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You may have heard it called Meno Belly or the middle-age spread. If you’re a woman over 40, you know firsthand that midlife weight gain is no joke. One minute your body is tight and fit, next thing you know, you eat like you always have but your tummy grows and your muscle tone softens up.
And worse, taking back control of your body seems to be a losing battle. If a daily jog has kept you trim for years, your declining metabolism has rendered it ineffective. It’s frustrating.
It’s no surprise there are thousands of belly fat and weight-loss products and solutions targeting women in their 40s to 60s…
How will you know where to start?
Don’t fret. In this article, we’ll examine the options we have to combat midlife weight gain and things to look out for, as well as our top product recommendations to achieve your 2024 belly and weight goals.
If you take probiotics regularly, you can expect some results to begin in about a month. It may take longer for you to have noticeable weight loss as it takes a while for your guts microbiome to balance.
Sometimes, the supplements are made poorly, the dosage is too low, or they may be stored incorrectly. This keeps the probiotic from working as well. You should pick your supplements carefully to avoid slower results.
Here is a general indication of results you can expect:
Month 1: You may notice an improvement in unwanted stomach issues, like diarrhea or bloating. You may experience greater regularity and better sleep too.
Month 2: At this point, you may start to lose some weight. It is not uncommon to see between 2-8 lbs of weight loss in the second month, but this may differ for every person. You may also experience lower inflammation levels.
Other factors that may also affect weight loss include genetics, diet, stress levels, and physical activity.
Month 3: Modest amounts of weight loss start to happen for the majority of people in the 3rd month.
People tend to think that weight loss can happen quickly, but just like weight gain happens over time, weight loss is the same. Combined with less bloating, you may see a flatter tummy and be able to fit into clothes that didn’t fit anymore previously.
Overall, your fat stores on your body may start to melt away. This means your hips, thighs, and other problem areas may become smaller.
Tip 1: Take your probiotic for at least 3 months to see significant results. It may take that long for your metabolism to speed up and affect your fat stores.
Tip 2: Take a prebiotic for faster results. Probiotics use prebiotics for fuel to multiply quickly.
Tip 3: Engage in some form of physical activity daily. This means taking a walk or stroll in the park, working in the garden, or window shopping – for at least 30 minutes a day. You don’t have to hit the gym to lose weight.
With hundreds of probiotic supplements out there… How will you know what to pick?
Thankfully, we’ve done the legwork for you.
First, we analyzed a systematic review of 2437full-text articles, including data from 65 randomized clinical trials of 14 popular probiotics marketed for weight management published in the PubMed database. In addition, we examined 12 other clinical studies published on general probiotics in the market today.
Here are the main probiotic strains that have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting belly fat management and weight loss.
Some probiotic strains help people lose weight faster than others. L. Gasseri prevents your body from accumulating fat, so you’re not gaining weight as easily.
L. Gasseri can even help target that stubborn belly area. In a study where participants changed nothing else besides taking L. Gasseri supplements for 12 weeks, they saw a noticeable difference in weight along with waist and hip size.
You can take B.Lactis supplements to help lower your body mass index (BMI). If you’re looking to slim up for bathing suit weather, this strain of probiotic may help you shed that lower belly fat.
As women near menopause, they may start to notice those extra pounds around the waist. Often called the “spare tire”, B. Lactis subsp. Animalis can help shrink your hip and waist. This strain may help curb cravings by suppressing your appetite and increasing feelings of fullness.
B. Breve can do it all. It may lower body weight, while improving cholesterol and blood sugar levels. This strain of probiotic may help your body use cholesterol faster, bringing your levels down quickly. In a recent study, participants who took B.Breve lost an average of 0.7 kg over 12 weeks.
The research for L fermentum isn’t as clear. Some studies have linked it to weight gain, while others have linked it to weight loss. If you’re not sure if a probiotic can cause weight gain, it’s best to avoid adding it as a daily supplement. If it does cause weight gain, you’re at risk of gaining weight faster if you’re close to menopause.
Some strains of yoghurt have probiotics, which is great for weight loss and digestive health.
But, it matters what type of yoghourt you’re eating. If your yoghourt is loaded with sugar, you can start to pack on those pounds.
Make sure you’re choosing plain yoghurt or greek yoghurt. Any flavoured yoghurts, like strawberry or banana, usually have a higher sugar content. If plain yoghurt is too bland, you can add fruit to sweeten it.
As supplements can be sold without approval by FDA, reliable supplement manufacturers get third-party certifications to distinguish their products as trustworthy. These certifications verify the ingredients and quantities claimed on the product label, and that the product meets stringent manufacturing and performance standards. Established certifications to look out for include GMP, USP, NSF, Certified Organic, Non-GMO certified, etc.
Supplements that can’t be absorbed by the body are essentially ineffective. Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of this, allowing manufacturers to get away with cheaply-made supplements with low bioavailability. Your selection process should consider supplements with ingredients that enhance absorption. Also, look for high-quality capsules that break down at the right time for nutrients to be fully absorbed.
Clinical trials help substantiate the efficacy of ingredients through proper tests. Look for a supplement with clinically-tested ingredients for real benefits, and avoid those based on anecdotal evidence. Even better if there are multiple studies backing the product. We based our top 5 weight management supplements on clinically studied ingredients supported by a solid body of evidence.
Sadly, according to the New York Times,14 one in four products sold on Amazon is fake. This is especially true of nutritional supplements. When buying from Amazon, ensure you do so from the brand’s Amazon store. Otherwise, purchase directly from the brand’s official website. Consuming fraudulent products may cause nasty side effects — so be extra cautious.
All supplements made in the USA are under FDA regulation. The same applies for Canada and Australia. Ensure products you buy come from FDA/TGA-registered facilities using GMP certified manufacturing processes. Many supplements, especially those purchased on eBay and Amazon are manufactured abroad, with little to no regulation. One study looked at 44 herbal supplements sold in North America and found 60% do not contain the ingredients or quantities claimed on the labels15.
A risk-free guarantee lets you try supplements without fear of losing your money. If you try the product and don’t experience results, simply contact the manufacturer for a refund. A 60- or 90-day guarantee is the minimum a manufacturer should have as a show of confidence in their products. Also, avoid companies that make you jump through hoops. One common strategy that companies use is “bottle return” – they require you pay for return shipping and return the empty bottles before they process your refund.
Many women over 40 gain weight easily because estrogen levels decline as we enter the early stages of menopause and start experiencing “the change”.
Estrogen regulates the way our body distributes and stores fat. When estrogen levels are low, more fats are stored in the belly area and we gain weight more easily.
Provitalize is the only probiotic formula with weight management properties that addresses multiple aspects of estrogen decline, namely:
Provitalize contains L. Gasseri SBT2055, a probiotic strain clinically studied thrice. Participants saw a reduction in abdominal visceral fats by up to 4.6%15 and 8.5%16 respectively.
But more importantly, L. Gasseri SBT2055 works by blocking fat absorption and promoting fat excretion through the feces17 naturally. It creates a fat deficit, enabling your body to convert more stored fats for energy.
Provitalize also contains two other clinically studied probiotic strains (B. Breve IDCC4401 and B. Lactis R101-8) that stimulate cholesterol and saturated fat metabolism18,19. B. Breve IDCC4401 was also found to lower total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels.
Finally, B. Lactis R101-8 was also found to improve two inflammatory markers19 and Provitalize also contains superherbs with anti-inflammatory properties – 350mg of curcumin (turmeric) and moringa leaves.
To top it off, the same herbs are also phytoestrogens – curcumin and moringa leaves – which help to promote hormonal balance and supplement the estrogen decline.
The probiotics in Provitalize help to improve gut health and address gut dysbiosis, enabling the gut to regulate estrogen levels in our body and support hormonal balance naturally.
Provitalize has also been formulated with absorption (or bioavailability) in mind. It contains BioPerine® (black pepper extract) and sunflower lecithin which are shown to enhance absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial properties of herbal formulas.
Finally, these ingredients are encapsulated in DRcaps® capsules, a patented and costly type of delayed-release capsule that protects the ingredients from stomach acid and ensures their smooth passage into our gut where they are most effective.
According to their official website, over 1,200,000 women have shed the stubborn weight with just two capsules a day. The tens of thousands of glowing reviews on TrustPilot, Amazon, and Okendo are undeniable proof that Provitalize is worthy of our top spot.
Want faster visible weight results from Provitalize? Then the Slim Gut Bundle is for you.
This holistic bundle combines the weight-management powers of Provitalize with ‘super fiber’ prebiotics in Previtalize.
The probiotics in Provitalize feed on these ‘super fibers’ to multiply faster and survive longer in the gut. This means women can see faster visible results such as reduction of belly fat & cravings.
These healthy fibers include fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and inulin. Previtalize also aids digestion and stabilizes mood naturally.
Slim Gut also contains burdock root, an anti-inflammatory herb that can help to alleviate joint pains.
We listed the Slim Gut Bundle 2nd only because it costs more than Provitalize alone. Other than that, we believe it’s the best-value-for-money bundle in the market right now.
We like this supplement because it has caffeine-free green tea, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper extract, and some of the probiotic strains that can help you lose weight.
Thin 30 Probiotic has 6 probiotic strains, but less units of each probiotic. So, it may work slower than the other supplements on this list.
It also has L. Acidophilus, one of the probiotics that may cause weight gain.
Another potential drawback is that it has a proprietary formula, so the make-up of its herbs, prebiotics, and probiotics are not known. We recommend monitoring your health closely if you choose to take this probiotic in case of side effects.
Each serving of Amare GBX Fit™ (1 capsule) contains 309mg of their proprietary blend of quad-biotics (orange peel extract, acacia gum fiber, lactobacillus plantarum DR7™, bifidobacterium lactis BPL1™). The rest of the ingredients include microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable juice and bamboo leaf extract.
The ingredients are natural, safe and minimal, which we like. However, we’d love it if they broke their proprietary blend down even more, so consumers know how much of each ingredient they’re getting in each capsule.
The formula features Serenzo™, the trademarked orange peel extract, that supposedly helps with stress and mood changes. It also features Inavea, a trademarked prebiotic fibers studied to help with constipation. The studies for both of these trademarked ingredients are unpublished, so we did not link them in our review.
They do include a probiotic Lactobacillus. Planetarium DR7, which is studied to benefit gut health. However, without including the CFU’s, a measure of how much colony forming units of probiotics is contained within a serving, we’re unsure of it’s effectiveness as a probiotic.
Now, the only ingredient that may help with weight loss in their formula is the postbiotic Bifidobacterium.Lactis BPL1™, which may reduce fat deposition around the waistline.
All in all, Amare GBX Fit™ seems like a decent choice for a weight loss probiotic. However, the lack of information regarding their blend of ingredients, plus the fact that there’s only 1 ingredient (B.Lactis BPL1™) in their blend that’s clinically proven to help with weight management, is why we put them at their current spot in the rankings.
60 Billion Probiotic is not a probiotic formulated for weight management, but it does pack an impressive probiotic and prebiotic blend.
It contains a 60 billion CFU blend of 10 different probiotic strains including B. breve and B. lactis.
The downside is that it also contains L. acidophilus, which has been connected to weight gain. Since it has proprietary formula and the strain # of the probiotic strains are not revealed in public, we cannot ascertain if it’ll cause weight gain.
Women can gain weight and belly fats more easily after 40 due to multiple reasons.
While lower estrogen levels could be the root cause, the intermediate concerns are inflammation, leaky gut, and lower metabolism.
We recommend looking for a probiotic that can address all three.
Individual results vary, but according to our research, people supporting diet and exercise efforts may shed an additional 5-10% of weight with the supplements listed in this article.
In combination with a good diet and regular exercise, the right probioticcan enhance your efforts to eliminate stubborn belly fat. One study published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Nutrition, found that participants consuming Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 reduced abdominal fat (visceral fat) by up 8.5% over 12 weeks13.
Generally speaking, all of the weight management probiotics supplements listed in this article are considered safe. If you have any health concerns consult your physician before buying.
A study published in Today’s Annals of Internal Medicine suggests aiming to eat 30 grams of fiber each day can help you lose weight16”. Prebiotic fibers have also been shown to ease cravings, balance moods and enhance the effects of probiotics.
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