Effectiveness of Sterilized Symbiotic Drink Containing Lactobacillus helveticus Comparable to Probiotic Alone in Patients with Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Background This study aimed to objectively investigate whether the addition of polydextrose to sterilized probiotic containing Lactobacillus helveticus will confer benefits to constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients. Methods A total of 163 patients were randomized into two groups: Group A to consume 350 mL of sterilized probiotic with 5.85 g polydextrose daily for 1 week and Group B without polydextrose. Intestinal transit time, fecal pH, fecal weight, and modified Garrigues questionnaires for pre- and post-consumption were assessed. Results Median intestinal transit time was significantly reduced from 58 (IQR 43–72) to 45 (IQR 24–59) hours and 48 (IQR 31–72) to 30 (IQR 24–49) hours for Groups A and B, respectively ( p