Edward Pingyuan Lu, MScPH RD: Nutrition | Clinical Study: Probiotics Reduce COVID-19 Symptoms & Prevent Severe Illness

Probiotics are well known as an immune defense booster. A clinical study in Italy finally showed probiotics helped reduce COVID-19 symptoms in 7 days and also avoid severe illness that might require intensive care.

The study enrolled 70 COVID-19 patients, hospitalized between March 9 and April 4, 2020 at Sapienza University of Rome. These patients had a fever and required non-invasive oxygen therapy. 42 of them received hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics and tocilizumab, alone or in combination. The other group of 28 patients received the same therapy added with an oral probiotic supplement called SivoMixx, a mixture of different species of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria at a concentration of 800 billion CFU (Colony Forming Unit) per sachet, administered in three equal doses a day.

Around 90% of 28 patients in the “probiotic” group actually showed remission of symptoms, including diarrhea, in 3 days. The percentage reached 100% on the seventh day while the one in the control group was lower than 50%.

The estimated risk of developing respiratory failure in patients treated with the oral probiotic supplement was eight times lower than those in the control group, according to the odds ratio statistics. The prevalence of ICU usage and mortality were both higher among patients who were not treated with the probiotic formula.

Dr. Giancarlo Ceccarelli, a specialist in infectious diseases at the university, told Nutraingredients.com that “Our preliminary results evidenced on improved survival rate and a lower risk of transfer to an intensive resuscitation for patients supplemented with the probiotic compared with those on standard treatment only.”

It is worth to notice that the dosage, 2400 billion CFU a day, of probiotics used in the clinical study was extremely high. When it comes to regular immune support, the daily dosage is usually up to 150 billion CFU only. A randomized controlled trial of 152 subjects infected with rhinovirus in 2017 even showed those who took probiotic supplement at a daily dosage of 2 billion CFU for 28 days had a better immune response and the dosage was good enough to lower virus levels in the nasal mucus.

A 2017 animal study publish on Science reminded that, with help from good bacteria in the gut, plant flavonoids could be converted to a substance called DAT, which can activate antiviral response to significantly help mice reduce the incidence of flu.

Researchers therefore suggested that it is a great immune support plan to get more plant flavonoids from vegetables, berries, tea and chocolates, and also eat cheese, yogurt, miso, sauerkraut and kimchee or take probiotic supplements to foster good bacteria in the gut.

Previous researches actually showed that intestinal metabolites significantly affect not only local intestinal immunity but also other organs through the lymphatic and circulatory system. For example, the Italian researchers highlighted in their report that short chain fatty acids (SCFA), produced primarily by bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber, act in the lungs as signaling to attenuate inflammatory and allergic responses. The immune support plan, mentioned above, with probiotics and vegetables is therefore even more convincing because vegetables provide lots of dietary fiber.

So, what about making a salad with greens, berries and using yogurt as its dressing?