Postbiotic supplement boosts body’s own GLP-1 and weight loss
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- University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers led a randomized trial of 80 overweight US adults testing ResM, a daily postbiotic supplement containing dead Lactiplantibacillus plantarum along with vitamin D3, vitamin B12, white mulberry leaf, fenugreek seed, and chromium picolinate.
- The supplement group lost an average of 2.6 kg (3% of body weight) over two months, while the placebo group gained 0.5 kg on average.
- ResM more than doubled GLP-1 levels in participants' blood, the mechanism researchers say drove reduced food intake and weight loss; placebo group GLP-1 levels did not change.
- The placebo group experienced more mild side effects such as nausea and bloating than the ResM group — a reversal of the side-effect pattern commonly associated with GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide.
- Simon Cork of Anglia Ruskin University, an independent commentator, flagged that the trial's small size, self-reported weight, and self-reported pill adherence mean ResM cannot yet be reliably compared to approved GLP-1 drugs, which have been tested in hundreds of patients over longer periods.
- The 3% average weight loss falls short of the 5% reduction in body weight that Cork said is linked to substantial health benefits like improved blood pressure and metabolism.
Why it matters: About half of US adults who take GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide for weight loss stop within a year due to cost, shortages, and side effects like nausea and stomach pain. If larger, longer trials confirm these early signals, a postbiotic supplement like ResM could provide a cheaper, lower-side-effect option — or a maintenance tool after patients discontinue GLP-1 drugs — though the 3% weight loss observed so far falls short of the 5% threshold tied to meaningful cardiovascular and metabolic benefits.
