Multi-strain probiotic improved microbiome
- Less nausea, constipation, and diarrhea
Participants in this study had undergone chemotherapy treatment after surgery for colorectal cancer. Half of the 100 participants took a placebo while the other half took a combination of probiotics including strains of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. Because of their microbiome-rebalancing effects, doctors thought probiotics would reduce complications from the procedure that typically include nausea, acid reflux, abdominal pain and bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
Compared to placebo, those taking probiotics were 33 to 75 percent less likely to experience any of these symptoms. Discussing the findings, doctors said chemotherapy alters the structure and composition of the microbiome, leading to these complications. Probiotics help restore healthy gut function by promoting the beneficial short-chain fatty acids that form as dietary fiber ferments in the colon.
REFERENCE: NUTRIENTS; 2023, VOL. 15, NO. 2, 356
