Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG® and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12® on health-related quality of life in college students affected by upper respiratory infections
What this study found
The probiotic combination was associated with less impairment during upper respiratory infections than placebo. URI duration was 33% (2 d) longer in the placebo group than in the probiotic group (5.58 vs 7.11 days; P<0.001, one-tailed), and total severity scores were 34% (30 points) higher with placebo (157.30 vs 100.43; P=0.0003, one-tailed). Missed school days were fewer in the probiotic group (P=0.002, one-tailed), while missed work days did not differ (P=0.429, one-tailed). No significant differences in adverse events were reported.
- Study & population
- Randomized placebo-controlled trial in apparently healthy college students living in residence halls at Framingham State University in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.
- Intervention
- Participants in the active arm received one daily 5 g strawberry-flavoured powder stick for 12 weeks containing at least 1 billion CFU of Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp.
- Key limitation
- Findings come from a single-campus sample of apparently healthy college students, which limits generalizability.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
College students are susceptible to upper respiratory infections (URI) due to inadequate sleep, stress and close living quarters. Certain probiotic strains modulate immune function and may improve health-related quality of life (HRQL) during URI. The present study recruited apparently healthy college students and assessed the effect of probiotics on HRQL outcomes (i.e. self-reported duration, symptom severity and functional impairment of URI) in those who developed URI. Missed school and work days due to URI were also considered. Subjects (n 231) were apparently healthy college students living on campus in residence halls at the Framingham State University (Framingham, MA, USA), and were randomised to receive placebo (n 117) or probiotic-containing powder (daily dose of minimum 1 billion colony-forming units of each Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG® (LGG®) and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12® (BB-12®); n 114) for 12 weeks. Subjects completed The Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21 to assess HRQL during URI. The final analyses included 198 subjects (placebo, n 97 and probiotics, n 101). The median duration of URI was significantly shorter by 2 d and median severity score was significantly lower by 34 % with probiotics v. placebo (P< 0·001), indicating a higher HRQL during URI. Number of missed work days was not different between groups (P= 0·429); however, the probiotics group missed significantly fewer school days (mean difference = 0·2 d) compared to the placebo group (P= 0·002). LGG® and BB-12® may be beneficial among college students with URI for mitigating decrements in HRQL. More research is warranted regarding mechanisms of action associated with these findings and the cost–benefit of prophylactic supplementation.