Probiotics and Weight Loss

There are no magic bullets when it comes to weight loss; however,  when organ systems are functioning optimally metabolism will stay strong!  In my clinical experience as a Naturopathic Physician I find the gut microbiome to be of significant importance to over all health!  Within our gut is an eco-system of “critters.”  They help us to digest, absorb and assimilate the nutrients from our food.  They help us as being a primary part of our immune system. They also make neurotransmitters that impact mental function.  This is why on our HCG Diet program we do recommend a high quality probiotic to enhance the “good gut bugs” and a specific formulation to ward off the “bad gut bugs.”  We look at our HCG Diet program as an opportunity to create a healthier microbiome!

Probiotics can Cut Cravings to help Weight Loss

When you take probiotics they can assist your body with yeast overgrowth in the gut.  This is important because too much yeast often leads to more intense cravings for high sugar/high carb foods.

HOW CAN YEAST OVERGROWTH HAPPEN?

A yeast overgrowth happens if you’ve used a lot of anti-biotics, Ibuprofen and some prescription medications. Signs of yeast overgrowth could be sinus issues, athlete’s food, yeast infections, sugar cravings, digestive issues or a white coating on the tongue (just to name a few)!  To combat this yeast imbalance, we recommend crowding out the yeast by incorporating high potency probiotics, as well as, incorporating naturally occurring probiotics into your diet. Good-quality sauerkraut and kimchi are all great examples of probiotic rich foods.

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 Impact Weight Loss According to Research

Recent research found in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that obese women on a lower calorie diet, who also supplemented with a probiotic, lost more weight than the obese women who were on a placebo. This study shows that probiotics can support metabolism. Additional research, showed a similar result with over-weight children and adolescents. The children were put on a calorie-controlled diet, and then one group was also given a probiotic supplement of bifidobacteria while the second group got a placebo. After eight weeks, the children who had also taken the probiotics had a bigger reduction in  BMI and waist circumference with improved insulin resistance.

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