Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Lactis CAB701 Reduces Body fat mass in Adults with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Probiotic-based strategies have gained increasing attention as potential interventions for obesity and metabolic disorders. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CAB701 (CAB701), a cabbage-derived probiotic strain, has demonstrated anti-adipogenic activity in preclinical studies; however, its clinical efficacy has not been established. We conducted a single-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial in 100 Korean adults with overweight or obesity (mean age 48.9 ± 13.9 years; body mass index (BMI) 25.8 ± 1.8 kg/m²; 19% men). Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive 150 mg/day CAB701 or placebo. The primary endpoint was change in total body fat mass measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In the intention-to-treat analysis, the adjusted between-group difference in change in body fat mass was − 1.59 kg (95% CI − 2.50 to − 0.67; p < 0.001), with consistent findings in the per-protocol (PP) analysis (− 1.54 kg; 95% CI − 2.25 to − 0.83; p < 0.001). Significant reductions were also observed in body weight and BMI; body fat percentage was significant in the PP analysis only. Waist circumference, lipid parameters, adiponectin, and inflammatory markers did not differ between groups. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported. In conclusion, CAB701 supplementation for 12 weeks significantly reduced DXA-measured body fat mass and was well tolerated. These findings support the potential of CAB701 as a strain-specific functional probiotic for the reduction of adiposity in humans. This trial was registered in clinicaltrials.gov with registration number NCT06628791.