Probiotic found Beneficial in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

A study conducted at the University College Cork, Ireland and published in the March issue of the journal Gastroenterology (128, 3:541-51) found that a probiotic preparation containing Bifidobacterium infantis relieved a variety of symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The study compared symptoms and cytokine ratios in IBS patients receiving either Lactobacillus salivarius ,Bifidobacterium infantis or placebo.

Seventy-seven subjects were randomized to receive either L. salivarius, B. infantis, or placebo for eight weeks. Researchers recorded subject’s IBS symptoms on a daily basis and assessed them weekly. They also assessed patient’s quality of life, stool microbiology, and blood samples (for cell release of the cytokines, interleukin 10 and 12) at the beginning and end of the study.

Researchers found that B. infantis supplementation alleviated symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating and bowel movement difficulty significantly better than L. salivarius or placebo. They linked this therapeutic effect to a normalization of the ratio of anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory cytokines by B. infantis supplementation. Researchers suggested an immune-modulating role for the B. infantis probiotic strain in IBS patients. In addition, they noted that the symptom relief provided by B. infantis was comparable to effects shown by Zelnorm and Lotronex, two pharmaceuticals recently approved for relief of IBS symptoms.

Bio-Design Probio-8 is a freeze-dried probiotic formula that provides B. infantis along with seven other strains of beneficial bacterial cultures. Probio-8 is dairy free.