Effects of Bifidobacterium breve B-3 on body fat reductions in pre-obese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

• Published in: Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health Food and Health, 2018, Vol.37(3), pp.67-75
• Main Authors: MINAMI, Junichi, IWABUCHI, Noriyuki, TANAKA, Miyuki, YAMAUCHI, Koji, XIAO, Jin-zhong, ABE, Fumiaki, SAKANE, Naoki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Bifidobacterium breve; Body fat; body fat reduction; Body mass; Cholesterol; Double-blind studies; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; High density lipoprotein; High fat diet; Intestinal microflora; Microbiota; Obesity; pre-obese; Probiotics; Randomization; randomized controlled trial
• ISSN: 2186-3342; 2186-6953; 2186-3342
• DOI: 10.12938/bmfh.18-001

Accumulating evidence suggests a relationship between the gut microbiota and the development of obesity, indicating the potential of probiotics as a therapeutic approach. Bifidobacterium breve B-3 has been shown to exert anti-obesity effects in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. In the present study, the anti-obesity effects of the consumption of B. breve B-3 by healthy pre-obese (25 ≤ BMI < 30) adults were investigated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (trial registration: UMIN-CTR No. 000023919; preregistered on September 2, 2016). Eighty participants were randomized to receive placebo or B. breve B-3 capsules (2 × 1010 CFU/day) daily for 12 weeks. The visceral fat area significantly increased at weeks 4 and 8 in the placebo group only; no significant change was observed in the B-3 group. Body fat mass and percent body fat were significantly lower in the B-3 group than in the placebo group at weeks 8 and 12 (p