Influence of Drinking a Probiotic Fermented Milk Beverage Containing Bifidobacterium Animalis on the Symptoms of Constipation

Abstract

-Background -Constipation is a chronic problem in many patients all over the world. Objective -To evaluate the effect of consumption of a probiotic fermented milk beverage containing Bifidobacterium animalis on the symptoms of constipation. Methods -This randomized, double-blind controlled trial included 49 female patients aged 20 to 50 years and diagnosed with constipation according to the ROME III criteria (Diagnostic Criteria for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders) and the Bristol Stool Form Scale. The patients were randomized into two groups: the intervention group received the probiotic fermented milk beverage and the control group received non-probiotic milk. Participants were instructed to ingest 150 mL of the beverages during 60 days. At the end of this period, patients were assessed again by the ROME III criteria and Bristol scale. The Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate pre and post-intervention results of the ROME III criteria and Bristol scale. The statistical significance level was considered as 5% (P≤0.05). Results -The intervention group showed improvement in the following criteria: straining during a bowel movement (P<0.001), feeling of incomplete evacuation (P<0.001) and difficulty in passing stool (P<0.014), in addition to Bristol scale results (P<0.001). In the control group, improvements were observed in the following criteria: straining during a bowel movement (P<0.001), feeling of incomplete evacuation (P<0.001) and difficulty in passing stool (P<0.025), in addition to Bristol scale results (P<0.001). No statistically significant post-intervention differences were observed between the two groups for the Rome III criteria and Bristol scale. Conclusion -The results show that the consumption of milk resulted in the improvement of constipation symptoms, regardless of the probiotic culture.

European society of neurogastroenterology and motility guidelines on functional constipation in adults

“…Moreira et al found no difference in an RCT comparing an intervention group receiving a probiotic fermented milk beverage with a control group receiving non‐probiotic milk in 49 female patients with chronic constipation . Interestingly, the consumption of milk resulted in an improvement in constipation symptoms, regardless of the probiotic culture . In a well‐designed RCT, Spiller et al reported a positive effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in patients with IBS‐C .…”

Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije / Health of the Working-Age Population

“…The percentage of participants who defecated at a consistent time each day decreased after kefir intervention and increased after milk intervention. Some other studies also found a beneficial effect of both kefir and milk on stool consistency or there were no differences compared to the control group (Moreira et al, 2017;Maki et al, 2018), while some studies have shown a beneficial effect of kefir or other probiotics on stool consistency, with the effect being significantly different from the control group (Lee et al, 2018;Yoon et al, 2018).…”

The effect of kefir and milk intake on intestinal permeability

“…The percentage of participants who defecated at a consistent time each day decreased after kefir intervention and increased after milk intervention. Some other studies also found a beneficial effect of both kefir and milk on stool consistency or there were no differences compared to the control group (Moreira et al, 2017;Maki et al, 2018), while some studies have shown a beneficial effect of kefir or other probiotics on stool consistency, with the effect being significantly different from the control group (Lee et al, 2018;Yoon et al, 2018).…”