There is growing evidence that this surprising supplement can safely help you to lose weight.
Recent research is suggesting that the gut microbiome beneficially affects everything from digestive heath to mental health. The latest science is suggesting that it can also help you attain a healthy weight.
Obesity is becoming a shocking health challenge. In 2020, 38% of the world was overweight or obese. That number is quickly ballooning.
The gut microbiota, the microorganisms, friendly and unfriendly, in your gut, is proving to play a role in managing weight. In overweight people, the gut microbiota is altered. So, could altering the gut microbiota improve weight management?
One way to beneficially affect your gut microbiota is by supplementing prebiotics. Prebiotics increase populations of good bacteria by feeding them while decreasing populations of the bad ones. Two of the most proven probiotics are inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). One good source of inulin and FOS is chicory root.
Several studies have demonstrated improvements in obesity with prebiotics. This systematic review and meta-analysis looked at the effect of prebiotic supplement from chicory root on body weight. It included 1,184 people from 32 studies.
It found that, compared to placebo, chicory derived prebiotics significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, total fat mass and waist circumference. When the prebiotics were taken for at least 8 weeks, they also significantly reduced body fat percentage.
Prebiotics probably work in a number of ways, including decreasing hunger, increasing feelings of fullness, increasing production of hormones that make you feel full and decreasing production of hormones that increase appetite.
This study adds to the evidence that prebiotics may be an additional strategy in the quest for healthy weight management.
Am J Clin Nutr. November 2024;120(5):1245-58.