Effect of Yogurt Added With Bifidobacteria and Soluble Fiber on Bowel Function.

• Stools Frequency [ Time Frame: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Stools frequency was reported daily as follows: 0: zero 1= once, 2= twice, 3=three times, 4= four or more times
  
  

• Consistency of stools [ Time Frame: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Consistency of stools was scored according to the following scale: 1= watery and liquid, 2= soft and unformed, 3= soft and formed, and 4= hard and dry.
  
  
• Difficulty of defecation [ Time Frame: 0,1,2,3,4,5 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Difficulty of defecation was evaluated as 1= very easy, 2= easy, 3= hard, 4= very hard.
  
  
• Abdominal distension [ Time Frame: 0,1,2,3,4,5 ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  Abdominal distension was evaluated as 1= no symptoms, 2= slight symptoms that did not influence daily activities, 3= moderate symptoms that could influence daily activities, 4= severe symptoms that affected daily activities.
  
  
• Flatulence [ Time Frame: 0,1,2,3,4,5 ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  Flatulence was evaluated as 1= no symptoms, 2= slight symptoms that did not influence daily activities, 3= moderate symptoms that could influence daily activities, 4= severe symptoms that affected daily activities.
  
  
• Abdominal pain [ Time Frame: 0,1,2,3,4,5 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  Abdominal pain was evaluated as 1= no symptoms, 2= slight symptoms that did not influence daily activities, 3= moderate symptoms that could influence daily activities, 4= severe symptoms that affected daily activities.
  
  

The use of probiotics and prebiotics has become popular in human nutrition and food product development. The most common probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Bifidobacteria spp are dominant in the intestinal microflora and are considered to be beneficial to the host, for this reason research efforts have focused on increasing their proportion in the intestinal microflora through oral administration of mixtures containing bifidobacteria or oral supplementation with prebiotics. An important limitation for the effectiveness of oral probiotics is that they might be destroyed during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract therefore and adequate vehicle could improve its potential benefits. Yogurt is a suitable vehicle for the administration of bifidobacteria, due to its physicochemical properties, such as pH and nutrients content, as well as the organoleptic properties that contribute to its increasing consumption. Thus simultaneous administration of probiotics and prebiotics in a suitable vehicle could act synergistically and may have potential for improving gut health. Few clinical trials have been performed using prebiotics and probiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the consumption of yogurt added with bifidobacteria and soluble fiber on gastrointestinal function of healthy adults. A product as herein described is expected to improve gastrointestinal function and maintain the intestinal microflora balance of healthy subjects and perhaps of patients with altered bowel functions.