Research published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (July 2014; Volume 40, Issue 1, Pages 51–62) evaluated the effects of probiotic supplementation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 186 patients with IBS.
Participants received either a probiotic or a placebo for 12 weeks. Outcomes were assessed using the IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) at the end of the study period. At week 12, the probiotic group showed a statistically significant improvement compared with placebo, with a mean difference in IBS-SSS of –35.0 points.
The authors concluded, “These results suggest this probiotic confers benefit in IBS and deserves further investigation.”
