Dive Brief:

• DuPont has unveiled a probiotic formula for use in supplements that can reduce waist circumference in overweight adults, according to Nutrition Insight.

• The formula, called HOWARU Shape, contains a high level of Bifidobacterium lactis B420 and is said to reduce waist circumference by up to one inch over six months, according to company trials. In combination with one of its prebiotic ingredients, Litesse Ultra, DuPont said it also reduced body mass and trunk fat.

• “In 2016, the global weight loss supplement market was an almost $5 billion category and growing, and we know these consumers are not just interested in dieting, they want overall health and wellness, which includes looking good,” said Anders Gron Norager, Director, Global Probiotics at DuPont.

Dive Insight:

Gut bacteria has been linked to obesity, so some theorize by changing the composition of gut bacteria to reflect those of a healthy person, weight loss will follow. There’s a leap in that logic, however, as it is still not clear whether gut bacteria actually causes obesity.

Scientific reviews have found mixed results.

In 2015, researchers found only four well-conducted studies into the effects of probiotics on weight loss, and concluded they were ineffective. However, another review conducted last year looked at 25 randomized human trials and concluded probiotics may have a small effect on body weight and BMI after all. The weight loss was minimal, but the researchers concluded that over a population, even a small average loss could have an enormous public health benefit in terms of reduced blood pressure and likelihood of type 2 diabetes.

The science is ongoing as researchers continue to look at different strains, whether they affect different people equally, and for ways to ensure probiotics are not destroyed in the digestive system before they reach the gut.

Probiotic ingredients are big business in the United States, worth about $36.6 billion in 2015, with the vast majority sold in the form of functional foods and beverages, according to Global Market Insights. However, there also is growing interest in probiotic supplements, and they have been hailed as a solution to everything from digestive problems to acne and depression.

These purported health benefits are strain-specific — meaning consumers need to know exactly what they are taking — but with increasing acceptance of probiotics in supplement form, a weight loss application seems like a good bet. The North American market for weight loss and weight management products is the largest in the world, accounting for about one-third of global sales, according to Technavia. Most of its revenue comes from meal replacement products and weight loss supplements.