Probiotics, Prebiotics, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, and Dietary Patterns in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of the most common chronic and debilitating functional bowel disorders affecting around 11% of the population across the world. IBD is associated with 3.6 million physician visits per year, being the most common reason visiting a gastroenterologist and the second most common reason to be absent from work, sharply increasing the health care costs.

Several treatments seem to be effective in IBD symptoms relief, such as probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and dietary patterns. Probiotics (living microorganisms that can be supplemented) can protect against pathogenic bacteria due to their antimicrobial qualities. Prebiotics (nondigestible food ingredients) promote the growth of beneficial microbial strains in the gut, giving a health benefit to the host. FMT is supposed to directly change the recipient's microbial composition when a transfer of gastrointestinal microbiota from a healthy donor is carried out. And finally, dietary patterns are in the spotlight, due to the presence of certain nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract affecting gastrointestinal motility, sensitivity, barrier function, and gut microbiota.

It is particularly important to know what treatment options are available and which are the most efficient in relieving IBD symptoms and improving IBD patient's quality of life.