Probiotics Improve Immune and Digestive Health and Augment Quality of Life in Healthy Adults-An Open Label Work-Place Study

Abstract

Select probiotic strains are widely known to modulate digestive and immune health functions. However, there are very few studies which demonstrate the efficacy of commercialized multi-strain probiotics on digestive and immune function in healthy adults, and even fewer studies have evaluated the impact of such probiotic blends on the overall quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate if daily consumption of a commercially available multi-strain probiotic blend, could reduce self-assessed respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as improve quality of life parameters in healthy adults. Healthy volunteers were recruited from among employees at MeriCal (Orange County, California and Weber County, Utah), and asked to complete a Quality of Life Questionnaire assessing various parameters of digestive health, immune function, and mental and emotional wellbeing. The responses were collected at the beginning of the study period (pre-trial), and at the end of the 90-day study period (post-trial) during which the probiotic blend was ingested daily. Data from this study demonstrates that a three-month probiotic intervention successfully attenuates digestive health issues, reduces the number of sick days, and improves quality of life as indexed by a self-reported questionnaire. In conclusion, daily supplementation with a multi-strain probiotic is effective in increasing work-place health.