ArticlePhysical activity and nutrition2026
Effects of probiotics and synbiotics on body weight management in individuals with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Article in Physical activity and nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
purposeThis meta-analysis examined whether short-term probiotic/synbiotic supplementation reduces body weight, BMI, fat mass, body fat percentage, and lean body mass in adults with overweight or obesity.
methodsElectronic databases were searched for RCTs of probiotic or synbiotic interventions versus placebo. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool. Standardized mean differences (Hedges' g; RevMan 5.4) were pooled using a random-effects model on post-intervention endpoint values.
resultsTen RCTs (633 participants) were included. No significant differences were observed in body weight (9 studies, n = 592; SMD = -0.44; 95% CI: -0.92 to 0.04; I2 = 87%) or lean body mass (5 studies, n = 342; SMD = -0.14; 95% CI: -0.53 to 0.25; I2 = 69%). A significant reduction in BMI was identified (10 studies, n = 633; SMD = -0.50; 95% CI: -0.91 to -0.09; I2 = 84%), and a small but significant effect on fat mass/body fat percentage was observed (8 studies, n = 479; SMD = -0.34; 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.06; I2 = 57%). In sensitivity analyses excluding a study with pre-randomization baseline imbalance, the BMI effect attenuated to borderline significance (SMD = -0.45; p = 0.048) and the fat mass/body fat percentage effect lost statistical significance (SMD = -0.26; p = 0.060).
conclusionShort-term (8-12 weeks) probiotic/synbiotic supplementation may yield modest benefits on BMI and adiposity-related outcomes; however, sensitivity analyses indicated these effects were not robust to single-study exclusion. Body weight and lean body mass were not significantly affected. Use of post-intervention endpoint values (change-from-baseline scores were not consistently available) may have biased pooled estimates. Findings should be interpreted as preliminary.
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