Probiotics Alleviate IBS Symptoms

The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) has not been fully defined, and theeffects of probiotics on this gastrointestinal(GI) motility disorder remain unclear. KajsaKajander, MSc, and colleagues conducteda randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlledtrial to investigate the effects of aprobiotic mixture containing Lactobacillusrhamnosus GG, L rhamnosus LC705, Bifidobacteriumbreve Bb99, and Propionibacteriumfreudenreichii subsp shermanii JSon IBS symptoms.

Patients meeting Rome I or Rome II criteriafor IBS (n = 103) were treated with aprobiotic capsule or a placebo daily for 6months. GI symptoms and bowel habitswere recorded.

At the end of the study, the medianreduction in symptom score (abdominalpain + distension + flatulence + borborygmi)was 42% in the probiotic group, comparedwith 6% in the placebo group (P =.015). For individual symptoms, borborygmiwas milder in the probiotic group (P =.008), but no significant trends wereobserved for other individual symptoms.These results suggested that this probioticmixture is effective in alleviating symptomsassociated with IBS (Alimentary Pharmacologyand Therapeutics, September 2005).