Effect of oral probiotic supplementation in obese children: A systematic review

The intestinal microbiota has been shown to be a potential determining factor in the development of obesity. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the effect of probiotic supplementation in children with obesity. Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) of interventions with the oral use of probiotics for children with obesity were considered eligible. The PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, VHL, and Embase databases were used as a source of information. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of bias criteria. Most of the articles included were carried out in developed countries and showed the benefits of probiotic intervention in reducing anthropometric indices in children with obesity. Future RCTs are needed to assess the effect of probiotics in the absence of weight loss strategies, in order to truly ascertain the specific benefits of probiotic strains on adiposity.