Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition of unknown aetiology, the medical management of which is unsatisfactory. Despite evidence that a disturbance of intestinal flora may be responsible for the initiation and or chronicity of the distressing symptoms, little attention has been paid to the potential advantages of correcting this imbalance by using probiotics. Results of 12 clinical trials, involving 1371 patients in all, in which probiotic treatment was given have been reviewed. In 10 (five of which were randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled), use of probiotics was beneficial. The probiotic agents, dosage and duration of treatment varied widely between the studies. Despite several shortcomings in terms of study design and publication details, there now seems to be sufficient evidence of the therapeutic efficacy for this inexpensive and safe treatment modality to be tested more widely.