Project Probiotic
The purpose of this study was to see how a probiotic supplement would affect the composition of your microbiota, your immune health, and the feelings of health and well-being.
Eligible Participants
Eligble participants in this study were required to meet the following criteria:
- 18 years and older, both men and women
- Have a BMI of <40
- Have some of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high glucose, high cholesterol, or large waist circumference, but otherwise in good health (we will screen you for these)
- Do not currently suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or IBS
Study Design
Participation in this study required:
- Attending 8 clinic visits over an 18-week period (30 minutes each).
- Maintaining dietary food records throughout the study.
- Providing blood, stool, and urine samples, and complete questionnaires asking about feelings of health and wellbeing.
- Taking a probiotic supplement or a placebo (as determined by randomization) for 10 weeks.
Upon completion, participants received:
- Results of the blood analyses
- A “map” of your microbiota composition
Conclusions
In this study, we did not observe any improvement in metabolic syndrome parameters, nor a decrease in inflammatory markers with consumption of a probiotic supplement for 18 weeks. However, we observed lowered triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure in a subset of participants in the probiotic group (probiotic responders). In the remaining participants in the probiotic group (non-responders), we observed higher levels of blood glucose and insulin, suggesting a detrimental effect.
The study results were published in the journal Gut Microbes (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36803658/) in January, 2023.
