Chronic gas and bloating can be painful and embarrassing, but these conditions can be somewhat prevented as well as treated. Research on probiotics’ effect on bloating and gas has had encouraging results.
According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, among the common causes of bloating and gas are:
• Too much gas in the intestine
• Abnormal levels of bacteria in the small intestine (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, aka SIBO)
• Imbalance of micro-organisms that usually live in the bowel (dysbacteriosis); sometimes the result of taking antibiotics
These causes identified by the IFFGD are the most likely conditions that would react positively to taking probiotics to combat chronic bloating and gas.
When starting probiotics, some people have reported increased gas and bloating, but within a few days the good bacteria will effectively kill off the bad bacteria and the occurrences of gas and bloating should reduce dramatically.
According to a CNN report, tests on two probiotic strains revealed significant improvement for participants compared to the test subjects who were administered the placebo.
“In two trials involving more than 400 patients, a daily dose of [Bifidobacterium infantis 35624] significantly relieved gut pain and discomfort [from bloating]. And in study of 60 patients, a daily shot of [L. plantarum DSM9843] reduced gas by more than 50 percent,” said CNN.
Fitness magazine also reported: "Bifidobacterium infantis is the only probiotic strain that studies show relieves GI symptoms, such as bloating, a Northwestern University review found."
So when shopping for a probiotic, look for strains of Bifidobacterium infantis included in the supplement.