What are the benefits of probiotic use?

From the Guidelines

Probiotics have been shown to offer several health benefits, including improving digestive health, reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, and constipation, and supporting immune function, as evidenced by a recent study published in 2024 1. The benefits of probiotics are numerous and well-documented. Some of the key benefits include:

• Improving digestive health by helping restore gut flora balance, particularly after antibiotic use
• Reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, and constipation
• Supporting immune function, as about 70% of immune cells reside in the gut
• Helping with vaginal and urinary tract health in women
• Reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections and allergic rhinitis
• Potentially improving mental health by influencing the gut-brain axis

Common effective probiotic strains include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Saccharomyces boulardii, typically taken in doses of 1-10 billion CFUs daily. For specific conditions like antibiotic-associated diarrhea, taking probiotics within 2 hours of antibiotics and continuing for 1-2 weeks after completing the course is recommended 1. Probiotics work by competing with harmful bacteria for resources, producing substances that inhibit pathogens, strengthening the intestinal barrier, and modulating immune responses. For best results, choose products with multiple strains that guarantee potency through the expiration date and store them according to package instructions. It's also important to note that prebiotics, which are compounds that speed up the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, can also improve gut health and provide additional benefits when used in conjunction with probiotics 1.

In terms of specific conditions, probiotics have been shown to be effective in reducing the symptom severity and duration of infectious or antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in immunocompetent adults and children 1. They have also been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) by 64% when given with antibiotics 1. Additionally, probiotics may improve gut barrier function, strengthen the immune response, and reduce inflammation in the gut, which can be beneficial for conditions such as IBD and IBS 1.

Overall, the evidence suggests that probiotics can be a useful adjunct to traditional treatments for a variety of conditions, and can help support overall health and well-being. The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2024, provides strong evidence for the benefits of probiotics in maintaining gut health and reducing the risk of various diseases 1.

From the Research

Benefits of Probiotic Use

The use of probiotics has been associated with several benefits, including:

• Improvement in gastrointestinal health, with high-quality evidence supporting their effectiveness in treating acute infectious diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, hepatic encephalopathy, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and necrotizing enterocolitis 2
• Modification of the host immune response, antagonism of pathogenic microbes, and competition for adhesion sites with pathogenic microorganisms 3, 4
• Prevention and treatment of various diseases, including infections of the digestive tract, irritable bowel, lactose intolerance, allergies, infections of the urogenital tract, cystic fibrosis, and various cancers 4
• Reduction of side effects of various antibiotics 4
• Prevention and treatment of oral health issues, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and bad breath 4

Specific Probiotic Species and Their Benefits

Different probiotic species have been found to have varying levels of effectiveness in treating different conditions, including:

• B. coagulans, which has been found to have prominent efficacy in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, and may be a future research target for treating IBS 5
• L. plantarum, which has been found to ameliorate the quality of life (QOL) of IBS patients, but without significant differences compared to other probiotic species 5
• L. acidophilus, which has been found to have the lowest incidence of adverse events in IBS patients 5
• Multispecies probiotics, which have been found to be effective in IBS patients and induce alterations in the composition of intestinal microbiota 6

Safety and Precautions

Probiotics are generally considered safe and well-tolerated, but should be used cautiously in certain populations, including:

• Critically ill or severely immunocompromised patients, who may be at risk of systemic infections 3
• Patients with central venous catheters, who may be at risk of systemic infections 3
• Patients taking antibiotics, who should separate their probiotic use from antibiotic use by at least two hours 3