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Project Probiotic

Study Aim

Several randomized controlled trials have suggested that probiotics can have a beneficial effect on aspects of metabolic syndrome including blood pressure, glucose metabolism and blood lipid profiles as well as improving inflammatory biomarkers. The metabolic syndrome and prediabetes are often precursors to other inflammatory diseases and affect about one third of adults in the US. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a probiotic supplement specifically formulated to contain strains previously correlated with improved features of metabolic syndrome would improve these parameters (high blood pressure, high glucose, high cholesterol, or large waist circumference) in people with metabolic syndrome.

Eligible Participants

  • Adults 18 years of age and older, in general good health
  • Having central obesity and at least one of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, or taking medications to control these conditions

Study Design

Thirty-nine participants were randomized to receive either a probiotic supplement or a placebo for 10 weeks. The probiotic supplement contained a proprietary blend of three probiotic strains chosen due to reports of beneficial effects on features of metabolic syndrome including improved blood sugar metabolism, weight loss, and improved blood lipid profiles. Participants were instructed to maintain their usual diet and physical activity routine. They attended 8 clinic visits to provide anthropometric data, blood, stool and urine samples for the analyses of metabolic syndrome parameters, inflammation, and microbiome composition. Participants also maintained dietary food records and completed questionnaires about gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life, and feelings of health and wellbeing, and performed a visual-cognitive test.

Conclusions

The finding showed that taking a probiotic supplement did not lead to an improvement in metabolic syndrome parameters, nor a decrease in inflammatory markers. However, a subset of participants in the probiotic group (probiotic responders) experienced lowered triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure. In contrast, the remaining participants in the probiotic group (non-responders), experienced increased levels of blood sugar and insulin, suggesting a detrimental effect.

Research