Fragmented Lactobacillus may slash body fat: RCT
Data from a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial with 197 obese people indicated that participants receiving the fragmented CP1563 group lost about 0.4% body fat more than the control group, while whole body fat levels were also significantly lower.
Significant improvements in markers of lipid and glucose metabolism were also recorded, according to findings published in Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease.
“The daily consumption of beverages containing fragmented CP1563 for 12 weeks by obese class I subjects improves anthropometric measurements and markers related to lipid and glucose metabolism without any adverse effects,” wrote researchers from Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.
“Although further clinical trials and investigations of the mechanisms of action are needed, the results of the present study suggest that the consumption of foods containing fragmented CP1563 ameliorates obesity and prevents metabolic syndrome and complications.”
Mechanism
Commenting on the potential mode of action, the researchers note that earlier research from their team found that fragmented CP1563 was an agonist (something that binds to and activates a receptor) for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and gamma both in vitro and in vivo.
PPAR-alpha is plays a major role in the regulation of lipid metabolism in the liver, while PPAR-gamma plays a role in the regulation of fat storage and glucose metabolism.
The pharmaceutical industry offers various PPAR agonist compounds but these are reported to exhibit some side effects, whereas no adverse effects were reported for the fragmented CP1563 used in this study.
“Food-derived PPAR agonists, such as fragmented CP1563, are expected to be relatively safe compared with PPAR agonist drugs; and dietary approaches utilizing food ingredients with PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma dual-activating properties have become important for preventing metabolic disorders,” wrote the researchers.
Study details
The Japanese researchers recruited 200 people with a BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 (197 completed the study) and randomly assigned them to consume the test beverage with or without fragmented CP1563 (provided by Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd.) for 12 weeks.
Results showed that participants in the fragmented CP1563 group displayed significant reductions in body fat percentage, whole body fat, and visceral, compared with the placebo group.
In addition, CP1563 consumption was associated with significant reductions in levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, while diastolic blood pressure was also lower in the test group, compared with placebo.
Significant differences in blood sugar, insulin, insulin resistance (estimated using the homeostasis model; HOMA-IR), and uric acid were observed between the groups, said the researchers.
“In the present study, we did not investigate changes in the gut microbiota during the intervention period according to CP1563 treatment, although much attention has been paid to gut microbes,” wrote the researchers. “If changes in gut microbiota are related to obesity, then non-viable fragmented CP1563 might affect the composition.
“Indeed, in the case of L. gasseri CP2305, the consumption of beverages containing this strain led to some changes in the gut microbiota. Thus, an undefined component(s) of CP1563 might directly or indirectly influence the composition of the gut microbiota and subsequently improve glucose and fat metabolism. This possibility remains to be investigated.”
Source: Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease
2016, Volume 27, 30312. doi: 10.3402/mehd.v27.30312
“Effect of fragmented Lactobacillus amylovorus CP1563 on lipid metabolism in overweight and mildly obese individuals: a randomized controlled trial”
Authors: F. Nakamura et al.
