USO DE PREBIÓTICOS Y PROBIÓTICOS EN EL TRATAMIENTO DE LA OBESIDAD: UN ESTUDIO DE REVISIÓN

Abstract

Obesity is one of the most prevalent health problems in the world, with figures of about 641 million people. The usual treatment for this condition is the reduction of calories from the diet, use of medications or surgical interventions. Obesity is associated with an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota. Prebiotics are non-digestible compounds of dietary fibers. Probiotics are living organisms that confer benefits to the individual. The objective was to determine the efficacy of the consumption of prebiotics and probiotics for the treatment of obesity. A systematic review of 9 scientific articles selected from Web of Science, Pubmed, Taylor and Francis, Dialnet and Scielo was performed. The review revealed that the use of pre and probiotics contributes to the reduction of weight, BMI and waist circumference in people with obesity, as well as the reduction of some biochemical markers associated with obesity. It is suggested that supplementation with prebiotics and probiotics may be an alternative as an adjuvant in the treatment of obesity. However, more studies are needed to support their use.