A new randomized trial conducted in Belgium has shown that spore-forming probiotics appear to be safe and effective for treating symptoms of functional dyspepsia.

An intention-to-treat analysis that included 55 patients with functional dyspepsia revealed that a greater proportion of the patients who received probiotics attained a clinical response at 8 weeks in comparison with patients who received placebo (48% vs. 20%, respectively). Additionally, probiotics were well-tolerated. A similar proportion of patients in the two study groups reported adverse events like gastritis, flu-like symptoms, or skin infections. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events. The findings are published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology… (Medpage Today)