Probiotics for Weight Loss

Probiotics are foods or supplements containing the helpful bacteria that normally inhabit the human digestive tract, where they assist in completing digestion. Although they are usually marketed to support health of the gastrointestinal tract, a recent study performed in Canada suggests that taking probiotics can help women lose weight. The researchers noted that the intestinal flora of obese individuals differs from that of thin people, possibly because diets high in fat and low in fiber promote certain bacteria at the expense of others. For this study, they recruited 125 overweight men and women for a 12-week weight loss diet, followed by 12 weeks of weight maintenance. Throughout the study, half the participants took two pills daily containing a strain of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus while the others received a placebo. The upshot: women in the probiotic group lost 9.7 pounds compared to only 5.7 pounds among the women on the placebo (the men in both groups lost the same amount of weight, which the researchers couldn’t explain). During the maintenance phase, the women who received the probiotics continued to lose weight for a total loss of 11.5 pounds. The researchers also measured a decrease in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin in women who took the probiotics as well as a decline in the concentration of the intestinal bacteria related to obesity.

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Sources:
Angelo Tremblay et al, “Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women”, British Journal of Nutrition, 2013; DOI: 10.1017/S0007114513003875


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Which Probiotics Could Help Type 2 Diabetes

By Deborah Mitchell G+

2014-02-08 07:20

Women who have type 2 diabetes and who are overweight could benefit from taking certain probiotics by losing unwanted pounds, according to a new study. The same success was not seen in men, however.
Most people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, and shedding those extra pounds can be a struggle. A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition reported that weight loss health seems to be available in the form of beneficial bacteria; specifically, the Lactobacillus rhamnosus group.
Read more about probiotics, diabetes, and obesity
L. rhamnosus is a probiotic commonly used in the making of yogurt and kefir, but it also is available in probiotic supplements. Numerous studies that have included L. rhamnosus have suggested this species of bacteria is helpful in the management of diarrhea, bacterial vaginosis, and gastroenteritis.
Now it’s been suggested the probiotic can help with weight loss. The suggestion comes from a research team at Universite Laval.
The 125 men and women in the study were overweight, but they were not identified as having type 2 diabetes. All the participants followed a 12-week weight-loss diet, which was followed by a 12-week period that focused on maintaining body weight.
Read about diabetes and obesity
During the entire 24 week study, half of the participants took oral probiotics (2 pills daily) while the other half took placebo. The authors hoped to identify whether taking L. rhamnosus could assist in restoring balance that supports healthy weight in the intestinal bacterial environment.
At the 12-week and 24-week evaluations, here’s what the authors observed:

• Women in the probiotic group lost an average of 9.7 pounds by week 12 compared with 5.7 pounds in the placebo group
• Men in the two groups did not show any significant weight loss by week 12. The reason for this lack of response was not identified
• During the second 12-week period, women in the probiotic group had continued to lose weight, for an average of 11.4 pounds overall.
• Weight for the women in the placebo group remained stable during the second 12-week period
• Therefore, women in the probiotics group lost twice as much weight as those in the placebo group by the end of the study
• Women in the probiotic group also showed a decline in leptin, a hormone involved with appetite regulation, and a drop in the concentration of gut bacteria associated with obesity

According to Professor Angelo Tremblay, who headed the study, use of probiotics may help prevent inflammation-causing molecules from entering the bloodstream, which in turn can help prevent the process that results in type 2 diabetes.
Read about blaming your spouse for type 2 diabetes
Previous research on the relationship between probiotics, obesity, and/or type 2 diabetes has provided mixed results. One study that involved overweight individuals found that the probiotic L. gasseri plus two other beneficial bacteria helped study participants lose a significant amount of weight and abdominal fat when compared with subjects who did not take the probiotics.
Another recent study, however, was not as promising. The clinical trial looked at the impact of probiotics on various biochemical factors in 34 patients with type 2 diabetes.
The participants consumed either a placebo or a probiotic product containing L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. bifidum, and L. casei daily for six weeks. At the end of the study, the authors did not see any significant changes in fasting blood sugar, fasting plasma insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol in either group, although probiotic users did show a “nonsignificant declining trend” in several factors.
Read about seaweeds that help type 2 diabetes
Currently there is a clinical trial currently underway in which the researchers hope to show a positive effect of probiotics on diabetes. According to an article in Trials, the researchers expect “that the probiotic product will induce beneficial changes in gut microbiota, reduce the systemic inflammatory state” and thus “reduce the systemic inflammatory response observed in T2DM [type 2 diabetes mellitus] subjects.”
Beneficial bacteria have demonstrated numerous benefits in several health categories. Evidence is now growing that probiotics may be helpful in managing factors associated with type 2 diabetes and so they may be worth adding to a type 2 diabetes or obesity treatment program.
Read about omega-3 and type 2 diabetes
References
Alokail MS et al. Effects of probiotics in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Trials 2013 Jul 4; 14:195
Mazloom Z et al. Effect of probiotics on lipid profile, glycemic control, insulin action, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a clinical trial. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences 2013 Mar; 38(1): 38-43
Sanchez M et al. Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women. British Journal of Nutrition 2013; DOI:10.1017/S0007114513003875
Photo: Pixabay

Hormon Leptin: Mekanisme dan Pengaruhnya

Posted on 22 June 2013 by fatimah210992

 

Sebagian besar manusia dapat mempertahankan berat tubuhnya dalam kurun waktu tertentu. Ada mekanisme keseimbangan energi dalam mempertahankan berat tubuh konstan tersebut, energi yang masuk harus setara dengan energi yang dikeluarkan. Ketika kesimbangan energi ini terganggu maka dapat menyebabkan berbagai masalah terkait berat seperti obesitas. Berat tubuh seseorang diatur oleh suatu sistem yang kompleks yang mencakup faktor utama maupun fakto r periferalnya. Ada dua hormon yang memiliki peranan penting dalam regulasi asupan makanan yaitu  leptin dan grelin. Kedua hormon ini memiliki jalur berbeda untuk menuju otak khususnya hipotalamus (Klok et al. 2006). Salah satu hormon yang berperan dalam regulasi penurunan berat badan adalah hormon leptin. Hormon tersebut diatur secara alami dalam mengontrol berat normal tubuh (Galland 2011).
Hormon leptin merupakan hormon yang disekresikan jaringan adiposa (Galland 2011). Selain di jaringan adiposa, leptin juga diproduksi di perut, mammary epithelium, plasenta dan jantung (Klok et al. 2006).

Hormon ini dapat menjadikan otak menangkap sinyal betapa banyak jumlah lemak di dalam tubuh. Hormon leptin diregulasikan dalam metabolisme pemecahan lemak. Peningkatan hormon leptin akan meningkatkan laju metabolisme ini dan laju metabolisme ini akan menurun jika jumlah leptin berkurang (Galland 2011).

Leptin membutuhkan reseptor leptin agar dapat bereaksi, LEPR. Gen LEPR berlokasi di kromosom 1 dengan 18 ekson dan 17 intron. Reseptor yang paling utama dan digunakan secara terus menerus adalah reseptor LEP-Rb. Reseptor tersebut diekspresikan di hipotalamus dan serebelum. Selain disitu, LEP-Rb juga diekspresikan di vaskulatur manusia, perut dan plasenta.

Leptin dikeluarkan ke dalam sitem sirkulasi oleh jaringan adiposa. Serum dan plasma leptin tertinggi terdapat pada orang yang memiliki BMI (Body mass index) tertinggi dan total persen lemak tubuh yang dimiliki. Leptin juga dapat menyebrangi Blood brain barrier (BBB) dan cairan cerebral spinal (CSF) yang juga dipengaruhi dari tingkat BMI. Setelah dikeluarkan oleh jaringan adiposa, leptin akan memberi sinyal ke otak dan memberikan informasi terkait status persediaan energi di dalam tubuh. Informasi ini yang dapat menyebabkan penurunan nafsu makan dan peningkatan pengeluaran energi dari lemak yang tersedia.

Kadar leptin di dalam tubuh dipengaruhi berbagai faktor. Faktor-faktor tersebut yaitu sediaan energi, asupan makanan, gender, umur, olahraga, serapan glukosa. Semakin besar energi yang disimpan semakin besar jumlah leptin yang dikeluarkan. Jumlah leptin pada wanita lebih tinggi dibandingkan pada pria. Pengaruh leptin juga semakin menurun ketika usia menua.

Studi regulasi leptin yang dilakukan pada tikus dan mencit menyebutkan setelah leptin dikeluarkan oleh jaringan adiposa ke aliran darah, leptin kemudian menyebrangi penghalang darah-otak (BBB) dan berikatan dengan reseptor leptin hipotalamik. Leptin yang terikat pada reseptor tersebut mempengaruhi aktivitas neuron hipotalamus dan ekspresi neuropeptida oreksigenik dan anoreksigenik.

Peptida oreksigenik dalam beberapa tingkat dipengaruhi grelin, termasuk neuropeptida Y (NPY), hormon konsentrasi melanin, AgRP, galanin, GALP. Hormon grelin di hipotalamus dapat menghambat kerja leptin. Peptida anoreksigenik, ekspresinya dikendalikan oleh leptin. Selain leptin, ada POMC, CART, neurotensin, CRH dan BDNF.

Perlakuan (treatment) leptin menghasilkan dalam jangka waktu panjang dapat menurunkan nafsu  makan, berat badan berkurang, aktivitas fisik meningkat, terjadi perubahan fungsi dan metabolisme endokrin .Pada jangka waktu pendek, leptin yang dihasilkan dari perut dapat mengontrol jumlah asupan makanan yang bisa diterima. Peranan leptin jangka pendek tersebut ditunjukkan oleh peptida usus yang menginduksi pelepasan gastric leptin. Sekresi gastrik leptin ini distimulus oleh insulin (Klok et al. 2006).

Fungsi hormon leptin yang dapat membantu menurunkan nafsu makan dan berat badan dimanfaatkan perusahaan obat dan kosmetik untuk melangsingkan tubuh. Sayangnya, fungsi hormon leptin dapat terganggu. Meskipun secara normal tubuh memproduksi leptin dan meregulasikannya untuk mempertahankan berat tubuh, terkadang, tubuh juga tidak dapat merespon perintah atau sinyal dari hormon ini (Galland 2011). Jika kondisinya seperti itu, maka tidak lain tubuh sudah resistan terhadap leptin (leptin resistance). Resisten leptin ini dapat menyebabkan terjadinya obesitas. Pengamatan pada penderita obesitas menunjukkan bahwa serum dan plasma leptin lebih rendah dibandingkan bukan penderita obesitas (Klok et al. 2006)

Resisten leptin ini terjadi disebabkan oleh pola hidup di zaman modern ini. Konsumsi junkfood, tidak pernah atau hanya sesekali olahraga, terlalu stres dan kurang tidur dapat menyebabkan tubuh resisten terhadap leptin. Sejumlah penelitian mengemukakan tidur malam sekitar 7-8 jam  rata-rata dapat menaikkan leptin namun jika kurang tidur, aktivitas leptin melambat sehingga tubuh mengalami peningkatan berat badan (Galland 2011). Pada tikus DIO, resisten leptin ini terjadi karena adanya aktivasi sinyal STAT3 oleh leptin periferal. Selain itu, situs resisten spesifik berkorelasi terhadap peningkatan SOCS3 di ARC ke inti hipotalamik. Ekspresi SOCS3 ini di ARC menyebabkan resisten leptin (Münzberg et al. 2005).