colonizes the intestinal tract after ingesting Lactobacillus johnsonii, participates in digestion, absorption, and metabolism, and fully exerts the effect of reducing body fat and cholesterol.

1. Sugar-fat metabolism: Sugar is decomposed into citric acid, which is converted into coenzyme A under the action of citrate lyase, which directly leads to the conversion of sugar into fat accumulation in the body. Lactobacillus johnsonii reduces the secretion of citrate lyase, blocks the formation of fat and accelerates the oxidative metabolism of accumulated fat in the body.

2. Cholesterol-fat metabolism: The bile salts secreted by the liver and gallbladder are directly involved in the metabolism of fat, and the high water-soluble bile salts combine with cholesterol to form fat accumulation in the body. Slimming probiotics can promote the secretion of bile salt hydrolysate, make the bile salt lose water solubility to become low water-soluble bile salt, and combine with cholesterol to form a precipitate to be excreted from the body, block the formation of fat and reduce blood cholesterol content.

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation, which may damage health. The most common cause of the development of obesity is the imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. In this complex process, genetic susceptibility, environment and lifestyle are involved.

Recent studies have identified the intestinal flora as an environmental factor affecting systemic metabolism. They affect energy balance, inflammation and intestinal barrier function. Moreover, the gut microbiota can increase weight by integrating peripheral and central regulatory signals of food intake. The human intestinal flora represents a complex ecosystem, composed of trillions of microorganisms and thousands of bacterial species, which are deeply involved in different functions of host metabolism.

The intestinal microflora is closely related to obesity and metabolic disorders. They can regulate energy-extracting efficiency and increase energy storage and adiposity. They can also produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from indigestible polysaccharides to modulate energy intake and metabolism.

Preclinical evidence indicates that the benefits on body weight translate into favorable metabolic effects. The probiotic bacterial strains, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, have been consistently shown to affect glucose homeostasis. Several probiotic strains have been tested as agents with potential antidiabetic effects. Administration of Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus plantarum prevented the development of the high-fructose diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Because of this, specific probiotics for weight loss have been developed with the right strains. Creative Enzymes provides high-quality probiotic for academic and industrial use.