Probiotic cuts kids fever duration over one day
Cold and flu season is in full swing, giving the supplement industry more opportunity than ever to support the immune health of consumers. From mushrooms and herbs to emerging biotic solutions playing on the gut-immune connection, formulation options are plentiful (check out the immune health digital magazine to learn more).
To that end, researchers studied the impact of supplementation with a combination probiotic on upper respiratory illnesses in children. The results showed impressive outcomes, demonstrating great benefit for children battling seasonal bugs.
Why is this important?
The common cold is a common nuisance – it is one of the top primary diagnoses at doctor office visits. As with many viral infections, there often is little to be done besides treating the symptoms and waiting it out.
Few supplements demonstrate proven ability to shorten duration of viral illnesses. While antiviral medication requires a prescription, probiotics may provide a convenient and safe over-the-counter option that is a low-risk, high-reward method for aiding quicker recovery from viruses.
Probiotics make use of the well-established connection between the gut microbiome and immune health. In fact, the digestive tract houses a large portion of the immune system in the form of gut-associated lymphoid tissue. This means dietary intervention – especially supplements including prebiotics and probiotics – are a helpful strategy for the treatment and prevention of various health issues, including viral illnesses.
What are the key takeaways from this probiotic study?
Children whom pediatricians diagnosed with an upper respiratory virus experienced a significant decrease in the duration of fever as well as pain and discomfort. This finding was consistent across all viruses – respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), coronaviruses, rhinoviruses, etc. – showing the supplement is a useful add-on treatment for upper respiratory illness.
What ingredient was studied?
The probiotic is a blend of four lactic acid bacteria strains: Pediococcus acidilactici KABP021 (CECT7483) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains KABP022 (CECT7484), KABP023 (CECT7485) and KABP033 (CECT30292), marketed as AB21 by Kaneka Probiotics.
What were the details of the clinical trial?
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Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
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Study size: 75 children, ages 6 months to 5 years, diagnosed by a pediatrician with an upper respiratory infection accompanied by fever and pharyngitis.
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Length: Participants took the supplement or placebo for 15 days; follow-up continued for an additional 45 days.
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Dosage: One capsule with 2 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) or greater of the AB21 probiotic blend or placebo, taken twice daily. Parents or caregivers dissolved the capsule contents in water or milk prior to administration. Supplementation began within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
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Outcomes measured: Number of days with fever, number of days with pain or discomfort defined as a score of greater than 3 on the FLACC (face, legs, activity, crying and consolability) scale, number of days with symptoms, co-medication use to treat fevers or nasal congestion.
What were the results?
Children who received the probiotic experienced 1.1 fewer days of fever and 0.7 fewer days of pain or discomfort as compared to children who received the placebo. Both decreases were statistically significant.
There was no significant difference between supplement or placebo groups regarding co-medication use or reports of adverse events. Participants reported no severe adverse effects. There were some reports of self-limiting gastrointestinal (GI) illness, although this was the same for both groups and several participants reported GI symptoms at baseline.
How does this build upon prior research?
This was the first study evaluating the impact of AB21 supplementation in children with upper respiratory viral illness.
Researchers previously studied AB21 in a clinical trial with adult Covid-19 patients, which showed participants receiving the probiotic cleared the virus and recovered from symptoms faster as compared with those receiving the placebo. Patients receiving the probiotic also had an increase in Covid-19-specific immunoglobulins.
There are several clinical trials in the published literature showing the benefit of various strains of probiotics in the face of respiratory illness, mainly in adults. Reviews and meta-analyses suggest the results are mixed but support the notion probiotics are helpful against viral respiratory illnesses. A meta-analysis on athletes showed probiotics decreased severity of symptoms but did not decrease illness duration.
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