{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T09:48:24Z","timestamp":1785836904825,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785801600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity are associated with adverse body composition and impaired glucose metabolism. Probiotic and synbiotic supplementation may modulate the gut microbiota and has been proposed as a potential adjunctive strategy for obesity management. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on body composition and glucose metabolism in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. Methods: This review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI were searched from inception to 5 May 2026. Randomized controlled trials evaluating probiotic or synbiotic supplementation in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity were included. Outcomes included BMI z-score, BMI, waist circumference, body fat percentage, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR. Random-effects meta-analyses, sensitivity analyses, and subgroup analyses according to intervention type (probiotic versus synbiotic supplementation) were performed using mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE. Results: Sixteen randomized controlled trials were included. Probiotic or synbiotic supplementation did not significantly reduce BMI z-score (MD = \u22120.03, 95% CI \u22120.11 to 0.05), waist circumference (MD = 0.60 cm, 95% CI \u22121.57 to 2.77), or body fat percentage (MD = \u22120.29 percentage points, 95% CI \u22121.64 to 1.06). A modest reduction in BMI was observed (MD = \u22120.91 kg\/m2, 95% CI \u22121.81 to \u22120.01), although this finding should be interpreted cautiously because no significant improvement was observed in BMI z-score. No significant effects were found for fasting glucose, fasting insulin, or HOMA-IR. Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences between probiotic and synbiotic supplementation for BMI, BMI z-score, or waist circumference, whereas a significant subgroup difference was observed for fasting glucose. Conclusions: Probiotic or synbiotic supplementation may be associated with a modest reduction in BMI; however, the certainty of this evidence was low, which limits confidence in its clinical implications. Current evidence does not support clear benefits for BMI z-score, waist circumference, body fat percentage, or glucose metabolism. The subgroup findings, particularly for fasting glucose, should be interpreted cautiously because they were based on a limited number of studies. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18152539","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T09:15:22Z","timestamp":1785834922000},"page":"2539","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of Probiotic and Synbiotic Supplementation on Body Composition and Glucose Metabolism in Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6672-6218","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ye","family":"Tao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ye","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mujuan","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports Sociology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju Campus, Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zifu","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Gangneung Campus, Kangwon National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haonan","family":"Yan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Gangneung Campus, Kangwon National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5404-8745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Feilong","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2024). 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