Effect of Intake of Bifidobacteria and Dietary Fiber on Resting Energy Expenditure: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Comparison Study.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
PubMed 39064788 · doi:10.3390/nu16142345
What was done
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study evaluated 44 overweight or mildly obese Japanese adults receiving either a synbiotic intervention (1 × 10¹⁰ CFU of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 and 5.0 g inulin daily) or a placebo for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was resting energy expenditure (REE) at week 4. Fecal bifidobacteria counts were also measured.
What was found
At week 4, the REE in the GCL2505 plus inulin group was significantly higher than in the placebo group, showing a between-group difference of 84.4 kcal/day. Fecal bifidobacteria counts were also significantly elevated in the intervention group.
Why it matters
This provides initial human evidence that modulating gut microbiota via a specific probiotic strain and prebiotic fiber may modestly increase resting metabolic rate, supporting proposed mechanisms for synbiotic-driven visceral fat reduction.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 44), the intervention duration was brief (4 weeks), and the study population was limited to Japanese adults. The abstract does not provide exact p-values, confidence intervals, dietary intake controls, or data on whether the increased REE translated into actual weight or fat loss over time.
Cited by
- partial A reduction in gut Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria species is associated with increased weight and a reduction in basal metabolic rate.