A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Obesity has found that the probiotics strain Lactobacillus plantarum is associated with modest reductions in body weight among adults with a BMI of 25 or above. The team, led by researchers at Khyber Medical College in Pakistan, pooled data from 18 randomised controlled trials covering 1,310 participants. Across the pooled trials, the group taking Lactobacillus plantarum lost an average of 1.23 kg more than the comparison group, alongside a 0.28-unit reduction in BMI and a 1.36 cm reduction in waist circumference. The researchers also reported improvements in some liver enzyme markers. The review's authors describe the weight effect as modest rather than substantial, and note it sits alongside diet and activity as one of several factors studied, not a replacement for either.
Evidence quality varied by outcome
Using the GRADE system for rating evidence, the reviewers rated certainty as high for the weight-reduction finding but only moderate for BMI, waist circumference and fat mass, and low for changes in blood lipids and inflammation markers. The trials included showed moderate to high variation between studies (I-squared of 49% for the weight outcome), used different strains, doses and durations, and mostly ran for a few months rather than years. People with diabetes were excluded from the pooled trials, and the review does not say whether any weight change is maintained once supplementation stops.
What this means for your supplement routine
This review reports an association across a modest number of short trials, not a mechanism proven to work the same way for everyone who takes a probiotic. The effect sizes involved, just over a kilogram of body weight and around a centimetre of waist circumference on average, are small next to the variation between individual trials, and the researchers themselves call the result modest. Perqen's FAQs page sets out how the store describes its products and what it does and does not claim about them.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.