What is the evidence for the use of probiotics in functional disorders?

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What is the evidence for the use of probiotics in functional disorders?

Quigley EM.

Department of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, Cork University

Hospital, Cork, Ireland. e.quigley@...

A rationale for the use of probiotics for a number of functional

gastrointestinal symptoms and syndromes can be developed, and an

experimental basis for their use continues to emerge, but data from

well-conducted clinical trials of probiotics in this area remain scarce.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has attracted the most attention; recent

revelations regarding the potential pathogenic roles of the enteric flora

and immune activation have led to reawakened interest in bacterio-therapy

for this common and challenging disorder.

Some recent randomized, controlled studies attest to the efficacy of some

probiotics in alleviating individual IBS symptoms, and selected strains have

a more global impact.

Evidence for long-term efficacy is also beginning to emerge, though more

studies are needed in this regard.

In other functional syndromes, data are far from adequate to make

recommendations, but there is evidence for efficacy of probiotics in

treating individual symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

The interpretation of much of the literature in this area is complicated by

lack of quality control, use of many different species and strains, and,

above all, significant deficiencies in trial methodology.

PMID: 18627649

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18627649