We evaluated the effects of ingestion of a synbiotic fermented milk beverage containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) at 3 × 10 10 and transgalactosylated oligosaccharides (GOS) at 2.5 g per 80 ml (once a day, 2 weeks) on the defecation frequency in 35 female university students with constipation as well as the defecation frequency, intestinal microflora, and intestinal environment in elderly persons in whom the intestinal microflora and the levels of putrefactive metabolites were abnormal in a placebo-controlled double-blind study. In the female students, the defecation frequency after 1 week of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion was significantly higher than that after 1 week of placebo ingestion or before ingestion. In the elderly persons, the fecal Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacterial counts after 1 and 2 weeks of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion were significantly higher than those after placebo ingestion or before ingestion (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). The fecal lecithinasepositive Clostridium bacterial count after 1 week of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion and the fecal Enterobacteriaceae bacterial counts after 1 and 2 weeks of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion were significantly lower than those after placebo ingestion (p<0.05). LcS at 10 7 CFU per gram of stool was collected during the ingestion period. The acetic acid levels after 1 and 2 weeks of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion were significantly higher than those after placebo ingestion (p<0.01). The stool pH values after 1 and 2 weeks of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion and the ammonia and phenol levels after 2 weeks of synbiotic fermented milk beverage ingestion were significantly lower than those after placebo ingestion (p<0.05). These results suggest that ingestion of the synbiotic fermented milk beverage containing LcS and GOS improves the stool quality, intestinal microflora, and intestinal environment.

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