Probiotics can help to reduce inflammation and lessen the unpleasant symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a new review in the journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice.
According to the review authors, studies involving probiotics for the treatment of IBS have been inconsistent, but there is now "increasing evidence" that they are effective.
The review cited two studies involving a probiotic strain called Bifantis, one of which found that patients who took the probiotics benefited from a significant reduction in IBS symptoms and a fall in inflammatory biomarkers in their blood.
Liam O'Mahony, who led the study, commented: "We think that imbalances in gut microflora lead to a chronic, low-level inflammation in the intestines and the presence of these inflammatory biomarkers in the bloodstream."
The expert added that the findings "not only have great implications for the treatment of digestive conditions, but offer researchers a potentially new path of exploration around inflammation-based diseases like arthritis".
IBS is a common, long-term condition that affects up to a fifth of people in the UK at some stage in their life.
Probiotics can help to reduce inflammation and lessen the unpleasant symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a new review in the journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice.
