Boris Le Nevé, Philippe Marteau, Caroline Pichon, Denis Guyonnet, Laurent Quinquis, Peter J. Whorwell, Laboratoire des biomolécules (LBM UMR 7203), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Département de Chimie - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Chimie Moléculaire de Paris Centre (FR 2769), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris - Chimie ParisTech-PSL (ENSCP), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris - Chimie ParisTech-PSL (ENSCP), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), CHU Saint-Antoine [AP-HP], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Danone Nutricia Research [Palaiseau, France], Centre Daniel Carasso [Palaiseau, France], Wythenshawe Hospital [Manchester, UK], University of South Manchester, Diana Nova [Clichy La Garenne, France], Chimie Moléculaire de Paris Centre (FR 2769), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris - Chimie ParisTech-PSL (ENSCP), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département de Chimie - ENS Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Gestionnaire, Hal Sorbonne Université
Background. Minor digestive symptoms are common and dietary approaches such as probiotic administration or fibre and fermentable carbohydrate intake adjustments are often recommended. A Fermented Milk Product (FMP) containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CNCM I-2494 and lactic acid bacteria has been shown to improve digestive symptoms after 4 weeks of consumption, but the speed of onset of this effect and its dependence on fibre intake or physical activity is unknown. To answer these questions, data from two previously published trials on FMP for minor digestive symptoms were combined. Methods. In total, 538 participants provided weekly assessments of bloating, abdominal pain/discomfort, flatulence, borborygmi/rumbling stomach from which a composite score was calculated. At baseline in one study (n = 336), dietary fibre consumption was recorded and physical activity classified as high, moderate or low. The speed of the FMP&rsquo, s effect was assessed by a repeated measure analysis of variance measuring the change from baseline for the composite score of digestive symptoms. Results. FMP consumption resulted in a significant decrease in the composite score of symptoms after only 2 weeks in both studies and the pooled data at week 1 (&minus, 0.35 [&minus, 0.69, 0.00], p = 0.05), week 2 (&minus, 0.66 [&minus, 1.04, &minus, 0.27], p <, 0.001), week 3 (&minus, 0.49 [&minus, 0.89, &minus, 0.10], p = 0.01) and week 4 (&minus, 0.46 [&minus, 0.88, &minus, 0.04], p = 0.03). The interactions fibre intake-by-product group, physical activity-by-product group and time-by-product group were not statistically significant. Conclusion. FMP consumption leads to a rapid improvement in symptoms which is likely to encourage adherence to this dietary intervention. This effect is independent of dietary fibre and physical activity.