New research suggests that patients who have undergone weight loss surgery may benefit from taking probiotic supplements.
A study involving 42 patients by experts at the Stanford School of Medicine found that patients benefited from a greater degree of weight loss, as well as fewer gastrointestinal complications after the procedure.
Lead researcher Professor John Morton, associate professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, admitted: "Finding that probiotics can actually enhance weight loss was an unexpected result.
"There is no magic bullet for fighting obesity, but this simple dietary supplement may be one more weapon we can add to our arsenal."
The findings were presented at the Digestive Disease Week conference and add to a growing body of evidence to support the use of probiotics for health purposes.
Recent research has found that probiotics have a noticeable effect on the metabolism, while a separate study suggested that they may help to reduce children's risk of allergies if taken by the mother during pregnancy.
New research suggests that patients who have undergone weight loss surgery may benefit from taking probiotic supplements.
