Liquid bacteria could eliminate irritable bowel syndrome pain, suggests study
Symprove could offer new hope to IBS sufferers who have failed to find an effective treatment
Newly published research suggests that a liquid made with live and activated bacteria could provide a breakthrough for the millions of Britons who suffer Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) pain.
IBS is Britain's most common digestive complaint, affecting 10–15% of the population. A recent survey of IBS sufferers revealed that more than two-thirds have received no helpful advice from their GP regarding effective symptom relief.
Results of investigations recently published in the Journal of Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics show that a multi-strain liquid bacteria called Symprove may offer new hope to those with IBS who have struggled to find an effective treatment.
The double blind, placebo-controlled trial run by King's College Hospital, London, involved 186 patients suffering from moderate to severe IBS, for whom common IBS treatments had failed.
Researchers found that the multiple strains of 'live' bacteria found in Symprove were associated with significant improvements in patients with moderate to severe IBS who had not responded to previous treatments. All major IBS symptoms either improved or disappeared completely in 60% of participants following 12 weeks of treatment, with no unpleasant side effects. In particular, Symprove reduced abdominal pain, the most common and dominant IBS symptom.
Professor Ingvar Bjarnason, consultant gastro-enterologist and principal investigator, said: 'This study, which is one of the first on probiotics to be conducted according to pharmacologic standards, is a real breakthrough. Symprove had a profound impact and for the first time, we saw people becoming symptom-free and that is very exciting.'