Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 in fermented milk and digestive symptoms in women
What it found
Women who drank fermented milk with Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 daily for four weeks reported better gut comfort and fewer gas-related symptoms.
The benefits faded within a week of stopping the drink.
What they found
Studies in people
Better overall gut comfort
More women in the fermented milk group said their gut comfort improved over the four weeks compared to the control group. About 52 percent of the fermented milk group were classed as responders, versus 36 percent in the control group.
Fewer gas-related symptoms
The fermented milk group saw a bigger drop in an overall symptom score covering bloating, stomach rumbling, passing gas and belly pain. This improvement was mainly driven by less stomach rumbling and less passing gas, while bloating and belly pain scores did not differ between groups.
No change in toilet frequency
How often the women went to the toilet stayed about the same in both groups. However, stool consistency changed slightly more in the fermented milk group than in the control group.
Small rise in comfort scores
On a questionnaire about quality of life, the fermented milk group scored higher for digestive comfort after four weeks. The authors note this difference was small and fell below the level they consider clearly noticeable to the person.
Benefits faded quickly
During the four-week break after the trial, the improvements disappeared. The number of women still reporting better gut comfort dropped sharply in the first week off the product and kept falling over the next three weeks.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that this fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improved gut comfort and digestive symptoms in women with minor complaints.
- They suggest this specific probiotic food could be a useful nutritional option for managing everyday digestive symptoms.
- They call for longer trials to see if quality of life improves further, and for research into how the product changes gut bacteria.
How it was done
Earlier work showed this specific probiotic strain could help people with irritable bowel syndrome, but scientists wanted to know if it also helped women without diagnosed gut diseases who had minor digestive complaints. They noted that most past studies only looked at how often people went to the toilet, not how they actually felt.
Researchers recruited 240 women aged 18 to 60 years in Germany who had minor digestive issues but no diagnosed gut disease. For four weeks, half drank two 125 g servings daily of fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 and yoghurt strains, while the other half drank a non-fermented dairy product without probiotics. Neither group knew which drink they had, and researchers tracked their symptoms weekly, followed by a four-week break with no special drinks.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only included adult women, so the results may not apply to men or children.
- The study lasted four weeks, so it cannot show what happens if someone drinks the product for months or years.
- Because the fermented milk contained yoghurt strains alongside Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010, the effects cannot be pinned on that single strain alone.
The paper
- Title
- Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improves gastrointestinal well-being and digestive symptoms in women reporting minor digestive symptoms: a randomised, double-blind, parallel, controlled study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Guyonnet D, Schlumberger A, Mhamdi L, Jakob S, Chassany O (2009). Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improves gastrointestinal well-being and digestive symptoms in women reporting minor digestive symptoms: a randomised, double-blind, parallel, controlled study. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114509990882Free full textPubMed 19622191DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error