01
Summary

One study assessed the effects of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis UABla-12 on various IBS symptoms and quality of life over a 42-day period. The main areas of focus were bowel habits, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, global IBS symptoms, and overall quality of life (QoL).

 

Key Findings:

 

  • Bowel Habits: The UABia-12 group saw significant improvements in stool form. Initially, 39.1% of participants reported having abnormal stool forms (types 1, 2, 6, and 7 on the Bristol Stool Scale). By day 42, 75.5% of these participants had transitioned to normal stool forms, with only 20% still experiencing abnormal forms. This change represented a 23.9% relative increase in normal stool forms and a 48.8% reduction in abnormal forms, a statistically significant difference (p=0.022; Cohen’s d = 0.43).

 

  • Abdominal Pain: For pain severity, 28.2% of participants in the UABia-12 group were classified as responders, with a >30% reduction in pain by day 42 (p=0.031; effect size = 0.43). Additionally, there was a 37.3% reduction in pain severity (p<0.001) and a 36.4% reduction in pain duration (p<0.001).

 

  • Abdominal Distention: The reduction in abdominal distention was significant compared to placebo (p<0.034), with an effect size of 0.26.

 

  • Global IBS Symptoms: The UABia-12 group had baseline mean IBS-SSS scores of 305.45, which improved by a 104.5-point reduction. This change exceeds the Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of 50 points for the IBS-SSS tool, indicating a meaningful improvement in symptoms. The improvement was statistically significant compared to placebo by day 42 (p<0.001), with an effect size of 0.53, indicating a moderate effect.

 

  • Quality of Life (QoL): Despite intragroup improvements in IBS-QoL, no significant differences were observed when compared to placebo. A significant effect on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was noted at day 21 (p=0.030), though this effect was not sustained by the end of the study.

 

Key Takeaways:

The probiotic B. lactis UABia-12 shows promise as a therapeutic option for managing IBS symptoms. Beneficial effect sizes were observed for bowel habits, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, and IBS Symptom Severity scores, suggesting a small to moderate clinical benefit. These findings indicate that B. lactis UABia-12 may be helpful for IBS symptom management. Further research is recommended to confirm these results.

 

 

Dosing Instructions: 

Potentially Effective Dose(s) 10 billion CFU per day
Form Capsules; taken as one capsule per day before a meal with water 
Suggested Minimum 

Trial Duration

6 weeks 

 

 

References:

Martoni CJ, Srivastava S, Leyer GJ. Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium lactis UAB1a-12 improve abdominal pain severity and symptomology in irritable bowel syndrome: Randomized controlled trial.  Nutrients 2020;12:363. [doi: 10.3390/nu12020363

Read More…

One study assessed the effects of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis UABla-12 on various IBS symptoms and quality of life over a 42-day period. The main areas of focus were bowel habits, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, global IBS symptoms, and overall quality of life (QoL).

 

Key Findings:

 

  • Bowel Habits: The UABia-12 group saw significant improvements in stool form. Initially, 39.1% of participants reported having abnormal stool forms (types 1, 2, 6, and 7 on the Bristol Stool Scale). By day 42, 75.5% of these participants had transitioned to normal stool forms, with only 20% still experiencing abnormal forms. This change represented a 23.9% relative increase in normal stool forms and a 48.8% reduction in abnormal forms, a statistically significant difference (p=0.022; Cohen’s d = 0.43).

 

  • Abdominal Pain: For pain severity, 28.2% of participants in the UABia-12 group were classified as responders, with a >30% reduction in pain by day 42 (p=0.031; effect size = 0.43). Additionally, there was a 37.3% reduction in pain severity (p<0.001) and a 36.4% reduction in pain duration (p<0.001).

 

  • Abdominal Distention: The reduction in abdominal distention was significant compared to placebo (p<0.034), with an effect size of 0.26.

 

  • Global IBS Symptoms: The UABia-12 group had baseline mean IBS-SSS scores of 305.45, which improved by a 104.5-point reduction. This change exceeds the Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of 50 points for the IBS-SSS tool, indicating a meaningful improvement in symptoms. The improvement was statistically significant compared to placebo by day 42 (p<0.001), with an effect size of 0.53, indicating a moderate effect.

 

  • Quality of Life (QoL): Despite intragroup improvements in IBS-QoL, no significant differences were observed when compared to placebo. A significant effect on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was noted at day 21 (p=0.030), though this effect was not sustained by the end of the study.

 

Key Takeaways:

The probiotic B. lactis UABia-12 shows promise as a therapeutic option for managing IBS symptoms. Beneficial effect sizes were observed for bowel habits, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, and IBS Symptom Severity scores, suggesting a small to moderate clinical benefit. These findings indicate that B. lactis UABia-12 may be helpful for IBS symptom management. Further research is recommended to confirm these results.

 

 

Dosing Instructions: 

Potentially Effective Dose(s) 10 billion CFU per day
Form Capsules; taken as one capsule per day before a meal with water 
Suggested Minimum 

Trial Duration

6 weeks 

 

 

References:

Martoni CJ, Srivastava S, Leyer GJ. Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium lactis UAB1a-12 improve abdominal pain severity and symptomology in irritable bowel syndrome: Randomized controlled trial.  Nutrients 2020;12:363. [doi: 10.3390/nu12020363

Read More…

One study assessed the effects of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis UABla-12 on various IBS symptoms and quality of life over a 42-day period. The main areas of focus were bowel habits, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, global IBS symptoms, and overall quality of life (QoL).

 

Key Findings:

 

  • Bowel Habits: The UABia-12 group saw significant improvements in stool form. Initially, 39.1% of participants reported having abnormal stool forms (types 1, 2, 6, and 7 on the Bristol Stool Scale). By day 42, 75.5% of these participants had transitioned to normal stool forms, with only 20% still experiencing abnormal forms. This change represented a 23.9% relative increase in normal stool forms and a 48.8% reduction in abnormal forms, a statistically significant difference (p=0.022; Cohen’s d = 0.43).

 

  • Abdominal Pain: For pain severity, 28.2% of participants in the UABia-12 group were classified as responders, with a >30% reduction in pain by day 42 (p=0.031; effect size = 0.43). Additionally, there was a 37.3% reduction in pain severity (p<0.001) and a 36.4% reduction in pain duration (p<0.001).

 

  • Abdominal Distention: The reduction in abdominal distention was significant compared to placebo (p<0.034), with an effect size of 0.26.

 

  • Global IBS Symptoms: The UABia-12 group had baseline mean IBS-SSS scores of 305.45, which improved by a 104.5-point reduction. This change exceeds the Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of 50 points for the IBS-SSS tool, indicating a meaningful improvement in symptoms. The improvement was statistically significant compared to placebo by day 42 (p<0.001), with an effect size of 0.53, indicating a moderate effect.

 

  • Quality of Life (QoL): Despite intragroup improvements in IBS-QoL, no significant differences were observed when compared to placebo. A significant effect on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was noted at day 21 (p=0.030), though this effect was not sustained by the end of the study.

 

Key Takeaways:

The probiotic B. lactis UABia-12 shows promise as a therapeutic option for managing IBS symptoms. Beneficial effect sizes were observed for bowel habits, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, and IBS Symptom Severity scores, suggesting a small to moderate clinical benefit. These findings indicate that B. lactis UABia-12 may be helpful for IBS symptom management. Further research is recommended to confirm these results.

 

 

Dosing Instructions: 

Potentially Effective Dose(s) 10 billion CFU per day
Form Capsules; taken as one capsule per day before a meal with water 
Suggested Minimum 

Trial Duration

6 weeks 

 

 

References:

Martoni CJ, Srivastava S, Leyer GJ. Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium lactis UAB1a-12 improve abdominal pain severity and symptomology in irritable bowel syndrome: Randomized controlled trial.  Nutrients 2020;12:363. [doi: 10.3390/nu12020363

02
Results
Overall evidence quality grade
90%

This probiotic has higher quality studies in IBS populations supporting it. View our evidence evaluation framework to learn how we assess the quality of studies.

03
Patient Handout
#open-labels
#randomized-controlled-trials
#studied-doses
04
Clinical Studies
  • #
  • Study
  • Year
  • Author(s)
  • Journal
  • Reference
  • Daily Dose
  • Duration of Intervention
  • Form
  • Study Design
  • Age
  • Participants
    • Study #1
    • Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium lactis UAB1a-12 improve abdominal pain severity and symptomology in irritable bowel syndrome: Randomized controlled trial

    • 2020
    • Martoni CJ, Srivastava S, Leyer GJ.
    • Nutrients 2020;12:363

    • DOI: 10.3390/nu12020363
    • 10 billion CFU
    • 6 weeks
    • Capsule
      • RANDOMIZED
      • DOUBLE-BLIND
      • PLACEBO-CONTROLLED
      • MULTICENTER
      • PROSPECTIVE
      • THREE PARALLEL ARMS
    • ADULTS

    • ITT,PP (total) n=336,318
      ITT,PP (UABIa-12 ) n=111,105
      ITT,PP (DDS-1® ) n=113,107
      ITT,PP (placebo) n=109,106
05
Findings from studies

#

  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Bowel Habits
  • Global IBS Symptoms
  • Abdominal Pain / Discomfort
  • Bloating / Distention
  • Gas / Flatulence
  • Nausea / Vomiting
  • Mental Health
  • Quality of Life
  • Miscellaneous Symptoms
  • Notes
  • Study #1

    • Diarrhea
      • No subtype specific statistical analysis was conducted. At baseline, n=21 (19.1%) of participants in the UABIa-12 group were classified as having diarrhea (a type 6 or 7 stool form on the Bristol stool scale).

      • By the end of treatment, n=12 (10.9%) of participants were classified as having constipation. This was a 42.9%% relative mean reduction in participants experiencing diarrhea from baseline till the end of treatment. This was a 55.1% relative therapeutic gain over the placebo group.

    • Constipation
      • No subtype specific statistical analysis was conducted. At baseline, n=22 (20%) of participants in the UABIa-12 group were classified as having constipation (a type 1 or 2 stool form on the bristol stool scale).

      • By the end of treatment, n=10 (9.1%) of participants were classified as having constipation. This was a 54.5% relative reduction in participants experiencing constipation from baseline till the end of treatment.

      • This was a 66.7% relative mean therapeutic gain over the placebo group, which experienced a higher occurrence of constipation by the end of treatment relative to baseline measurements.

    • Bowel Habits
      • Bowel habits were assessed using the IBS-SSS. The UABia-12 group experienced a mean absolute symptom score reduction of 17.86 points (a 28.3% relative reduction from baseline), which was statistically significant compared to placebo (p=0.001) by day 42 of the intervention.

      • The mean relative therapeutic gain over placebo was 15.1%. At baseline, 39.1% (43 out of 110) of participants in the UABia-12 group experienced abnormal stool forms (types 1, 2, 6, and 7 on the Bristol Stool Scale).

      • By day 42, 75.5% (83 out of 105) of participants in the UABia-12 group had normal stool forms, while only 20% (22 out of 105) continued to have abnormal stool forms. This represented a 23.9% relative increase in participants with normal stool forms and a 48.8% reduction in those with abnormal stool forms from baseline.

      • The relative therapeutic gain over placebo for reducing abnormal stool forms was 49%. Changes in bowel habits between the UABia-12 and placebo groups were statistically significant (p=0.022) by day 42.

      • We calculated an effect size of 0.43 for this parameter, which falls within our lowest effect size range. There were no statistically significant changes in stool frequency in the UABia-12 group.

    • Global IBS Symptoms
      • The UABIa-12 group had baseline mean IBS-SSS scores of 305.45, which improved by a 104.5 point reduction, exceeding the MCID for this validated measurement tool. This effect was statistically significant compared to placebo by day 42 (p<0.001).

      • The mean relative decrease in IBS-SSS total score was 34.2%. Relative mean therapeutic gain over placebo was 5.4%.

      • We calculated an effect size of 0.53 for this parameter, placing it within our moderate effect size range.

    • Abdominal Pain / Discomfort
      • Based on abdominal pain severity scores from the APS-NRS, the B.lactis UABIa-12 group had 28.2% of participants classified as abdominal pain responders by day 42, meaning they had a >30% reduction in abdominal pain severity (p=0.031). The therapeutic gain over placebo was 12.6%.

      • We calculated an effect size of 0.43 for this parameter which falls within our lowest effect size range.

      • Results from another screening tool used in the study called the IBS symptom severity score (IBS-SSS) also revealed significant benefits for abdominal pain severity and duration compared to the placebo group for the UABla-12 probiotic group.

      • For the abdominal pain severity parameter, there was a mean absolute reduction of 24.35 points (-37.3%) from baseline by day 42. This was statistically significant compared to placebo (p<0.001) and the UABIa-12 group had a mean therapeutic gain over placebo of 17.3%.

      • For abdominal pain duration, the UABla-12 group had an absolute mean reduction of 20.95 points (36.4%) by day 42 that was statistically significant compared to placebo (p<0.001). The mean therapeutic gain over placebo in the UABIa-12 group was 21.1%.

    • Bloating / Distention
      • Abdominal distention was assessed using the IBS-SSS. The UABIa-12 group experienced a mean absolute symptom score reduction of 21.90 points (37.0%), which was statistically significant compared to placebo (p<0.034). The mean relative therapeutic gain over placebo was 10.5%.

      • We calculated an effect size of 0.26 for this parameter, placing it within our lowest effect size range.

    • Gas / Flatulence
      • No data

    • Nausea / Vomiting
      • No data

    • Mental Health
      • No data

    • Quality of Life
      • In participants taking B. lactis UABla-12, despite intragroup improvement in IBS-QoL, no significant differences were observed when compared to placebo.

      • Additionally, a significant effect was observed between B. lactis UABla-12 and placebo on the perceived stress scale (PSS) at day 21 (p = 0.030), however, no difference was observed at the end of study visit.

      • For the QOL measure on the IBS-SSS tool, the UABIa-12 group experienced a statistically significant mean relative improvement of 31.7% from baseline till day 42 (p=0.001). Therapeutic gain over placebo was 13.8%.

    • Miscellaneous Symptoms
      • No data

    • Notes
      • No data

#open-labels
#randomized-controlled-trials
#studied-doses