Introduction:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are frequent reasons for medical consultation. Usually they are treated at the first level of attention with adjustment of lifestyle and dietary changes. Pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy and significant side effects, so there is growing interest in other therapies such as the use of probiotics.

Methods:

This is literature review of studies associating nutritional supplements with IBS or IBD that have an emphasis on probiotics and which found in the Medline and Embase databases.

Results:

Of a total of 1,598 references, 43 met the final inclusion criteria. The use of probiotics in IBS and IBD suggests a therapy that helps maintain periods of disease remission, improvement of quality of life and attenuation of the pathophysiological process.

Conclusions:

The use of probiotics and prebiotics could be alternative nutritional support for selected patients.

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