Thanks to new
research titled “Probiotics in the Management of Lower
Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Clinical Practice”, we can get more insight into
just how much Probiotics benefit our bodies. This Literature Review covers the
subject of the gut
microbiota playing an important role in gastrointestinal problems. Using such
evidence it provides clinicians with an evidence based international guide
on the management of lower gastrointestinal problems and their symptoms.
What makes this so
useful is firstly, the reliability of the material being based on 37 studies,
along with the use-ability, as each study receives a grade rating for study
control and quality of results.
Here is a snippet of
the main results;
“Statements with 100% agreement and 'high' evidence
levels indicated that:
(i) Specific
Probiotics help reduce overall symptom burden and abdominal pain in some IBS
patients
(ii) In patients receiving antibiotics eradication
therapy, specified Probiotics are helpful as adjuvants (a substance that enhances the body's immune response to
an antigen) to prevent/reduce the duration/intensity of AAD
(iii) Probiotics have favorable safety in patients
in primary care. Items with 70–100% agreement and 'moderate' evidence
(iv) Specific
Probiotics help relieve overall symptom burden in some patients with
diarrhea-predominant IBS, and reduce bloating/distension and improve bowel
movement frequency/consistency in some IBS patients
(v) With some Probiotics, improved symptoms have led
to improvement in quality of life.”
Although statements cannot be generalized between
different Probiotics, conclusions do however suggest that specified Probiotics
do benefit the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anti-biotic
associated diarrhea, and selecting the correct Probiotics can provide
additional benefits for individuals with lower intestinal issues.
