Positive study of probiotics (Danone) for Antibiotic Associated Diarrhoea

A study from Susan Hempel of RAND Health, Santa Monica, Calif., and researchers shows that eating probiotic foods such as yogurt, reduces the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, a prevalent side effect of antibiotic use. The team searched databases in order to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving probiotic use (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus) for the prevention or treatment of Antibiotic Associated Diarrhoea (AAD). In total, 82 trials met inclusion criteria.The researchers found that most of the trials used either Lactobacillus-based interventions alone or in conjunction with other organisms; strains were not well documented. 63 of the 82 trials reported the number of participants randomized to both treatment groups, as well as the number of participants with diarrhoea. Combined, the 63 trials included 11,811 participants. The researchers found that participants who consumed probiotics were 42% less likely to develop diarrhoea than participants assigned to a control group.The reviewers found sufficient evidence to conclude that adjunct probiotic administration is associated with a reduced risk of AAD. This generalized conclusion possibly obscures heterogeneity in effectiveness among the patients, the antibiotics, and the probiotic strains or blends.