The current study might be one of the first to show the benefits of probiotics in pregnancy
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine in the US have found that probiotics significantly improve the symptoms of pregnancy-related nausea, vomiting and constipation.
Nausea and vomiting affect about 85% of pregnancies and can significantly impact quality of life, particularly during early pregnancy.
As per the recent study, nausea hours (the number of hours participants felt nauseous) were reduced by 16%, and the number of times the participants vomited was reduced by 33%. Probiotic intake also significantly improved symptoms related to quality of life, such as fatigue, poor appetite and difficulty maintaining normal social activities, as scored by questionnaires.
Although the findings are intriguing, the researchers caution that due to the small sample size, further studies will be needed to confirm the effects of the probiotics.