Probiotic Intervention in People Living with Obesity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the effects of a 12-week probiotic intervention on glycaemic variability, visceral fat and appetite in people living with obesity and pre-diabetes or diabetes mellitus.
IRAS ID
327527
Contact name
Anjali Zalin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Symprove and Metabolic Obesity Bariatric Healthcare Ltd
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Gut microbiome is the collection of microbes, their genes and products of metabolism present in our body since birth and are determined by intrauterine environment, post-natal health, mode of delivery, breast-feeding or bottle feeding, post-natal health, sleep deprivation and sedentary behaviour.
The intestinal microbiota contain more than 1000 species. These affect physiology, metabolism, immunology and nervous system functions in the body. Changes in this gut microbiome are associated with the development of many diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, allergies, asthma, atopy, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases and bowel disorders.
Probiotic supplementation in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases has resulted in promising results. It has also resulted in improved blood glucose levels but more studies are needed. This is in sync with age old beliefs in different cultures that fermented foods are excellent for health.
We plan to recruit people with prediabetes(30) and diabetes (30); provide Symprove, a probiotic supplement for 12 weeks.
Before beginning the supplement, we will document their baseline blood pressure, weight, height, waist to hip ratio, body/visceral fat composition (by a body composition monitor) and metabolic rate and fat utilisation (by an E-cal monitor) and also do a blood test for fasting blood glucose fasting serum insulin, HbA1c, fasting lipid profile . We will also screen for binge eating. We will ask these patients to keep questionnaires (food frequency, quality of life and appetite). We will also ask if they are happy to have a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) sensor attached under the skin to check glucose variability.
Then we will ask them to take the probiotic supplement daily and follow them up with the same measurements and tests after 6 and 12 weeks. We will compile and analyse the data to see the difference in the variables that we measured.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/NW/0053
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion