Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Investigating the Alleviating Effects of Bacillus cereus Administration on Colitis through Gut Microbiota Modulation
Published on: July 27, 2022
Fermented cereal with specific bifidobacteria normalizes bowel movements in elderly nursing home residents. A
K H Pitkala1, T E Strandberg, U H Finne Soveri
1K.H. Pitkala, Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Medicine, Clinics of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Po Box 340, Fin-00029 HUS, Finland. kaisu.pitkala@kolumbus.fi
Objective:
To assess how fermented oat drink with two selected Bifidobacterium longum strains influences bowel movements among elderly nursing home residents.
Design:
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Setting:
12 wards in two nursing homes in Finland.
Participants:
209 residents.
Intervention:
Wards were randomized to receive daily a fermented oat drink with 1) 109 CFU/day Bifidobacterium longum strains or 2) 109 CFU/day Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 or 3) without viable bacteria (placebo) for 7 months.
Measurements:
Regularity of bowel movements (no movements or functioning) and consistency of stools (normal, soft or diarrhoea) were recorded for each resident on a daily basis.
Results:
The fermented oat drinks were well taken by the subjects, compliance being 85%. The groups receiving active products had more frequent bowel movements than did the placebo group (B. longum group normal functioning 28.5% of follow-up days, B.lactis group 26.9%, and placebo group 20.0%, respectively). The differences between the B. longum and the placebo group (mean 7.1, 95% CI 2.3 - 11.9, p=0.004) and between the B.lactis group and the placebo (mean 6.7, 95% CI 2.5 - 10.9, p = 0.002) were significant even when diarrhoea and constipation in the 3 months prior to the study were used as covariates.
Conclusions:
It is possible to normalize bowel movements in frail nursing home.
Related Concept Videos
Development of Human Microbiota
Irritable Bowel Syndrome III: Medical and Nursing Management
Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
Microbiota Modulation by Antibiotics
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.