A pasteurized form of the gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila may help people with overweight or obesity keep weight off after a structured diet, according to a randomized controlled trial published in Nature Medicine.
The study followed 90 adults who first completed an eight-week low-energy diet aimed at achieving at least 8% weight loss. Participants then entered a 24-week maintenance phase with a healthy ad libitum diet and either daily pasteurized A. muciniphila MucT or placebo.
Lower weight regain during maintenance
Researchers reported that the MucT group regained less weight than the placebo group by the end of the maintenance period. The trial found weight regain of 1.2 ± 0.7 kg in the MucT group compared with 3.2 ± 0.4 kg in the placebo group.
The same group also showed a greater net weight loss from baseline to the end of maintenance, with the findings suggesting that the supplement may support longer-term weight control after initial diet-based weight loss.
Possible link to the gut microbiome
The authors said preclinical research had suggested that A. muciniphila could help prevent diet-induced obesity. In the new trial, initial abundance of Akkermansia species was associated with cardiometabolic response to MucT, hinting that the gut microbiome may influence who benefits most.
No serious adverse events related to the treatment were observed, although the researchers noted that the intervention was relatively short and that future studies should examine modified strains lacking active components.
What the findings could mean for nutrition care
The results add to growing interest in microbiome-based approaches for weight management, especially strategies designed to help patients maintain progress after a period of caloric restriction. For clinicians and dietitians, the study points to a potential future adjunct to dietary treatment rather than a replacement for it.
Even so, the evidence is still early. The trial was small, and the authors themselves described the work as a step toward identifying whether pasteurized A. muciniphila MucT could become a weight-loss maintenance strategy. More research will be needed before any wider clinical use can be considered.
The study was published on 13 May 2026 in Nature Medicine. Read the study in Nature Medicine
