Research project led by Bailey Hanna, MS, RDN - no affiliate links, ads or sponsored products.
In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of two probiotics, Lactobacillus paracasei HA-196 (L. paracasei) and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 (B. longum), in alleviating gastrointestinal (GI) and psychological symptoms in adults with varying subtypes of IBS.1 Although the study suggested potential benefits for specific IBS subtypes, we have decided to exclude it from our database due to several concerns.
First, the quality of reporting in the study was inconsistent, with notable discrepancies in attrition values between the manuscript and a study table. Additionally, many results were either omitted or presented in illegible graphs. Furthermore, there were signs of result manipulation, and the involvement of the probiotic producer in revising the manuscript raises questions about the study’s impartiality.
Because of these issues, we can’t fully trust the findings. Consequently, we have disqualified both the study and the probiotics evaluated until higher-quality studies are conducted on these strains.
Key Takeaway:
The study on Bifidobacterium longum R0165 has been excluded from our database due to concerns about evidence quality.
Dosing Recommendation
None
References:
There is insufficient evidence demonstrating benefits for IBS with this probiotic. Therefore, we do not provide guidance on finding a commercial product containing this strain/blend.
This probiotic has low to moderate quality studies in IBS populations supporting it. View our evidence evaluation framework to learn how we assess the quality of studies.
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Efficacy of Lactobacillus paracasei HA-196 and Bifidobacterium longum R0165 in alleviating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS): A randomized, placebo-controlled study
Nutrients 2020;12:1159
ADULTS
No data
There were no significant changes between groups; however, all three groups showed significant reductions in IBS-SSS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptom Severity Score) at weeks 4 and 8 compared to baseline.
Specifically, at week 4, IBS-SSS scores were reduced by 20% in participants supplemented with L. paracasei, 20% with B. longum, and 17% with placebo (all p < 0.001).
At week 8, IBS-SSS scores were significantly reduced by 30% in the L. paracasei group, 22% in the B. longum group, and 31% in the placebo group (all p < 0.001).
There were no significant within-group differences in the HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) score.
However, as assessed by the SF-36 (Short Form Health Survey), participants supplemented with B. longum reported a significant within-group increase of 12% (p < 0.001).
Despite this, there were no significant between-group differences among the three groups in the SF-36 parameters assessed.
B. longum supplementation improved quality of life in terms of emotional well-being (Cohen’s d = 0.85), energy/fatigue score (Cohen’s d = 2.25), and social functioning (Cohen’s d = 0.95) compared with baseline (p < 0.05).
The mean effect size for all quality of life parameters assessed was 1.35.
This study was disqualified for the following reasons:
Poor Reporting Quality: The quality of reporting was atrocious, with results often presented only for subgroups by IBS type, and many results were only shown through graphs where variability measures were illegible due to overlapping lines.
Result Spinning: There was significant spinning of the results, undermining the credibility of the findings.
Conflict of Interest: The producer of the probiotic was involved in revising the manuscript text, raising concerns about impartiality.
Inconsistent Data: The number of participants completing the treatment differed in two places within the paper, indicating inconsistencies in the reported data.