Probiotics and Gut Health - Version number 1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Evaluation of changes in gut transit time and gastrointestinal symptoms following the consumption of a probiotic food product in adults with constipation

• IRAS ID

  128664

• Contact name

  Eirini Dimidi RD

• Sponsor organisation

  Nestec Ltd

• Research summary

  Gastrointestinal discomfort regularly affects >25% of the population worldwide. One of the major contributors to Gastrointestinal discomfort is constipation, which has a prevalence of ~15%, and symptoms of which have a significant negative impact on the sufferer's quality of life. One of the hallmarks of chronic constipation is slow progression of contents through the gut (i.e. slow gut / colonic transit time), which may be associated with hard stools that are difficult to expel. Previous studies have shown that probiotics improve colonic transit times in constipated patients. In addition, several other studies, employing a range of different probiotic strains, have shown a significant increase in defaecation frequency and improvement in stool consistency. However, the clinical relevance of these results is uncertain, due to small sample sizes and limitations in study methodology. The current study is designed to compare changes in gut transit time and gastrointestinal symptoms following 4 weeks consumption of a probiotic strain in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled manner, in adults with constipation.

• REC name

  London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/LO/0891

• Date of REC Opinion

  25 Jul 2013

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion