A year long investigation was undertaken in the UK which has resulted in a research paper concluding that using a concoction of lactobacillus probiotics in combination with chicory containing inulin may help to reduce symptoms of COVID and Long-COVID. Inulin is a prebiotic which feeds healthy bacteria in the gut. Chicory contains a high amount of inulin.
The study began after it was noticed that COVID patients who were suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea and indigestion also developed dysbiosis, a disturbance in the ratio of unfriendly versus friendly bacteria in the gut.
Another study of over 400,000 people showed that those taking regular probiotic supplements were at lower risk of contracting COVID.
To further determine if taking regular probiotic supplements after COVID infection could help to reduce the instance of Long-COVID, a further study of 126 people was undertaken. A third of the group had an active COVID infection at the time of the study, while the rest of the group had reported symptoms lasting over 100 days. Results showed that daily supplementation with a specific blend of lactobacillus probiotic and inulin rapidly reduced symptoms of cough, fatigue, gut dysbiosis and poor wellbeing.
Further studies are being conducted to determine if adding further nutrients and / or vitamins to the probiotic / prebiotic blend could further enhance recovery and reduce symptoms.
Food sources of Lactobacillus include various yoghurts (Check the label), sauerkraut, kefir, sourdough bread and kimchi. Chicory root contains a high amount of inulin and can be used as a coffee alternative. Chicory is often found in greens powders.
Healthpost stocks a large range of probiotics containing Lactobacillus and greens powders containing chicory. If you enter this in the search bar at the top, you will be able to see the various options. Remember Healthpost kindly offers CCI Support members a 10% discount code which can be found in the members section of our website, or by contacting our office on 0800 224 787.
We look forward to seeing results of further studies to determine the efficacy of various combinations of supplements, prebiotics and probiotics in reducing the symptoms of Long-COVID.
For the full article, visit: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/news/friendly-gut-bacteria-speeds-long-covid-recovery/