Beneficial Effects of a Synbiotic Supplement on Self-Perceived Gastrointestinal Well-Being and Immunoinflammatory Status of Healthy Adults

Abstract

The use of synbiotics as health promoters is still poorly defined, and human intervention studies are scarce. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a commercialized synbiotic product containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb-12, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Streptococcus thermophilus, and fructooligosaccharides on the self-reported gastrointestinal well-being and the immunoinflammatory status of healthy human subjects. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 20 women and 16 men (25-45 years old) received either three tablets per day of the synbiotic product (2.4Â10 9 colony-forming units=day) or placebo during 6 weeks. Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits were evaluated through a self-administered questionnaire. In those subjects suffering from any kind of digestive disturbance (mild dyspepsia, flatulence, postprandial bloating, constipation, etc.), improvements in symptoms after product consumption were also evaluated. Blood lymphocyte subsets, phagocytic activity, serum C-reactive protein, ceruloplasmin, and adhesion molecules concentrations were analyzed prior and after treatment. A significant improvement in overall self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habit was found in the synbiotic group. A marginal effect of treatment (analysis of variance P ¼ .050) was observed with L-selectin, which showed a significant decrease in the synbiotic group (P ¼ .019). In addition, basal L-selectin levels correlated with final intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 levels (r ¼ 0.468; P ¼ .050), and basal ICAM-1 levels tended to correlate negatively with final L-selectin concentration (r ¼ -0.457; P ¼ .056). None of these correlations was found in the placebo group. The rest of the immunological parameters studied were not modified by the intervention. In conclusion, consumption of the synbiotic product improves self-perceived bowel habits and might facilitate a better profile of adhesion molecules in healthy adults.

Daily consumption of a synbiotic yogurt decreases energy intake but does not improve gastrointestinal transit time: a double-blind, randomized, crossover study in healthy adults

“…However, inulin consumed in doses of 5 and 10 g is generally well tolerated [31]. Healthy adults whom consumed a supplement containing probiotics which included Bb12 and La5, as in the present study, reported beneficial effects on bowel habits [38]. A prebiotic dose of 5 g/day is reportedly sufficient to elicit a positive effect on the GI microbial population [1].…”

“…Therefore, synbiotics are an exciting area of growth for the dairy sector [1]. More broadly, a growing body of evidence supports a role for various synbiotic supplements and foods in improving GI disturbances [14,38-42]. …”

Nutrition, diet and immunosenescence

“…The use of probiotics and prebiotics together, synbiotics, has demonstrated improvements in gut microbiota profiles and constipation in adults (Fateh et al, 2011;Nova et al, 2011;Waitzberg et al, 2013) though investigations in the elderly to date are limited, particularly regarding their effect on…”

An Exploratory Investigation of Endotoxin Levels in Novice Long Distance Triathletes, and the Effects of a Multi-Strain Probiotic/Prebiotic, Antioxidant Intervention

“…Additionally, prebiotic use has been shown to improve mucosal dendritic cell function associated with TLR2 activity [62], and increase the expression of glucagon-like peptide 2, associated with GI barrier regulation [59]. Although low dose FOS was employed in the current study, the “synbiotic” effect with a multistrain probiotic formula has been shown to confer improvements in gastrointestinal well-being elsewhere [63]. …”