Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can seriously impair your quality of life. There are many subtypes of IBS, but this study shows that probiotics safely help them all.
IBS is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea and/or constipation. This 12 week, double-blind study shows that a blend of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics help people with IBS in a variety of important ways.
The study included 120 adults with a variety of subtypes of IBS. It found that, compared to placebo, the probiotics significantly improved IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS) scores, including abdominal pain, bloating and defecation.
Probiotics also significantly improve short chain fatty acids, including butyrate, which is important because short chain fatty acids are crucial for providing energy to intestinal cells.
Importantly, intestinal permeability was also significantly improved with the probiotics, and the probiotics were significantly more effective at reducing markers of inflammation.
The probiotics were as safe as the placebo.
This important study demonstrates that probiotics safely and effectively improve the causes and symptoms of all subtypes of IBS.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. June 2025;15:doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1616066.