Probiotics don’t ease tummy flu

GIVING probiotics to children with tummy bugs does not improve symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea.

In a study led by Washington University School of Medicine in the U.S. and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 1,000 children aged three months to four years were given the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, to see if it eased gastroenteritis symptoms.

Scientists found the probiotic — thought to restore the balance of intestinal bacteria and boost the immune system — was not effective, adding: ‘Parents are better off saving their money and buying more fresh fruit and vegetables for their children.’