Meta-analysis supports probiotic yeast for managing symptoms of GI disorders

24-Mar-2017 - Last updated on 24-Mar-2017 at 13:50 GMT

Supplements containing Lesaffre Human Care’s ibSium (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856) may improve gastrointestinal symptoms in people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

ibSium supplementation resulted in 12.3% decreases in pain/gastrointestinal discomfort, compared with placebo, which is above the 10% minimum threshold considered by the scientific experts as clinically relevant, according to findings published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

“Beyond the scientifically vetted proof of efficacy it provides, this new official publication is a recognition of the company’s long-term investment in providing strong scientific and clinical data to substantiate the health benefits of its patented ingredient: ibSium,” said Elodie Ruffin, Product Manager for Probiotics at Lesaffre Human Care.

“Approximately a third of the world’s population – roughly 2.4 billion people – is complaining about some gut-related symptoms. In this context, it is our responsibility, as one of the major companies in the human care segment, to contribute to improving the quality of life of these people by providing a natural alternative proven to help ease gastrointestinal symptoms,” she added.

Meta-analysis details

Scientists from Lesaffre, Biofortis – Mérieux NutriSciences, and Lille University North of France analyzed data from 579 IBS subjects. Results showed that, for the overall population, ibSium consumption led to statistically significant reduction in pain/gastrointestinal discomfort.

In addition, when the researchers focused their analysis on a subset of IBS subjects characterized by constipation (IBS-C), the yeast supplement was associated with statistically significant reduction in bloating (12.3%), compared to the placebo group.

In this subpopulation, stool consistency in the ibSium group was significantly higher and classified as normal compared to the placebo group at the end of the supplementation period, added the scientists.

“This means that S. cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 improves IBS symptoms in a significant and relevant manner in IBS patients, in a global IBS population and in the IBS-C subtype during the second month of consumption,” they wrote.

Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology
2017, Volume 23, Number 2, Pages 336-344, doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i2.336
“Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 in irritable bowel syndrome: an individual subject meta-analysis”
Authors: A. Cayzeele-Decherf, et al.