The Role of Dietary Fiber and Probiotics in Improving Lipid Profile in Obesity: A Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i3.1365Keywords:
dietary fibre, lipid profile, obesity, probiotic, sorghumAbstract
Obesity is a major public health problem that is closely associated with dyslipidemia and an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Dietary fiber and probiotics have been widely explored as non-pharmacological dietary approaches to improve lipid profiles in obesity; however, evidence from experimental and clinical studies remains fragmented and requires systematic synthesis. This literature review aimed to synthesise current evidence on the role of dietary fiber and probiotics in improving lipid profiles under obese or metabolically compromised conditions. A literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect to identify relevant studies published between 2020 and 2025. Studies assessing the effects of dietary fiber or probiotic interventions on lipid profile parameters in animal models or human subjects with obesity or metabolic disorders were included. The initial search resulted in 274 articles, which were subsequently screened for eligibility based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After screening, Six eligible studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed qualitatively. The included studies consistently demonstrated that dietary fiber and probiotic interventions were associated with improvements in lipid profiles, including reductions in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alongside increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Several studies also reported concurrent reductions in body weight, visceral fat accumulation, or glycaemic parameters, indicating broader metabolic benefits. Dietary fiber and probiotics show potential as complementary, non-pharmacological strategies for improving lipid profiles in obesity. These findings support the development of functional food formulations incorporating fiber- and probiotic-based components.
References
Aguiar, L., S, B. De, Rodrigues, L. A., Vidal, P., Celi, R., Toledo, L., Augusto, F., Barros, R. De, Souza, A. M. De, Antoniassi, R., Wanderlei, C., Carvalho, P. De, & Duarte, S. (2024). Investigation of antilipidemic efficacy of condensed tannins from three varieties of Sorghum bicolor seeds on high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Comp Clin Path. MDPI Foods, 13(3128), 1–17.
Almunawar Muhammad, F. (2023). Pengaruh Pemberian Produk Pangan Fungsional Black Rice Crunch terhadap Profil Lipid Darah Tikus (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout, 1769) Obesitas. In repository ugm.
Bakr, A. F., & Farag, M. A. (2023). Soluble Dietary Fibers as Antihyperlipidemic Agents: A Comprehensive Review to Maximize Their Health Benefits. ACS Omega, Cvd. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01121
Galindev, U., Erdenebold, U., Batnasan, G., Ganzorig, O., & Batdorj, B. (2024). Anti-obesity effects of potential probiotic Lactobacillus strains isolated from Mongolian fermented dairy products in high-fat diet-induced obese rodent model. In Brazilian Journal of Microbiology (Vol. 55, Issue 3, pp. 2501–2509). doi: 10.1007/s42770-024-01372-4
Gulis, G., Zidkova, R., & Meier, Z. (2025). Changes in disease burden and epidemiological transitions. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1–8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94050-w
Haliman, C. D., & Alfinnia, S. (2021). Mikrobiota Usus, Prebiotik, Probiotik, dan Sinbiotik pada Manajemen Obesitas. Media Gizi Kesmas, 10(1), 149. doi: 10.20473/mgk.v10i1.2021.149-156
Jia, F., Gao, Y., Zhang, J., Hou, F., Shi, J., Song, S., & Yang, S. (2025). Flammulina velutipes mycorrhizae dietary fiber attenuates the development of obesity via regulating lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Frontiers in Nutrition, March, 1–11. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1551987
Kementrian Kesehatan RI. (2023). Survei Kesehatan Indonesia (SKI) 2023 (pp. 1–68).
Khalid, W., Ali, A., Arshad, M. S., Afzal, F., Siddeeg, A., Kousar, S., Rahim, M. A., Aziz, A., Maqbool, Z., Saeed, A., Akram, R., & Siddeeg, A. (2022). Nutrients and bioactive compounds of Sorghum bicolor L . used to prepare functional foods : a review on the efficacy against different chronic disorders. International Journal of Food Properties, 25(1), 1045–1062. doi: 10.1080/10942912.2022.2071293
Lauw, S., Kei, N., Chan, P. L., Ma, K. L., & Szeto, C. Y. Y. (2023). Effects of Synbiotic Supplementation on Metabolic Syndrome Traits and Gut Microbial Profile among Overweight and Obese. MDPI Nutrients, 15(4248), 1–20.
Li, Y., Li, L., Tian, J., Zheng, F., Liao, H., Zhao, Z., Chen, Y., Pang, J., & Wu, T. (2022). Insoluble Fiber in Barley Leaf Attenuates Hyperuricemic Nephropathy by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids. MDPI Foods, 11(3482).
Makwana, S., Prajapati, J. B., Pipaliya, R., & Hati, S. (2023). Effects of probiotic fermented milk on management of obesity studied in high ‑ fat ‑ diet induced obese rat model. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition, 1–18. doi: 10.1186/s43014-023-00112-1
Markowiak-Kope´, P., & ´Sli˙zewska, K. (2020). The Effect of Probiotics on the Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids by Human Intestinal Microbiome. MDPI Nutrients, 12(1107), 1–23.
Mukarromah, T. A., Rustanti, N., Mahati, E., Suparmi, & Ayustaningwarno, F. (2025). The Impact of Fermented Milk Products on Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites in Obesity : A Narrative Review. Journal Food Science, 90(70301), 1–32. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.70301
Negrea, M. O., Neamtu, B., Dobrotă, I., Sofariu, C. R., Crisan, R. M., Ciprian, B. I., Domnariu, C. D., & Teodoru, M. (2021). Causative mechanisms of childhood and adolescent obesity leading to adult cardiometabolic disease. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 11(23). doi: 10.3390/app112311565
Nogal, A., Valdes, A. M., & Menni, C. (2021). The role of short-chain fatty acids in the interplay between gut microbiota and diet in cardio- metabolic health ABSTRACT. Gut Microbes, 13(1). doi: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1897212
Prihaningtyas, R. A., Widjaja, N. A., Hanindita, M. H., & Irawan, R. (2020). Diet dan Sindrom Metabolik pada Remaja Obesitas. Amerta Nutrition, 4(3), 191. doi: 10.20473/amnt.v4i3.2020.191-197
Probosari, E., Dewi, S. N., Alfadila, T. I., Handayani, E. N., Rizkita, M. S., Candra, A., Ardiaria, M., Puruhita, N., & Murbawani, E. A. (2025). Sorghum-Soybean Flour Enteral Formula Reduces Blood Glucose, Cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL, and Increases HDL and Albumin in Hyperglycemic Rats. Molecular and Cellular Biomedical Sciences, 9(1), 13. doi: 10.21705/mcbs.v9i1.507
Rodriguez, J., Neyrinck, A. M., Kerckhoven, M. Van, Gianfrancesco, M. A., Renguet, E., Bertrand, L., Cani, P. D., Lanthier, N., Cnop, M., Paquot, N., Thissen, J. P., Bindels, L. B., & Delzenne, N. M. (2022). Physical activity enhances the improvement of body mass index and metabolism by inulin : a multicenter randomized placebo ‑ controlled trial performed in obese individuals. BMC Medicine, 1–20. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02299-z
Setyowati, D., Muna, A. N., Septiyani, A., Widyastuti, N., Margawati, A., Ardiaria, M., & Tsani, A. F. A. (2023). Sorghum flour’s effect on improving plasma lipid profile and atherogenic index in diabetic rats. AcTion: Aceh Nutrition Journal, 8(2), 186–195. doi: 10.30867/action.v8i2.735
Tim Lobstein, Hannah Brinsden, M. N. (2022). World Obesity Federation. World Obesity Atlas. Https://Www.Worldobesityday.Org/Assets/Downloads/World_Obesity_Atlas_2022_WEB.Pdf, March, 1–289. Retrieved from https://www.worldobesity.org/resources/resource-library/world-obesity-atlas-2023
Tremblay, A., Clinchamps, M., Pereira, B., Courteix, D., Lesourd, B., Chapier, R., Obert, P., Vinet, A., Walther, G., Chaplais, E., Bagheri, R., Baker, J. S., Thivel, D., Drapeau, V., & Dutheil, F. (2020). Dietary fibres and the management of obesity and metabolic syndrome: The resolve study. In Nutrients (Vol. 12, Issue 10, pp. 1–20). doi: 10.3390/nu12102911
Waddell, I. S., & Orfila, C. (2023). Dietary fiber in the prevention of obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases: From epidemiological evidence to potential molecular mechanisms. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 63(27), 8752–8767. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2061909
Wulandari, F., Rustanti, N., & Pramono, A. (2025). The Effects of Fermented Buffalo Milk (Dadih) Fortified with Red Dragon Fruit and Selenium on Adiponectin and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Levels in Obese Rats. Medical Laboratory Technology Journal, 11(1), 45–58. doi: 10.31964/mltj.v11i1.639
You, M., Zhou, L., Wu, F., Zhang, L., & Zhu, S. (2025). Probiotics for the treatment of hyperlipidemia : Focus on gut-liver axis and lipid metabolism. Pharmacological Research, 214(December 2024), 107694. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107694
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
