Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Migraine is common in patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome. Converse is also true. Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in migraine patients.
Studies suggest association of gut with chronic pain disorders via abnormal gut bacterial pattern and leaky gut. Common underlying factors include inflammation, abnormal gut bacteria and leaky gut. Probiotics have been known to heal dysbiosis, inflammation and leaky gut. Dr. Sensenig and colleagues have shown that a probiotic mixture administered with micronutrients and herbs resulted in almost total relief in about 60% of the migraine patients.
Dr. Nicole De Roos and colleagues from Wageningen UR, Division Human Nutrition, Wageningen, the Netherlands, conducted an open labelled trial to examine the efficacy of multispecies probiotic formulation on migraine.
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Migraine-Probiotic study
- 29 patients participated in the study
- Subjects were administered 2g/d of probiotic (Ecologic®Barrier) for 12 weeks. This product contains 12 bacterial strains, has been shown to improve mood in depression and includes:
Bifidobacterium bifidum W23, Bifidobacterium lactis W52, Lactobacillusacidophilus, W37, Lactobacillus brevis W63, Lactobacillus casei W56, Lactobacillus salivarius W24, Lactococcus lactis W19 andLactococcus lactis W58
- Data included frequency and severity (10-point scale) of migraine headaches
- Other scores studied included Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) and Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI)
- 93% of the subjects completed the study.
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Results
- Average number of migraine days decreased from 6.7 to 5.1 in week 5-8 and to 5.2 during week 9-12. Overall, 67% of subjects experienced decline in migraine days, while 15% actually suffered an increase.
- Average severity of the migraine episodes declined from 6.3 to 5.5
- Above data was associated with improvement of MIDAS score
- The use of analgesic drugs declined by 29 percent.
- The change in HDI score was not significant.
Conclusions
Probiotic administration may help improve the frequency and severity of migraine.
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Dr. Minocha’s comments
Above is pilot study and provides support for the underlying thesis on role of unhealthy gut.The likely mechanism is via effects of probiotics on abnormal intestinal bacterial patterns or dysbiosis, leaky gut and inflammation.
Above not withstanding, above study is not comparable to a blind randomized controlled trial in terms of quality. Further studies are needed before absolute firm conclusions can be drawn.
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Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
