The effect of probiotic use on body composition and some blood parameters for 8 weeks in overweight and obese women who follow a slimming diet

In this study, which was conducted to determine the effect of 8-week probiotic use on body composition and blood parameters in overweight and obese women who are on a weight loss diet, 34 women with a BMI value above and 25 kg/m2 participated. The individuals participating in the research were divided into two groups. For eight weeks, the first group (+PK) was given a weight loss diet program, exercise program and oral probiotic nutritional supplement containing various probiotic strains in the amount of 1.5x109 in each capsule twice a day; The second group (-PK) was given a weight loss diet program and an exercise program without probiotic supplementation. At the beginning of the study and during the follow-up (8 weeks), 24-hour food consumption was recorded for 3 consecutive days (one day on the weekend), anthropometric measurements of the individuals (height-baseline, body weight, waist, hip and neck circumference) and Bioelectricity measurements were made. Body composition was determined with the Impedance Analysis (BIA) device, BMI, waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR), waist height ratio were calculated. Biochemical parameters (fasting blood sugar, insulin level, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride etc.) were measured at the beginning of the study and at the end of the 8th week. At the beginning of the study, no significant difference was found between the anthropometric measurements of the +PK and -PK groups (p>0.05). When the anthropometric measurements of the women in both groups were evaluated statistically at the initial 4th and 8th weeks, a significant difference was found between body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist height ratio, body fat percentage, body fat mass measurements (p<0, 05); however, there was no significant difference between these values according to the probiotic usage status (p>0.05). At the beginning of the study, no significant difference was found between the +PK and -PK groups among the biochemical findings (p>0.05). Measured at the end of the study in both groups; Significant improvements were found in LDL-C, fasting insulin, AST and TSH values compared to the beginning of the study (p<0.05); however, the HOMA-IR value of only the +PK group was significantly lower at the end of the study than at the beginning of the study (p<0.05). Again, the HDL-C value of the individuals in this group was found to be significantly higher at the end of the study than at the beginning of the study. Balanced hypocaloric diet caused significant improvements in body weight loss, anthropometric measurements and blood parameters in +PK and -PK groups; however, it was observed that the use of probiotics did not have a different contribution on other parameters except HOMA-IR and HDL-C value. In order to more clearly determine the effect of probiotic supplementation in weight loss diets, the number of studies with longer-term probiotic use in larger samples should be increased.