The Impact of Probiotic Supplementation on Weight and Body Composition in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Obesity as a complex disease significantly impacts life quality and expectancy in older adults. Managing obesity in older adults is particularly challenging. The use of probiotics has been recommended as a potential strategy for weight management. So, this study aims to review the effectiveness of probiotics on weight and body composition in older adults. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, to retrieve relevant publications up to May 2023. Eligibility criteria were applied to select clinical trials that reported the effects of probiotics on weight and body composition in older adults. Two independent investigators performed data extraction according to a pre-designed table and assessed the quality of the selected studies using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Results: A total of 705 records were found, and 12 articles were considered for the review. In four studies, the use of probiotics has been demonstrated to decrease on weight and body composition in older adults. However, due to the high diversity of bacterial species and multispecies probiotics used, it cannot be concluded which type of probiotics is recommended for managing obesity in older adults. Conclusions: While there is evidence suggesting that probiotics may have an impact on weight management, the effectiveness of probiotics on obesity in older adults is a more complex issue and influenced by various factors like aging, underlying diseases and lifestyle. More clinical studies are needed to determine the effective combination of probiotics for managing obesity in older adults.