The effect of probiotic supplementation on lipid profiles in adults with overweight or obesity: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: This meta-analysis aims to elucidate the role of probiotics in regulating the blood lipid profiles of adults with overweight or obesity. Method: The Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science were used to search for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before August 2021. The effects of probiotic intervention were assessed by total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. The outcome data were synthesized by using standardized mean differences (SMDs). Results: Totally 18 articles involving 823 subjects were included in this study. The results showed that probiotic consumption markedly decreased the levels of TC (SMD) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = −0.18 [−0.29, −0.07], TG [95% CI] = −0.14 [−0.25, −0.03] and LDL-C [95% CI] = −0.12 [−0.24, −0.01]. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that probiotics have the potential to alleviate lipid abnormalities in overweight or obese adults.