Metabolic & Cardiometabolic · Gut & Microbiome
Does this probiotic strain boost an appetite hormone?
The claim, precisely: Lactobacillus paracasei W8 increases GLP-1
Insufficient Metabolic & Cardiometabolic 🔬 Includes disconfirming
RefutedContestedStrong support
consensus score 0.00
Too early to say — a 64-person trial found no effect on the hormone, blood sugar or appetite.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: Human trials (RCT / n-of-1)
MechanismIn-vitroAnimalObservationalRCTMeta-analysis
How the studies fall
0 support 0 contradict 3 tested null 0 mixed · 3 sources, 0 independent groups
What the evidence shows
L. paracasei W8 had NO effect on GLP-1, glucose, insulin, appetite or energy intake in a 4-wk RCT (n=64) — a Lactobacillus is not automatically a GLP-1 booster; strain-specificity is real.
The evidence (3)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bjerg 2015 · Benef Microbes | RCT | tested-null | moderate | W8 lowered triacylglycerol independent of colonisation; no GLP-1 benefit |
| (L. paracasei W8 RCT) 2015 · Benef Microbes | RCT | tested-null | moderate | n=64 RCT: no effect on GLP-1/glucose/insulin/appetite; only modest TAG drop |
| Bjerg 2014 · Appetite | RCT | tested-null | moderate | L. paracasei W8 suppressed energy intake but no significant GLP-1 effect; single network |
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.