Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2012; 18(33): 4563-4569
Published online Sep 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4563
Effect of composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis
Yang Won Min, Sang Un Park, Yeon Sil Jang, Young-Ho Kim, Poong-Lyul Rhee, Seo Hyun Ko, Nami Joo, Sun Im Kim, Cheol-Hyun Kim, Dong Kyung Chang
Yang Won Min, Sang Un Park, Yeon Sil Jang, Young-Ho Kim, Poong-Lyul Rhee, Dong Kyung Chang, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, South Korea
Seo Hyun Ko, Nami Joo, Sun Im Kim, Department of Food and Nutrition, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul 140-742, South Korea
Cheol-Hyun Kim, Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, South Korea
Author contributions: Min YW analyzed the data and wrote the draft manuscript; Park SU and Jang YS analyzed the data; Kim YH and Rhee PL provided the data and undertook critical revision of the manuscript; Ko SH, Joo N, Kim SI and Kim CH undertook critical revision of the manuscript and were involved in study design; and Chang DK designed the study.
Supported by The Seoul Research and Business Development Program, No. 10582; Namyang Dairy Product Co. Ltd, which produced and provided the test and control yogurts for this study
Correspondence to: Dong Kyung Chang, Professor, MD, PhD, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, South Korea. dkchang@skku.edu
Telephone: +82-2-34103409 Fax: +82-2-34106983
Received: December 19, 2011
Revised: April 26, 2012
Accepted: May 6, 2012
Published online: September 7, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate whether composite yogurt with acacia dietary fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis (B. lactis) has additive effects in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

METHODS: A total of 130 patients were randomly allocated to consume, twice daily for 8 wk, either the composite yogurt or the control product. The composite yogurt contained acacia dietary fiber and high-dose B. lactis together with two classic yogurt starter cultures. Patients were evaluated using the visual analog scale via a structured questionnaire administered at baseline and after treatment.

RESULTS: Improvements in bowel habit satisfaction and overall IBS symptoms from baseline were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (27.16 vs 15.51, P = 0.010, 64.2 ± 17.0 vs 50.4 ± 20.5, P < 0.001; respectively). In constipation-predominant IBS, improvement in overall IBS symptoms was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (72.4 ± 18.4 vs 50.0 ± 21.8, P < 0.001). In patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS, improvement in bowel habit satisfaction from baseline was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (32.90 vs 7.81, P = 0.006).

CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and B. lactis has greater therapeutic effects in patients with IBS than standard yogurt.

Keywords: Acacia dietary fiber, Bifidobacterium lactis, Irritable bowel syndrome, Probiotics, Yogurt