Gnosis by Lesaffre’s yeast probiotic alleviates IBS symptoms, study reveals

10 Feb 2020 --- Gnosis by Lesaffre’s yeast strain ibSium (S.cerevisiae CNCM I-3856) can provide abdominal pain relief and improve bowel habits as well as stool consistency. This is according to a clinical study published in the International Journal of Colorectal. The study associated IbSium’s efficacy with the strain’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity in subjects with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The company estimates that up to 20 percent of adults in certain areas suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, representing hundreds of million people worldwide.

“Considering these last findings, ibSium is one of the most documented probiotics to support complete intestinal comfort and represents an alternative of natural origin for people suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms,” says Elodie Ruffin, Probiotics Product Manager of Gnosis by Lesaffre. 

The prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study followed 100 volunteers with IBS who supplemented twice daily with the ibSium probiotic. For the first two weeks, they took ibSium in addition to standard treatment, including antidiarrheal, laxative and antispasmodic products. Later, they took ibSium alone for six weeks.

After two weeks, study participants supplementing with ibSium already started to show signs of improvement. (Source: Gnosis by Lesaffre)The abdominal pain score was reduced by 21 percent after 4 weeks and 26 percent after eight weeks in comparison with a placebo test group. Moreover, the supplementing test subjects reported a significant improvement in stool consistency after four and eight weeks compared to the placebo group in two different IBS populations. After two months of ibSium supplementation, the stool consistency was classified as “normal,” the study concluded.

Previous studies have already indicated that ibSium may be beneficial for gut and digestive health, the study emphasizes. The efficacy of the probiotic has previously demonstrated utility in gastrointestinal symptoms management – abdominal pain, bloating, constipation – through two earlier clinical studies and a meta-analysis.

With probiotics already being well-known by end-consumers to support digestive health, there is a steady demand for supplementation treatments against IBS symptoms. “Few treatment options are both efficient and well-tolerated. Only 8 percent of the people affected are satisfied with their current treatment,” Ruffin highlights. 

IBS pain relief
Gastrointestinal symptoms are frequently reported in the general population and have been associated with a substantially altered quality of life. Abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel habits may either individually or collectively affect individual perceptions of gastrointestinal comfort.

Moreover, IBS can lead to considerable impairment of health-related quality of life and increased healthcare costs. Available therapies are not efficient in treating the symptoms of IBS, the study further underscores.

In addition to regular supplementation, maintaining a healthy diet low in fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) may also alleviate symptoms associated with IBS. “The low-FODMAP diet has been shown to help 75 percent of people following it, reduce gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, flatulence or general discomfort related to IBS,” Jussi Loponen, Head of Research at Fazer Group, tells NutritionInsight.

Meanwhile, probiotic solutions continue to spur NPD innovation, most notably with Sabinsa’s recent patent approval for Lactospore. The Bacillus coagulans probiotic is said to help manage dementia and dementia-related sleep disorders, which appear as symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in people suffering from IBS. This opens up a new avenue of research in the field of enteric-neurobiology and brain-gut-microbiome axis, the company notes.

Edited by Anni Schleicher