Effects of probiotic supplements on insulin resistance in gestational diabetes mellitus: A double‐blind randomized controlled trial

Study answer

What this study found

Probiotic supplementation for 4 weeks improved markers of glucose metabolism without reported adverse effects. In the probiotic group, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR changed less than placebo, with between-group mean differences of -3.94 mg/dL (95% CI -7.62, -0.27; p=0.03), -2.67 mIU/L (95% CI -3.57, -1.76; p=0.01), and -0.63 (95% CI -0.86, -0.41; p=0.01), respectively. Weight gain did not differ significantly between groups (MD -0.06 kg; p=0.78). The authors concluded that probiotics may be a safe adjunctive treatment for glycemic control in women with GDM.

Study & population

Double-blind randomized controlled trial in pregnant Thai women with diet-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation, conducted at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.

Intervention

Pregnant women with diet-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus received one oral capsule daily of a probiotic product (Infloran®) containing Lactobacillus acidophilus 1000 million CFU and Bifidobacterium bifidum 1000 million CFU for 4 consecutive weeks after the morning meal, compared with placebo.

Key limitation

The trial was short, lasting only 4 weeks, so long-term maternal and neonatal effects were not assessed.

View full study detailsView sourceOpen PDF

Original abstract