Effect of Bifidobacterium Intake on Body Weight and Body Fat in Overweight and Obese Adult Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of Bifidobacterium genus probiotics on body weight and body composition parameters in overweight and obese individuals.

A systematic search for randomized controlled trials was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and Google Scholar databases until April 17, 2023. The inclusion criteria required the trials to involve Bifidobacterium genus probiotics interventions and the evaluation of obesity-related anthropometric and body composition outcomes in overweight or obese subjects. Studies were excluded when involving obese individuals with genetic syndromes or pregnant women, as well as probiotic mixture interventions. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was utilized to assess the quality of the included studies. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using the mean difference between endpoint measurements and change from baseline for body mass index, body weight, body fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and visceral fat area.

From 1,527 retrieved reports, 11 studies (911 subjects) were included in this review. Bifidobacterium probiotics administration resulted in significant reductions in body fat mass (MD = −0.64 kg, 95% CI: −1.09, −0.18, p = 0.006), body fat percentage (MD = −0.64%, 95% CI: −1.18, −0.11, p = 0.02), waist circumference (MD = −1.39 cm, 95% CI: −1.99, −0.79, p < 0.00001), and visceral fat area (MD = −4.38 cm², 95% CI: −7.24, −1.52, p = 0.003). No significant differences were observed for body mass index, body weight, or waist-to-hip ratio.

This systematic review suggests that Bifidobacterium genus probiotics may contribute to managing overweight and obesity by reducing body fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and visceral fat area. Further research is required to understand strain and species interactions, optimal dosages, and effective delivery methods for probiotics in obesity management. This review was pre-registered under the PROSPERO record CRD42022370057.

KEY TEACHING POINTS

• Probiotics from the Bifidobacterium genus show promise in reducing body fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and visceral fat area in overweight and obese adults.

• Further research is needed to identify the most effective species and strains within the Bifidobacterium genus for achieving these outcomes.

• There is an urgent need to determine the best probiotic delivery vehicle among enriched foods, capsules, or powders.

• More randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine optimal probiotic doses and intervention durations.

Keywords:

• Obesity
• overweight
• probiotics
• Bifidobacterium

Disclosure statement

The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.