Want to lose weight? Then you may want to look into probiotics. Scientists have discovered that certain probiotics can help women lose weight and keep it off. The findings could have implications for both weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Researchers have already noted in the past that the intestinal flora of obese individuals differs from that of thin people. This difference could be due to the fact that a diet high in fat and low in fiber promotes certain bacteria at the expense of others. Yet it's possible that certain probiotics could help reset this balance and help individuals lose weight.

In order to see if this could be the case, the researchers recruited 125 overweight men and women. These volunteers then underwent a 12-week weight-loss diet, followed by a 12-week period aimed at maintaining body weight. During the study, half of the volunteers swallowed two pills daily containing probiotics from the Lactobacillus rhamnosus family. The other half received a placebo.

So what was the verdict? The weight of the women in the placebo group remained stable, yet those in the probiotic group continued to lose weight for a total of about 5.2 kg per person. In fact, the women consuming probiotics lost twice as much weight as those who didn't consumed probiotics.

"We don't know why the probiotics didn't have an effect on men," said Angelo Tremblay, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It may be a question of dosage, or the study period may have been two short."

The probiotics in question belong to Nestle, which uses them in certain yogurts that it makes for the European market. Yet the researchers were quick to note that the probiotics in dairy products in North America could have a similar effect to the strain used in the study. That said, the benefits of these bacteria are more likely to be seen in a favorable nutritional context that promotes low fat and adequate fiber intake.

Want to lose some weight? Then you might want to consider eating a bit more yogurt.

The findings are published in the British Journal of Nutrition.