Plain capsules beside a bowl of high-fiber salad

Best Probiotic for Weight Loss: Compared (2026)

ByCraig Brockie Last updated

Best Probiotic for Weight Loss: Our Picks

No probiotic is a weight-loss treatment. In pooled trials, the average extra weight loss from probiotics is well under 1 kilogram (about 1 to 2 pounds), and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) calls the evidence inconsistent. If you still want to try one, pick the strain with the most human research for what you care about, and keep expectations small. Here is what that looks like:

  • Most studied for belly (visceral) fat: Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055, studied in fermented milk in Japan. We found no widely sold US supplement that names this strain.
  • Most studied in a capsule for body fat: Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis B420, sold as Metagenics UltraFlora Control and in New Chapter Daily Dual Biotic. Results were mixed.
  • Studied for keeping weight off after a diet: pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila, sold as The Akkermansia Company Healthy Weight with Glucose Control. The evidence is early and company-funded.
  • Studied in women during a diet: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724. We found no widely sold US product that names this strain.
  • Best starting point for most people: food first. More fiber and protein, plus fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir.

Ultimate Gut is published by Ultimate Health Solutions, which sells a yogurt maker, probiotic capsules and an inulin fiber supplement. None of the products reviewed here are ours, and these brands don’t pay us.

Probiotics for weight are sold as dietary supplements. The FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed, and the ODS weight-loss fact sheet notes that makers may not claim a supplement treats or prevents disease. This article is general information, not medical advice.

How Much Can a Probiotic Move the Scale?

Balanced plate of vegetables, lentils and yogurt

Not much, on average. A 2018 meta-analysis of 15 randomized trials (957 people with overweight or obesity, 3 to 12 weeks) found probiotics lowered body weight by 0.60 kg, BMI by 0.27 points and body fat percentage by 0.60 points more than placebo. The authors called these effects small, and the change in fat mass was not significant.

A larger 2019 meta-analysis in BMJ Open (105 trials, 6,826 people) found about 0.94 kg more weight loss in people with overweight, but not in people with obesity. Several authors worked for or received funding from Danone, a probiotic yogurt maker. The ODS also describes a meta-analysis of 19 trials that found a small drop in waist size (0.82 cm) and no effect on weight or BMI.

In other words, results depend on the strain, the dose, how long people took it, and who was studied. The ODS consumer fact sheet notes that some studies found no effect, and a few found weight gain. Claims such as “flat belly” or “fat burning” are not supported by human trials.

Probiotics for Weight Loss Compared

Product details come from each brand’s own product page or Supplement Facts panel, labels checked October 2026. Price per serving is shown only where the brand page lists both price and servings. Research notes cover the named strain, not the finished product.

PickStrain on labelAmount per servingMain human researchPrice per serving
Metagenics UltraFlora ControlBifidobacterium lactis B42010 billion CFU (113.1 mg), 1 capsuleOne 6-month trial, 225 adults; effect seen only in the per-protocol groupAbout $1.63 ($48.95 for 30)
New Chapter Daily Dual Biotic (formerly Weight Management Probiotic)Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis B42010 billion CFU, plus 100 mg inulin and 100 mg hibiscus and green coffee blend, 1 capsuleSame B420 trial; the inulin and herbs were not tested in itAbout $1.37 ($41.00 for 30)
The Akkermansia Company Healthy Weight with Glucose Control“Proprietary pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila blend” (no strain named)150 mg (30 billion TFU), plus green tea extract, chromium, vitamin D and riboflavin, 1 tabletTwo small trials; one 24-week trial of weight regain, 90 adultsAbout $2.33 ($69.95 for 30)
L. gasseri SBT2055Not found on a widely sold US labelTrials used fermented milkTwo Japanese trials, 87 and 210 adults, 12 weeksNot applicable
L. rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724Not found on a widely sold US labelTrial used capsules with inulin and oligofructoseOne 24-week trial, 125 adults; effect in women onlyNot applicable
Food firstLive cultures in yogurt and kefir; fiber and protein from whole foodsVariesDiet trials and large cohort studiesGrocery cost

CFU means colony-forming units, a count of live cells. More is not automatically better: the ODS says higher CFU counts alone do not mean greater benefit. The pasteurized Akkermansia product lists TFU (total fluorescent units) instead; pasteurized cells are not alive, so a live-cell count would not apply.

How Each Probiotic Stacks Up

Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055: most studied for belly fat, not sold here

In a 2010 trial, 87 Japanese adults with extra belly fat drank 200 g a day of fermented milk with or without SBT2055 for 12 weeks. In the probiotic group, visceral fat area fell 4.6% from baseline and body weight fell 1.1 kg (1.4%). These measures did not fall significantly in the control group.

A 2013 follow-up with 210 adults tested lower doses and found visceral fat dropped about 8% from baseline in both probiotic groups. The effect faded within 4 weeks of stopping. Both trials were run by researchers at Megmilk Snow Brand, the company that owns the strain, and both reported changes mostly against baseline.

The maker’s SBT2055 page says the strain is now classified as Lactobacillus paragasseri and describes yogurt and capsules for the Japanese market. We found no widely sold US supplement that names SBT2055. Other L. gasseri strains on US shelves are different strains, so these results do not carry over to them.

Metagenics UltraFlora Control (B420): the closest match to a published trial

In a 6-month trial, 225 adults with overweight or obesity took a placebo, the fiber polydextrose, B420 (10 billion CFU a day), or B420 plus polydextrose. In the main intention-to-treat analysis, no group differed from placebo in body fat mass.

Only among the 134 people who took at least 80% of their doses did B420 plus fiber show 4.5% less body fat (about 1.4 kg) than placebo. B420 alone showed 3.0% less, which was not significant. The B420 groups also ate less and had smaller waists. Most authors worked for DuPont, which owned the strain at the time.

Metagenics’ product page lists Bifidobacterium lactis B420 at 10 billion CFU per capsule, one capsule a day, no refrigeration needed. The brand says it tests to guarantee the label count through expiration, which is what the ODS suggests looking for. The dose matches the trial. The trial’s best result came with added polydextrose, which this capsule does not contain. The product showed as out of stock on the brand store when we checked.

New Chapter Daily Dual Biotic (B420): same strain, different formula

New Chapter’s product page says this product was formerly called Weight Management Probiotic. The label lists Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis B420 at 10 billion CFU, 100 mg inulin from Jerusalem artichoke, and a 100 mg blend of hibiscus and green coffee extracts. It is shelf-stable.

The strain and dose match the B420 trial, but the rest does not. The trial’s fiber was polydextrose, not inulin, and the herbal blend was not part of it. The page says the strains stay potent through expiry but does not give a count at expiration. In fairness, it is the lower-priced of the two B420 options per capsule.

The Akkermansia Company Healthy Weight with Glucose Control: newest, least proven

Akkermansia muciniphila is a gut bacterium found in lower amounts in some people with obesity. In a 2019 pilot trial, 32 adults with overweight or obesity and insulin resistance finished 3 months of daily live or pasteurized A. muciniphila. Pasteurized cells improved insulin sensitivity. Body weight fell 2.27 kg versus placebo, but that difference was not statistically significant.

A 2026 trial in Nature Medicine put 90 adults on an 8-week low-calorie diet and then gave pasteurized A. muciniphila MucT or placebo for 24 weeks. The probiotic group regained 1.2 kg on average, versus 3.2 kg on placebo. The authors call it short-term, and several are employees, founders or advisers of The Akkermansia Company.

The product page on Metagenics’ store lists a “proprietary pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila blend” at 150 mg (30 billion TFU), without naming MucT on the label. It also contains 200 mg green tea extract (100 mg EGCG) and 200 mcg chromium, so it is not the same as what was tested. The ODS links green tea extract with rare cases of liver damage and rates its weight effect as small. The brand says the product is not for anyone under 18.

Some other widely sold Akkermansia products contain live strains that were not used in these trials. Check the label for the strain name and whether the cells are live or pasteurized.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724: a result in women only

In a 24-week trial, 125 adults with obesity took two capsules a day of placebo or this strain (with inulin and oligofructose) during 12 weeks of moderate calorie cutting and 12 weeks of maintenance. Weight loss did not differ overall. Women taking the probiotic lost more weight than women on placebo, while men saw no benefit. One trial with a sex difference is a signal, not proof. We found no widely sold US product that names this strain.

Food first: fiber, protein and fermented foods

Diet changes have stronger evidence than any probiotic. In a 2019 analysis of 345 adults on calorie-reduced diets for 6 months, fiber intake was the strongest predictor of weight loss and of sticking to the diet. A meta-analysis of 24 trials (1,063 people) found that higher-protein, calorie-reduced diets led to 0.79 kg more weight loss and kept more lean mass than standard-protein diets.

For fermented foods, a study of 120,877 US adults found each added daily serving of yogurt was linked with 0.82 lb less weight gain over 4 years. That is an association, not proof of cause. In a 17-week Stanford trial (18 people per group), a diet high in fermented foods raised gut microbe diversity and lowered markers of inflammation; weight was not the focus.

Plain Greek yogurt covers protein and live cultures in one food. See Greek yogurt recipes for weight loss, our guide to fermented foods for gut health, and fiber supplements if food alone falls short.

Who Should Talk to a Doctor First

Probiotics have a long record of apparently safe use in healthy people, and side effects are usually minor, such as gas, according to the ODS. But NCCIH says the risk of harm is greater for people with severe illness or a weakened immune system, and advises talking with a health care provider before starting a probiotic.

  • Weakened immune system (for example, from chemotherapy or immune-suppressing drugs): rare bloodstream infections have been reported, per the ODS.
  • Critically ill or in intensive care, or with a central venous catheter: many reported fungal infections involved these patients, according to the ODS.
  • Pregnant or nursing: both New Chapter and The Akkermansia Company labels say to check with a professional first.
  • Taking medicines for diabetes, weight or other conditions: ask about combination products that add green tea extract, chromium or herbs.

NCCIH also advises against using a probiotic as a reason to put off seeing a provider about a health problem.

How We Compared

We compared only what manufacturers publish and what human research says about the named strains. We did not buy, take or analyze any product. Our criteria, in order:

  1. Human evidence for weight or body fat: randomized, placebo-controlled trials and meta-analyses, weighted by size, length and whether results held in the main analysis.
  2. Strain match: the label names the exact strain used in trials, not just the species.
  3. Dose and form match: the amount and the added ingredients compared with what was studied.
  4. Funding and independence: whether the strain owner ran or paid for the research.
  5. Label quality: a count stated at expiration, storage needs and safety warnings.
  6. Price per serving: only where the brand page lists price and servings.

Labels can tell you the strain, the amount and how to store the product. They cannot tell you whether the cells survive in your cupboard, whether a combination formula works like the single strain studied, or whether you will lose weight. The ODS suggests choosing products that list CFU at the end of shelf life. All labels were checked on brand pages in October 2026, and formulas can change.

Sources

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet, supplements or medication, especially if you have a health condition.

Craig Brockie is the founder of Ultimate Health Solutions, the company behind Ultimate Gut, and the author of Ultimate Health, The Ultimate Gut Health Guide and The Unlimited Probiotics Guide. After injuries and chronic health problems in his twenties that conventional care didn’t resolve, he began researching health on his own and has studied natural health for 30 years. He is not a medical professional, and his articles are general information, not medical advice.

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