Belly fat is one of the biggest problems that people face today. Having an excessive amount of belly fat can not only make you look overweight, but it also can increase your risk for many health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
It can also be hidden fat. Someone of normal weight could still have a higher percentage of belly fat than what is considered healthy.
Belly fat is a different type of fat that’s more metabolically active than other types of fat. It produces inflammatory compounds that make us insulin resistant and inflamed.
Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce this kind of fat.
One promising new avenue of research regards the use of Bacillus spore probiotics like Megasporebiotic.
Strains in this product have been shown to improve metabolic markers like triglycerides (by as much as 25-38%) and an animal study showed potential to support liver health following injury (1; 2). Spores may also be able to protect against recurrent C. diff thanks to some of their “neighborhood watch” functions in the gut (3).
The strains in Megaspore have been shown to reduce toxins from a leaky gut by 42-78% in as little as 30 days (4), while also supporting the diversity of the gut microbiome, including key groups like Bifidobacteria.
Combining Bacillus spores with a prebiotic, like the xylooligosaccharides found in MegaPre leads to synergistic improvement in microbiome balance and increased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)(5).
When we consume prebiotics, our human digestive system is not equipped to handle them on our own. Instead, bacteria in our gut metabolize them and give us metabolic goodies in return. Some of the most important metabolites of a healthy gut include SCFAs.
These essential metabolites help sustain mucosal, microbiome, and metabolic health in a virtuous cycle.
It’s been estimated that up to 90% of all metabolites in the bloodstream at any given time come from healthy bacterial action in the gut!
The Microbiome Labs Metabolic Health Study
In a small clinical trial using two strains of Megasporebiotic, B. subtilis HU58, and B. coagulans SC-208, overweight adults took 3 billion CFU daily along with an XOS prebiotic found in MegaPre over 90 days. The placebo group included normal-weight participants.
Before and after DEXA scans evaluated body composition (belly fat percentage and lean body mass). While DEXA scans are mostly known for their use in testing bone mineral density, they have high accuracy in measuring body composition (body fat/lean muscle percentages) compared to other methods.
Blood samples were also used to measure genetic activity indicating gene activity (turned “on/off”).
The key findings support that 90-day prebiotic/probiotic supplementation may be associated with reduced inflammation from fat tissue, reduced systemic inflammation, and reduced chronic disease risk. The analysis included before/after DEXA scan and blood evidence of the “turning on” of protective genes.
Most surprisingly, the researchers observed up to a 35% reduction (P<0.02) in belly fat percentage using DEXA scan analysis even though the total weight was not statistically changed.
The small trial supports the notion that specific Bacillus probiotics and prebiotics such as those found in Megasporebiotic and MegaPre together may lead to improvements in metabolic health and chronic disease risk in as little as 90 days.
