Forum allows healthcare professionals to consider probiotics for patient wellbeing

GPs who have a chance to evaluate the current evidence on probiotics and hear from experts firsthand on their relevance to clinical practice are much more likely to consider them, according to the findings of an interactive debate at the RCGPs Annual Primary Care Conference in Harrogate this week.

In a panel discussion titled "Probiotics: science or hocus pocus?", sponsored by Danone and chaired by the BBC's John Humphrys, participants heard representations on the clinical evidence and practical experience from leading gastroenterologist Professor Peter Whorwell and nutritionist Professor Ian Rowland. The panellists then sought to understand how this evidence was currently being interpreted in primary care.

Commenting on the debate, panellist Professor Roger Jones, Emeritus Professor of General Practice, at King's College said: "It's really valuable to have the opportunity to hear the evidence on probiotics from experts in this field. We all see many patients who are experiencing IBS or digestive discomfort, like bloating or distension. When the evidence supports using probiotics to help patients manage these conditions for themselves, we should be thinking about recommending them."

Panellist Professor Ian Rowland, Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, added: "I am often asked about the evidence behind probiotics. I was glad to have the opportunity to talk to primary care practitioners about my experiences as I do believe probiotics could be of benefit to many patients on a daily basis."

Using interactive key pads throughout the debate, the audience was asked to consider evidence on probiotics around four key areas - general evidence, digestive health, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and the likelihood of participants endorsing a patient's decision to choose probiotics. The results of the interactive session showed:

Prior to the expert discussion:

• Some 35% of GPs would recommend probiotics to alleviate digestive discomfort
• Some 63% of GPs are unaware of the evidence on probiotics with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
• Some 78% of GPs would definitely support a patient's decision to use probiotics
• 85% of GPs are more likely to consider the role of probiotics in health and well being post the discussion forum.

"Danone is dedicated to providing health through food. We are very confident in the evidence behind our probiotic yogurts, as demonstrated by the wealth of clinical data," said Connie Hersch, Director of Health Affairs at Danone. "This forum really allowed us to bring that evidence closer to healthcare professionals so they can consider how probiotics may improve patient wellbeing."