Efficacy of probiotics on digestive disorders and acute respiratory infections: a controlled clinical trial in young Vietnamese children
Trương Tuyết, Phạm Thị Thư, Hoang Thi Thanh Hang, Trần Thị Thu Trang, Shintaro Yui, Akira Shigehisa, Vu Thuy Tien, Truong Viet Dung, Phan Bich Nga, Nguyen Trong Hung, Lê Danh Tuyên
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on the incidence of constipation, diarrhea, acute respiratory infections (ARI), and nutritional status of young Vietnamese children. METHODS: CFU/mL of LcS for the 12-week intervention period, whereas the control group (n = 493) was not given any. The incidence of constipation, diarrhea, ARI, and anthropometry in children was determined at baseline, after 4, 8, and 12-week intervention, and after the 4-week follow-up period. RESULTS: Probiotic drink decreased the incidence of constipation after the 12-week intervention period (12.0% vs. 32.0%, OR = 0.28 (95% CI: 0.21-0.40), p < 0.001), tended to decrease the incidence of diarrhea (4.9% vs. 7.9%, OR = 0.60 (95% CI: 0.35-1.01), p = 0.068), and prevented the occurrence of ARI (15.9% vs. 24.5%, OR = 0.58 (95% CI: 0.42-0.79), p < 0.001), when compared with the control group. In contrast, no probiotic effects were observed for the duration of diarrhea or ARI. Weight gain was higher in the probiotic group than in the control group after 4, 8, and 12-week intervention and after the 4-week follow-up period (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Daily intake of fermented milk containing LcS strongly prevented the incidence of constipation and ARI in Vietnamese children. This study also revealed the potential effects of the use of a probiotic drink on diarrhea prevention as well as nutritional status improvement.