A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on the patent-pending probiotic strain L. rhamnosus HA-114, marketed by supplier Lallemand, concluded that this form of beneficial bacteria may significantly improve weight loss efforts in people who are engaged in a calorie-reduced diet.
 
In the present study, which has been submitted but not yet published, Lallemand reports that among participants who were undergoing diet-induced weight loss, a group which received 10 billion CFUs of the probiotic strain had significantly-improved scores mood-related parameters relevant to dieting as measured by a series of questionnaires compared to the placebo group which engaged in dieting alone. This verifies that nutraceutical interventions acting upon the gut-brain axis could help to target weight loss benefits, Lallemand said, primarily when it comes to the impact that caloric restriction has on mood, which could make dieting easier.
 
In total, the 12-week diet study relied on 152 overweight but otherwise healthy adults who had begun a diet at baseline, whose BMI ranged between 27 and 39.9. Following 12 weeks of supplementation with the probiotic or the placebo, in conjunction with dieting, both the experimental and placebo group saw significant improvements in anthropometric measures, with an average weight loss of 3.96 kg, a BMI score reduction of 1.41, a 3.27 cm reduction in waist size, and a total loss of 310 grams of bodyfat.
 
While there were no significant differences between the experimental and placebo groups when it came to anthropometric measures, key differences in mood and behavior were observed in the group which supplemented with L. rhamnosus HA-114. As measured by one questionnaire, the experimental group reported a greater sense of self-control and hunger reduction compared to the placebo group. Another questionnaire found significant reductions in binge eating compared to the placebo group. In the Food Cravings Questionnaire, experimental participants had significantly improved control over eating, intention and planning to consume food, reductions in the intense desire to eat, reductions in anticipating positive reinforcement from eating, reductions in cravings, and reductions in the signals which trigger food cravings. Lastly, self-reported outcomes revealed that the experimental group had significantly better subjective measurements of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression.
 
“We are extremely excited about these new insights,” Morgane Maillard, marketing group manager at Lallemand Health Solutions, said. “L. rhamnosus HA-114 is an innovative strain that has shown its capacity to support weight management efforts in overweight adults undertaking a weight loss program. It will allow us to formulate unique probiotic solutions for our partners available in convenient galenic formats, such as caps, sachets, orodispersible stick, et cetera. Consumers are health-aware and looking for natural ways to take care of themselves, so the market opportunities are real. This study is paving the way to further investigation in the field of metabolic health, where there are abundant health applications.”

A probiotic which could facilitate adherence to a diet-based weight loss program could speak to a significant portion of consumers, Lallemand reports – according to their surveys, 45.7% of consumers state they are prone to self-defeating actions during weight loss such as enjoying treats and moments of indulgence, and 28.9% consumers on the whole report that they think their latest attempt to lose weight was unsuccessful.