Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Apr 15;16(4):e58306.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.58306. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Effectiveness of Probiotic Use in Alleviating Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Lotanna Umeano  1 , Sadaf Iftikhar  1 , Sarah F Alhaddad  2 , Christian N Paulsingh  3   1 , Muhammad Faisal Riaz  4 , Gourav Garg  5 , Lubna Mohammed  1
Affiliations
Review

Effectiveness of Probiotic Use in Alleviating Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Lotanna Umeano et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) condition, and changes in the gut microbiota's composition contribute to the development of symptoms. Although the precise mechanisms of probiotic use in the human body are not fully understood, probiotic supplements are believed to reduce symptoms, such as abdominal pain, by regulating neurotransmitters and receptors associated with pain modulation in IBS patients compared to placebo by altering the gut flora. This systematic review aimed to assess the most current randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on how probiotic supplementation affects the symptoms in people with IBS. The effects of probiotic supplements on IBS symptoms were studied in RCTs published between January 2018 and June 2023. After a search through PubMed and Google Scholar using the keywords probiotics, gut microbiota, irritable bowel syndrome, and IBS; eight articles matched the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Four trials used a multistrain probiotic, whereas the remaining four trials examined the effects of a monostrain supplement. All eight trials came to the same conclusion: Probiotic treatment may significantly reduce symptoms.

Keywords: gut; gut microbiota; ibs; irritable bowel syndrome; probiotics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Search results depicted in the PRISMA flowchart 2020
PRISMA: Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Irritable bowel syndrome. Ford AC, Sperber AD, Corsetti M, Camilleri M. Lancet. 2020;396:1675–1688. - PubMed
    1. Bowel disorders. Mearin F, Lacy BE, Chang L, Chey WD, Lembo AJ, Simren M, Spiller R. Gastroenterology. 2016;150:1393–1407. - PubMed
    1. Functional bowel disorders. Longstreth GF, Thompson WG, Chey WD, Houghton LA, Mearin F, Spiller RC. Gastroenterology. 2006;130:1480–1491. - PubMed
    1. Does a diet low in FODMAPs reduce symptoms associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders? A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Marsh A, Eslick EM, Eslick GD. Eur J Nutr. 2016;55:897–906. - PubMed
    1. Probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: an up-to-date systematic review. Dale HF, Rasmussen SH, Asiller ÖÖ, Lied GA. Nutrients. 2019;11:2048. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources