Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits and affects 10-15% of the general population. 

In this work, we utilised two well-characterised strains. Each strain has interesting properties related to IBS. The first one has been shown to attenuate the anxiety and stress and improving cognition in preclinical and clinical studies. The second strain has been extensively studied and shown to regulate inflammatory responses and reduce abdominal pain, bloating, gas and unpredictable bowel habits in IBS subjects in two well-controlled clinical studies. Therefore, the aim of this trial is to investigate the effect of a combination of both on bowel symptoms and stress/mood in adults with IBS. The research project consisted of 2 phases: 1) a pilot study and 2) a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.