Specific probiotic strains may help you avoid traveler’s diarrhea

An upset stomach commonly occurs when traveling abroad and is known as traveler’s diarrhea. Research has suggested consuming the Lactobacillus rhamnosus, LGG^® probiotic strain^{1, 2} (hereafter referred to by use of the trademark LGG^®) or a specific blend of the Bifidobacterium, BB-12^®, Lactobacillus acidophilus, LA-5^®, Streptococcus thermophilus, STY-31^™ and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, LBY-27^{™3, 4} (hereafter referred to by use of the trademarks BB-12^®, LA-5^®, STY-31^™, and LBY-27^™) probiotic strains may help reduce the occurrence of traveler’s diarrhea.

Traveler’s diarrhea is one of the most common travel-related challenges 

Travel-related upset stomach is usually caused by consumption of harmful bacteria 

Traveler’s diarrhea is unpleasant and can ruin more than just the trip abroad

Traveler’s diarrhea typically occurs within 2 weeks of arriving at a destination but can occur up to 2 weeks after returning home.¹⁰ Traveler’s diarrhea usually goes away on its own and lasts less than 7 days.¹¹ However, up to 20% of people who experience traveler’s diarrhea are confined to bed, 8-15% remain unwell after a week, and at least 1% are hospitalized.¹²

Digestive issues may be eased by supplementing with probiotics

Traveler’s diarrhea may occur less frequently when the LGG® probiotic strain is consumed

A clinical study investigated the impact of consuming the LGG® probiotic strain on the rate of traveler’s diarrhea. The study was conducted in healthy adults who traveled to Asia, Africa, and central and south America. The study started 2 days prior to departure and ended on the last day of the trip.² Participants received the LGG® strain or a placebo. Just 3.9% of the LGG® group experienced traveler’s diarrhea, compared to 7.4% of the placebo group.²

To support this, in a study of 756 people traveling to Turkey there were significantly fewer cases of traveler’s diarrhea when the LGG® probiotic was consumed, compared to placebo.¹

A specific blend of probiotic strains may be beneficial for travelers’ health 

Probiotics might be a useful precautionary measure when traveling abroad

To help maintain regularity when traveling abroad, consumption of the LGG^® probiotic strain or the specific blend of the BB-12^®, LA-5^®, STY-31^™, and LBY-27^™ probiotic strains should be considered.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 13}

Read about probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and infant diarrhea.

References 

1. Oksanen PJ, et al. Prevention of travellers' diarrhoea by Lactobacillus GG. Ann Med. 1990;22(1):53-6. (PubMed)
2. Hilton E, et al. Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG as a Diarrheal Preventive in Travelers. J Travel Med. 1997;4(1):41-3. (PubMed)
3. Black FT, et al. Prophylactic Efficacy of Lactobacilli on Traveler’s Diarrhea. In: Steffen R, et al., editors. Travel Medicine: Proceedings of the First Conference on International Travel Medicine, Zürich, Switzerland, 5–8 April 1988. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg; 1989. p. 333-5.
4. Black FT, et al. Report from a placebo-controlled double-blind trial of 4 lactobacilli strains (HIP) used as a prophylactic agent against traveller's diarrhoea. 1988. Unpublished data.
5. Mayo Clinic. Traveler's diarrhea. Updated. Accessed 12th June 2020. (Source)
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Travelers Health. Updated. Accessed 12th June 2020. (Source)
7. Steffen R, et al. Traveler's diarrhea: a clinical review. JAMA. 2015;313(1):71-80. (PubMed)
8. Steffen R, et al. Epidemiology of travelers' diarrhea: details of a global survey. J Travel Med. 2004;11(4):231-7. (PubMed)
9. Leung AKC, et al. Travelers' Diarrhea: A Clinical Review. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov. 2019;13(1):38-48. (PubMed)
10. Al-Abri SS, et al. Traveller's diarrhoea. Lancet Infect Dis. 2005;5(6):349-60. (PubMed)
11. Leggat PA, Goldsmid JM. Travellers' diarrhoea: health advice for travellers. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2004;2(1):17-22. (PubMed)
12. Ericsson CD. Travellers' diarrhoea. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2003;21(2):116-24. (PubMed)
13. Bae JM. Prophylactic efficacy of probiotics on travelers' diarrhea: an adaptive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Epidemiol Health. 2018;40:e2018043. (PubMed)