Clinical Study

Effect of Probiotic (VSL#3) and Omega-3 on Lipid Profile, Insulin Sensitivity, Inflammatory Markers, and Gut Colonization in Overweight Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Table 2

Fecal bacterial count before and after treatment.

PlaceboProbioticOmega-3Pro + Omega-3
PretreatmentPosttreatmentPretreatmentPosttreatmentPretreatmentPosttreatmentPretreatmentPosttreatment

Total bacteria7.74 ± 0.217.71 ± 0.18a8.77 ± 0.099.13 ± 0.18*b7.7 ± 0.197.78 ± 0.16a8.83 ± 0.099.55 ± 0.12**b
Total anaerobes9.32 ± 0.179.27 ± 0.12a9.66 ± 0.0610.71 ± 0.07**b9.44 ± 0.189.54 ± 0.09a9.61 ± 0.110.86 ± 0.05**b
Lactobacillus6.87 ± 0.126.86 ± 0.14a6.77 ± 0.17.95 ± 0.13**b6.76 ± 0.266.8 ± 0.12a6.76 ± 0.127.96 ± 0.12**b
Bifidobacteria8.89 ± 0.178.88 ± 0.14a8.71 ± 0.119.94 ± 0.01**b8.71 ± 0.088.75 ± 0.17a8.71 ± 0.089.9 ± 0.03**b
Streptococcus2.81 ± 0.212.80 ± 0.31a2.66 ± 0.18.96 ± 0.16**b2.67 ± 0.192.89 ± 0.29a2.67 ± 0.118.99 ± 0.13**b
Coliform6.82 ± 0.196.83 ± 0.13a6.59 ± 0.16.35 ± 0.2a6.54 ± 0.136.44 ± 0.12a6.99 ± 0.146.58 ± 0.11**a
E.coli 6.59 ± 0.146.93 ± 0.19**a6.58 ± 0.096.47 ± 0.13b6.55 ± 0.186.53 ± 0.09a6.69 ± 0.196.39 ± 0.09b
Bacteroides6.61 ± 0.196.98 ± 0.15**a6.99 ± 0.187.57 ± 0.17**b6.59 ± 0.16.45 ± 0.25c6.96 ± 0.157.87 ± 0.11**d

<0.05 significantly different from the pretreatment level.
**<0.01 significantly different from the pretreatment level.
a,b,c,dSuperscript indicates significant <0.05 difference in relative changes versus baseline compared between supplemented and placebo group.
Bacterial count (  CFU/g fecal dry weight ± standard error mean).