Probiotic multivitamin reduces cold symptoms, duration

Taking probiotic supplements or foods could shorten the duration of colds and reduce the severity of symptoms, shows new research from Germany.

In a randomized, double-blind study on almost 500 adults, people that took daily vitamins and minerals with probiotic bacteria for at least three months reported that colds lasted almost two days less than the average nine days suffered by a group taking only vitamins and minerals.

The volunteers, who recorded their symptoms when they had a cold on a daily basis, also reported that headaches, coughing and sneezing, and fever were less severe if they were taking a probiotic supplement.

The research, presented this week at the European Influenza Conference in Malta, shows that symptoms were down by nearly a quarter and the time spent with a fever was cut from 24 hours to six.

The study's findings are reported in the August issue of Clinical Nutrition (vol 24, issue 4, pp481-91).

Courtesy of nutraingredients.com