Probiotic treatment containing dead bacteria could offer relief against IBS

Newly published results from a clinical trial testing the use of probiotics in those with irritable bowel syndrome finds that these bacteria-containing products may offer relief. Previous efforts to help treat IBS — which has symptoms of abdominal pain and other GI issues — have often focused on giving patients probiotic cocktails that contain live forms of Bifidobacteria, but the new 443-person trial tested a probiotic that contained dead bacteria of the same genus, since live bacteria can sometimes cause severe side effects. About a third of the 221 patients in the trial who were given the probiotic had reduced abdominal pain, compared to 19% of patients who experienced the same in the placebo group. The side effects were comparable in both groups, and more than 90% of those in the treatment group found the treatment tolerable.