Study Finds Probiotics Reduce COVID Symptoms

Source: DukeHealth.org

DURHAM, N.C. – Probiotics, specifically lactobacillus, demonstrated significant ability to delay a COVID infection and reduce symptoms among a group of unvaccinated people who had been in contact with someone in their household diagnosed with COVID.

The randomized, placebo-controlled study led by Duke Health researchers suggests that probiotics could be a relatively simple and inexpensive approach to treating people after a COVID exposure.

“Prior to COVID, there was strong evidence that probiotics were protective against respiratory infections,” said Paul Wischmeyer, M.D., associate vice chair for clinical research in Duke’s Department of Anesthesiology and co-lead author of the study in Clinical Nutrition. “Once COVID hit, it was imperative to determine whether this simple, well-tolerated intervention could be useful. Our study provides encouraging evidence for the use of probiotics.”