The study, led by Registered Dietitian Tracey J. Smith, an adjunct professor at UMDNJ-SHRP, randomized 198 college students aged 18 to 25 and living on-campus in residence halls at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. Groups received either a placebo (97 students) or a powder blend containing Chr. Hansen's probiotic strains BB-12(r) and LGG(r) (101 students) for 12 weeks. Each day, students completed a survey to assess the effect of the probiotic supplementation.
Although there have been previous studies on the effect of probiotics on the duration of colds and severity of symptoms, this is the first study to investigate the effect of probiotic strains on HRQL during upper-respiratory infections, taking into account duration, symptom severity and functional impairment-all important factors of HRQL.
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A duration of colds that was two days shorter (four days vs. six days)
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Quiz on Common Cold
A person afflicted with the common cold is most infectious three days after the start of infection. Find out more about the malady and about some simple home remedies to counter the problem from this quiz on cold.
A person afflicted with the common cold is most infectious three days after the start of infection. Find out more about the malady and about some simple home remedies to counter the problem from this quiz on cold.
A higher quality of life that resulted in fewer missed school days (15 vs. 34 missed by students taking the placebo).
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Canadian R&D Center for Probiotics’ director, Dr Gregor Reid has urged the health agencies in the United States and Europe to implement a Category Tree system
Canadian R&D Center for Probiotics’ director, Dr Gregor Reid has urged the health agencies in the United States and Europe to implement a Category Tree system
"Cold symptoms like a stuffy nose and sore throat are the body's inflammatory response toward a virus, not a direct action of the virus itself. Probiotic microorganisms may soften your immune system's reaction by reducing your body's inflammatory response," explained Smith.
The Take-Away for the Public:
"If cost is not an issue, then otherwise healthy persons who are especially stressed, sleep-deprived or living in close quarters [such as a college dormitory] could supplement daily during cold season with both LGG and BB12 to improve their quality of life if/when they do get a cold," said Smith.
However she cautions that not all probiotics are created equal.
"The study supports the combination of LGG and BB12-two very specific strains of probiotics. These two strains also are in a number of supplement-type products that are available over the counter," she said, "but consumers need to read the label to be sure that the product contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG [LGG] and Bifidobacterium animalis lactis BB12 [BB12]. There also are some yogurts that contain LGG and/or BB12 but check the labels, since companies change the probiotics strains often."
"People should also recognize that probiotics are not for everyone. Those considering probiotic supplementation should consult with their physician first," Smith added.
An article detailing the results of the study was published in the October 2012 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.
Source-ANI
