Probiotics can stop diarrhea caused by antibiotics, report says

Probiotics may decrease the risk of diarrhea for those taking antibiotics, a new study says.

Probiotics are microorganisms that are often referred to as "good bacteria" and are found in foods such as yogurt and other fermented products.

The study of the bacteria found that giving it to patients reduced the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea by 42 percent, said WebMed.

Researchers at the Rand Corporation combined data from 63 clinical trials that included 11,811 participants, finding that those taking the supplement helped prevent the negative symptom of antibiotics.

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The Los Angeles Times reported that most of the trials used lactic acid-producing bacteria such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus or L. casei, commonly found in fermented foods like yogurt.

The study could not draw a conclusion as to what strain of bacteria works best as the prior studies used numerous strains.

The authors urged futher research into the benefits of good bacteria.

"Future studies should assess these factors and explicitly assess the possibility of adverse events to better refine our understanding of the use of probiotics to prevent [antibiotic-associated diarrhea]," lead author Susanne Hempel of RAND Health said, according to Health Day.

The review was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.