A recent study conducted by researchers at Duke Health suggests that probiotics, specifically lactobacillus, can significantly delay a COVID infection and reduce symptoms among unvaccinated individuals who have been in close contact with a COVID-positive household member. The findings of this randomized, placebo-controlled study indicate that probiotics could be a simple and cost-effective treatment for people following a COVID exposure.
These findings come at a crucial time as data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a rise in hospital admissions and deaths due to COVID in the United States, coinciding with holiday gatherings. Additionally, the most recent CDC data indicates that less than 20% of the US population has received the updated COVID vaccine.
Prior to the COVID pandemic, there was compelling evidence suggesting that probiotics offered protection against respiratory infections. Dr. Paul Wischmeyer, the study’s co-lead author and Associate Vice Chair for Clinical Research in Duke’s Department of Anesthesiology, states that it was crucial to investigate whether this simple and well-tolerated intervention could be effective against COVID. The study provides encouraging evidence for the use of probiotics in COVID management.
In March 2020, Wischmeyer and his colleagues, including co-lead author Helen Tang and corresponding author Dr. Anthony Sung, initiated their investigation when COVID vaccines were not yet widely available in the United States. The study enrolled 182 participants who were unvaccinated and had been exposed to someone with COVID but had not yet exhibited symptoms. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to take a lactobacillus probiotic, while the other half received a placebo.
Upon analysis, the researchers discovered that participants in the probiotic group were 60% less likely to develop COVID symptoms compared to those in the placebo group (26.4% vs. 42.9%). Furthermore, the probiotic group showed a delay in acquiring the infection compared to the placebo group.
Although the incidence of COVID-19 diagnosis was numerically lower in the probiotic group, the difference did not reach statistical significance due to the study’s size. Despite this, Wischmeyer emphasizes that various studies have previously demonstrated the efficacy of probiotics in combating respiratory infections, including a significant study among infants in India published in Nature in 2017. Additionally, early studies have indicated that probiotics may enhance the effectiveness of vaccines against other viral illnesses like influenza.
Wischmeyer cites evidence supporting the positive impact of probiotics on immune function. These beneficial microorganisms increase the population of regulatory T-cells, reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines, strengthen the protective barrier of the lungs against infections, and modulate the expression of antiviral genes.
While the study’s sample size was limited, Wischmeyer believes that these findings validate the potential value of symbiotic microbes in the battle against COVID-19 and future pandemics. This may be particularly significant in countries with limited resources where vaccination rates are low, as well as in the United States, where COVID booster shots are not widely available.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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