Anthropometric study on the role of yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis in the prevention and treatment of obesity and related diseases
Anthropometric study on the role of yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis in the prevention and treatment of obesity and related diseases

Summary/Abstract: Objectives. The role of yogurt, respectively probiotics, in the treatment and prevention of obesity has been discussed. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (0.5% fat) in the treatment of patients with obesity. Material and methods. A total of 57 subjects with central type obesity (21 men and 36 women) were enrolled in the study. The baseline characteristics of the sample (average values) were the following: age – 46.2 years, body mass index (BMI) – 35.4, fat mass – 39.4%, visceral fat – 14.1, waist circumference – 109 cm, hip circumference –120.2, and sagittal diameter – 27 cm. All these obese patients underwent a dietary regimen, included 290g yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis for dinner during a 6-month period. The product consisted of proteins – 4.3g, carbohydrates (lactose) – 3.9g, fat – 0.5g, and 37 kilocalories per 100g product. At the beginning and at the end of the study, several anthropometric parameters have been measured using a bioimpedance device (Tanita 420). Results. The study demonstrated the decrease of BMI with 9.8%, of fat mass with 9.6%, of visceral fat with 14%, as well as a decrease in waist circumference by 11.9%, of hip circumference by 5.8%, and of sagittal diameter by 10.3%. Discussion: Probiotics are substances that regulate the normal intestinal flora, influence metabolism and have an effect on various diseases. Our studies were performed on the effect of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in obesity. The results indicated that the probiotics improved the impaired glucose and lipid metabolism. The probiotics affected the concentration of free radicals in the blood. Taken together, the results give a reason to assume that the effect of probiotics on oxidative stress in the mechanism of influence on the metabolism is important. Conclusion. The regular consumption of yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (0.5% fat) in the diet of obese patients leads to improvement of the studied anthropometric parameters as well as to significant decrease in the cardiovascular risk.

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