Effects Of Lactobacillus Plantarum KABP-51 Probiotic On Body Composition, Microbiome And Mood In Healthy Overweight Adults

BACKGROUND: The epidemic of obesity has become one of the greatest public health challenges of the twenty-first century - and urgently requires new science-based solutions. Interestingly, individuals with overweight or obesity have been shown to have an altered microbiome profile, characterized by dysbiosis (imbalance), lower microbial diversity, and disturbed Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes phyla ratios. Such microbiome alterations may influence energy extraction from food, adipose tissue storage, and release of satiety hormones such as GLP-1 and PYY. PURPOSE: We evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with a specific probiotic strain (Lactobacillus plantarum KABP-51) on gut microbiome balance and body composition, as well as measures of psychological mood state, in a population of healthy moderately overweight subjects (average 37% body fat). METHODS: Sixty volunteers (49 women, 11 men) were supplemented for 90-days with probiotic (PRO; 1-billion cfu) or placebo (PL; maltodextrin) in a randomized double-blind manner. Subjects participated in weekly lifestyle education sessions, and were encouraged to follow a prudent diet/exercise/sleep regimen, but they were not actively encouraged to “diet” or to “workout” per se. RESULTS: Following supplementation, the PRO group experienced significantly greater improvements compared to PL (p < 0.05) on measures of body composition, including loss of body weight (-2%); body fat percentage (-3%); and waist circumference (-4%), while maintaining muscle mass. Microbiome balance was improved in PRO but not in PL, with notable changes in Lactobacillus (+20%) and Bifidobacterium species (+292%), as well as ratio of Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes phyla (-19.7%). In addition, subjects in the PRO group showed significant improvements in feelings of fatigue (-51%) and indices of depression (-54%), suggesting that this probiotic strain may enhance energy and mood levels. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that a specific “psychobiotic” strain of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum KABP-51) may be an effective way to enhance weight loss, while also helping users “feel better” with elevated energy and mood levels that may be helpful while they are embarking on a healthy lifestyle regimen.