This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Probiotics further increased weight loss in obese patients following Roux-en-Y surgery
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Administration of probiotics increased weight loss, improved bacterial overgrowth and vitamin B12 availability following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in morbidly obese patients.
“These data may provide further evidence that altering the gastrointestinal microbiota can influence weight loss,” researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine wrote.
The researchers enrolled 44 morbidly obese patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery during 2006 to 2007. Patients were randomly assigned to a probiotic group or placebo group; the probiotic group was administered 2.4 billion colonies of Lactobacillus daily postoperatively. Both groups received nutritional counseling, were offered support groups and were allowed to consume yogurt. All patients were assigned preoperative 2 g cefazolin and were instructed to take daily multivitamins, B12, 20 mg rabeprazole and ursodeoxycholic acid. Patients were followed-up at two weeks, six weeks, three months and six months.
The researchers found a significant increase in weight loss among the probiotic group vs. the placebo group at six weeks (29.9% vs. 25.5%; P=.0577) and at three months (47.68% vs. 38.55%; P=.0222). Although not statistically significant, this trend continued at six months (67.15% vs. 60.78%; P=.2730).
In addition, patients in the probiotic group had higher levels of vitamin B12 when compared with the placebo group at three months (1,214 vs. 811) and at six months (975 vs. 714).
A significant reduction was also found in bacteria overgrowth at six months in the probiotic group vs. the placebo group (32.13 vs. 0.80). Although no significant differences were found in the total sum of H2 measures preoperatively, patients in the probiotic group had greater reductions for all H2 measures after surgery.
Woodard G. J Gastro Sur. 2009; 13:1198–1204.