Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Probiotic Blend Reduces Severity of Upper Respiratory Infections

by | May 29, 2018 | 2013, Probiotics, Respiratory Health

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. A proprietary probiotic blend of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus LLG (LLG) resulted in fewer missed school days and reduced duration and severity of upper respiratory illness in the participating subjects relative to the placebo group.

probioticsCompared to the general population, college students demonstrate increased odds for development of upper respiratory infections (URI) 1. Exposure to a multi-stressor environment, involving heightened psychological stress, along with the close proximity of living quarters to one another, facilitates the transmission of viruses 2, which often results in diminished academic performance and missed school days 3. Studies show that facets of health-related quality of life, namely physical functioning, pain, and social functioning 4, are directly affected by duration and severity of URI symptoms. Given limited evidence for the effectiveness of over-the-counter drugs in the mitigation of infectious disease symptoms 5, new research has focused on the study of probiotics as a more effective way of modulating immune function 6. Because URI symptoms are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to the virus, improved regulation of immune system function through probiotics can significantly reduce URI severity and duration 7. Two particular probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus LLG (LLG), show evidence for enhanced immune function in adults and improvement of URI outcomes in children 8,9. A preliminary study 10 published in the British Journal of Nutrition (2013) investigated the effects of these two probiotic strains on the quality of life of college students with URI, specifically looking at how probiotic supplementation might affect symptomology and functional task impairment.

Using a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design, researchers recruited a total of 198 healthy college students living in on-campus residence halls at Framingham State University. Subjects were randomized to consume either a probiotic-containing powder (daily dose of minimum 1 billion colon-forming units of each Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus LLG) (n = 101) or matching placebo (n = 97) daily for 12 weeks. Students completed the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21 (WURSS-21) to evaluate health-related quality of life during URI and reported on a weekly basis how many school and work days were missed due to URI.

Results indicated that median URI duration was two days (33%) longer for placebo vs. the probiotic group (6.00 vs. 4.00, p = 0.001) and that median severity scores were also 30 points (34%) higher for placebo, relative to the probiotic group (88 vs. 58, p = 0.003). Although the majority of subjects did not report having to miss school due to URI, the number of missed school days was significantly higher for placebo vs. the probiotic group (mean difference = 0.2 days, p = 0.002). No significant difference was detected between groups on missed work days.

In general, data provide a favorable role for Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotics in maintaining health-related quality of life in college students with URI. This proprietary probiotic blend was found to reduce the duration and severity of URI and was associated with fewer missed school days due to illness. It remains for future studies to determine whether these strains are individually effective or work only in combination with one another.

Source: Smith TJ, Rigassio-Radler D, Denmark R, et al. Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus LLG and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 on health-related quality of life in college students affected by upper respiratory infections. British Journal of Nutrition. 2013; 109: 1999-2007. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512004138.

© The Authors 2012

Posted May 29, 2018.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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