Tests Show Probiotic Supplement Does Not Help Relieve Constipation

An international team of gastroenterologists, gut microbiologists and health researchers has discovered, through testing on volunteers, that consuming the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis offers no measurable relief to people suffering from chronic constipation.

In their article published in Open JAMA Networkthe group describes how they tested the effectiveness of Bifidobacterium animalis in patients at several hospitals with chronic constipation.

Previous research has shown that for some people, constipation can be more than an occasional minor nuisance; it can seriously disrupt daily life if it becomes chronic. In recent years, some supplement manufacturers have begun claiming that their products, which typically contain probiotics, can help people with occasional or chronic constipation.

Previous research has shown that most of these products contain the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis, which researchers on this new effort note have not been proven to relieve constipation.

The claims behind the benefits of supplement manufacturers selling probiotics are generally based on the idea that certain health problems are due to a gut microbial imbalance. By consuming their products, people can, they claim, rebalance their intestinal biome and be cured of their ailments.

Unfortunately, most supplements sold around the world are not controlled or even monitored by government health agencies. It is therefore unclear whether they offer the claimed benefits. In this new study, researchers wanted to know if probiotic supplements sold as a way to relieve constipation work as advertised.

The team’s work consisted of administering either placebos or a dose of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis HN019 to more than 200 patients in several hospitals in China for eight weeks. All of the volunteers suffered from what the researchers describe as functional constipation. Each of the volunteers was asked to keep a diary to describe their bowel movements.

Studying the data in the diaries, the research team found no difference between constipation symptoms in volunteers who received the probiotic and those who received the placebo: both groups saw a slight increase in complete bowel movements. and spontaneous during the study. the researchers likely suggest that this is a reaction to taking the test. They did, however, find one difference: Volunteers in the placebo group reported feeling more bloating and pain.

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