Most experts agree that the intestinal microbiome is highly important to normal digestion and immune function. They also agree that probiotics can help balance a healthy intestinal flora to promote these benefits.
But now evidence is accumulating to suggest that the health of the intestinal microbiome has an affect on other aspects of health and wellness, including the tendency to be either overweight or too thin.
Studies in animals and humans demonstrate that lean individuals have different types of, and more diversity in, their GI microflora than obese individuals. This suggests that supplementing with a high-quality probiotic might help support the effort to maintain a healthy weight.
Okay, so which probiotic do I take?
While it is true that taking a probiotic supplement has the potential to support weight management, it is also true that probiotics are not created equal. There are lot of options in the market. There’s also a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about what constitutes the ideal probiotic.
First, let’s look at some overall guidelines for choosing a probiotic supplement.
Are more live cells always better?
Many probiotic supplements on the market boast of having multiple strain combinations, but there is no clinical data that shows they work well together – not an optimal scenario.
On the other hand, Thorne’s FloraMend Prime Probiotic® contains a complementary combination of Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum, three powerful and proven probiotic strains that do have a strong history of compatibility and efficacy.
It is well known among microbiologists that higher strain counts do not necessarily translate to higher efficacy. Many manufacturers use a higher number of organisms because their products lack stability, both on the shelf and in the stomach.
Higher strain counts lose their significance when the bacteria are not viable and healthy, cannot survive well in stomach acid, or don’t colonize and replicate in the intestines.
Because FloraMend Prime Probiotic® offers a combination of strains that have been proven to maintain shelf life and viability when exposed to stomach acid, you can be assured you are getting the organisms necessary for a healthy balance of gut flora.
And one last fact about bacterial strains. It matters where they come from. In the scientific world, it is well known that probiotic strains that normally live in the human GI tract have longer survival rates and are more likely to thrive in the human intestinal tract.
On the other hand, bacteria derived from dairy sources and other sources are less likely to remain in the human intestinal tract and therefore provide only temporary benefit. FloraMend Prime Probiotic® utilizes three probiotic strains that show active colonization.
A refrigerated probiotic is better, right?
This is a common misconception. A probiotic is not better because it needs to be refrigerated. On the contrary. If your probiotic requires refrigeration, that is the first indication of its potential instability.
Lack of stability can quickly translate to lack of efficacy.
FloraMend Prime Probiotic® utilizes unique acid- and moisture-resistant capsules – which are chemical- and solvent-free – to ensure FloraMend delivers the number of organisms stated on the label, up to the date of expiration, not just at the time of manufacture.
That means it delivers five billion live cells of essential probiotic bacteria. Also, no refrigeration means greater convenience at home or while traveling.
FloraMend Prime Probiotic® and weight management
For the reasons described above, FloraMend Prime Probiotic® is your best choice for an all-around foundational probiotic. Plus, there is reason to believe that its probiotic strains are particularly well suited to support healthy body weight.
One of its three strains, Lactobacillus gasseri, is one of two bacterial species with both human and animal data that support a role in weight management.
A human study on Lactobacillus gasseri found an average 4.6% reduction in visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue with accompanying positive effects on body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index.1
The other two probiotic strains in FloraMend, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium bifidum, are dominant in the mucus membrane that lines the large intestine.
In addition to supporting maintenance of a normal pH, enhancing absorption of important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus,2 and supporting GI immune function and bowel regularity, healthy levels of Bifidobacterium might also provide protection against weight gain, particularly in childhood.3,4
FloraMend does it all
FloraMend Prime Probiotic® is dairy free, soy free, and gluten free. Like all Thorne products, it is made with the highest quality and purest possible ingredients. Whether you are looking for weight management support or just a way to support and promote good gut health in general, it’s the probiotic you can count on.
Try FloraMend Prime Probiotic® for yourself here. 
References
- Kadooka Y, Sato M, Imaizumi K, et al. Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010;64(6):636-643.
- Perez-Conesa D, Lopez G, Abellan P, Ros G. Bioavailability of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in rats fed probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic powder follow-up infant formulas and their effect on physiological and nutritional parameters. J Sci Food Agric 2006;86:2327-2336.
- Santacruz A, Marcos A, Warnberg J, et al. Interplay between weight loss and gut microbiota composition in overweight adolescents. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2009;17(10):1906-1915.
- Kalliomäki M, Collado M, Salminen S, Isolauri E. Early differences in fecal microbiota composition in children may predict overweight. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87(3):534-538.