--- title: Could Probiotics Be a New Strategy For Weight Loss? description: A multi-strain probiotic with Lactobacillus blended into a milk shake may protect against weight gain, according to a recent small study canonical: https://time.com/4132550/probiotics-weight-loss-lactobacillus/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-02T19:15:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T13:02:24.769Z article:section: Health og:title: Could Probiotics Be a New Strategy For Weight Loss? og:description: A multi-strain probiotic with Lactobacillus blended into a milk shake may protect against weight gain, according to a recent small study og:url: https://time.com/4132550/probiotics-weight-loss-lactobacillus/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt390aadd1359ccf0b/698778978e060173ca45993d/health-pills-5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock photos Health Pills og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Could Probiotics Be a New Strategy For Weight Loss? twitter:description: A multi-strain probiotic with Lactobacillus blended into a milk shake may protect against weight gain, according to a recent small study twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt390aadd1359ccf0b/698778978e060173ca45993d/health-pills-5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Could Probiotics Be a New Strategy For Weight Loss? > Sponsored content. 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Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Dec 2, 2015 7:15 PM UTC  Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Dec 2, 2015 7:15 PM UTC A probiotic blended into a milkshake may help protect against weight gain, according to a [small recent study](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21230/full) published in the journal _Obesity._ But first, some important caveats: the study tested a commercial product called VSL#3, and was funded by VSL Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The sample size was small. Still, the findings add to growing evidence that probiotics and the gut microbiome may play a role in weight loss. Past research has linked obesity and diabetes to imbalances in the microbiome, which is made up of trillions of bacteria living in the gut. What we eat can shift our bacterial communities for better or for worse, and probiotics (0ften called “good bacteria”) are being investigated for their potential to support beneficial colonies. In the new study, Virginia Tech researchers studied 20 healthy men who went on a high-fat and high calorie diet for four weeks. Some men also drank a milkshake that contained VSL#3, a probiotic with multiple strains of bacteria including _Lactobacillus acidophilus_ and _Bifidobacterium longum_, while others consumed a placebo milkshake. The researchers found that the men who consumed the probiotic mix had lower body mass gain and fat accumulation than those who didn’t. The researchers suggest that the probiotic supplement might work for a number of reasons, and though they cannot determine a mechanism from their findings, they have some ideas. Overeating can quickly change microbiome communities, which makes it harder for the body to absorb nutrients, they say. It’s possible that the VSL#3 helped alter the gut bacteria in way that influenced this system and led to less body fat accumulation. In addition, the researchers say that the probiotic may have reduced lipid absorption or impacted energy expenditure. The study is not the first to suggest a connection between probiotics and slimming down. Two strains of probiotics, _Lactobacillus_ and _Bifodobacterium_, have been highlighted as specifically beneficial to internal health. A [small 2014 study](http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FBJN%2FBJN111%5F08%2FS0007114513003875a.pdf&code=deb2ce171d5342b7329e7a33e0a9df0e) published in the _British Journal of Nutrition_, reported that overweight women consuming daily probiotics lost more weight that women taking placebo pills, though men did not experience the same benefit. (The study was sponsored by the Nestlé Research Center.) Other studies that are not industry-funded have also found benefits from probiotics, like [better blood pressure control](http://time.com/3013741/yogurt-probiotic-blood-pressure/) and [improved mood](http://time.com/3817375/probiotics-depression/). The science isn’t yet definitive, and researchers are still uncertain about the best ways to consume probiotics or how to ensure they make it all the way to your gut, but plenty of research into the microbiome is ongoing. [_Read more: You Asked: Should I Take Probiotics?_](http://time.com/3712403/probiotics-probiotic-supplements/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4132550/probiotics-weight-loss-lactobacillus/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4132550/probiotics-weight-loss-lactobacillus/"},"headline":"Could Probiotics Be a New Strategy For Weight Loss?","datePublished":"2015-12-02T19:15:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:02:24.769Z","description":"The research is still nascent, but a new study adds to a growing awareness that our bacterial communities may influence our weight","url":"https://time.com/4132550/probiotics-weight-loss-lactobacillus/","keywords":["Research","Weight loss","probiotics","microbiome","gut bacteria","lose weight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt390aadd1359ccf0b/698778978e060173ca45993d/health-pills-5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt390aadd1359ccf0b/698778978e060173ca45993d/health-pills-5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.com stock photos Health Pills","caption":"TIME.com stock photos Health Pills","creditText":"Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4132550/probiotics-weight-loss-lactobacillus/","name":"Could Probiotics Be a New Strategy For Weight Loss?"}}]}] ```