Every day there seems to be a new diet trick out there to help you lose unwanted weight, especially in those hard-to-reach areas like your tummy. What about using probiotics that naturally target your gut health to help the process?

Probiotics are essential in your body's nutrition and contain the same healthy bacteria found naturally in your gut. This healthy bacteria is used to help prevent gastrointestinal issues. Probiotics can also be taken as a supplement to help replenish your gut when you run low on that healthy bacteria.

Might probiotics have other benefits?

A recent study conducted and published in the British Journal of Nutrition wondered the same thing: can probiotics help you lose weight?

The study took 125 overweight men and women, randomly splitting them into two groups: one was given a probiotic, the other was given a placebo. All subjects were on a similar 12-weel weight-loss diet plan.

The study found that women who took probiotics lost an average of 10 pounds compared to four pounds in the women in the placebo group. The men, however, didn't lose any significant weight and any pounds dropped was relatively similar in both groups.

Dr. Mike discusses the study in depth and if probiotics can in fact help you lose weight.