TDNet Discover

Objective: To determine if probiotics is an effective stand-alone or adjuvant prevention or treatment modality for Ulcerative Colitis? Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Methods: Searches were performed in PubMed and Google Scholar using the search terms: probiotic disease prevention, microbiota impact on health, probiotic disease prevention of ulcerative colitis, and probiotics Inflammatory bowel disease. Search limitations included using only peer reviewed journals as well as articles published 2007 onward. Results: The search yielded many articles, three of which were found to be critical to addressing this clinical question. One was a meta-analysis comprising of most key research regarding probiotics as a treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease leading up to 2016. A second study addressed the specific bacterium, Bifidobacterium breve as a possible treatment modality in ulcerative colitis. The third study addressed probiotics as a possible adjuvant treatment to Mesalamine. Conclusion: Certain probiotics are effective stand-alone treatment approaches to different phases of ulcerative colitis whereas others are effective as adjuvant contributors when combined with current clinical treatment standards like Mesalamine