The capacity of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides to stimulate faecal bifidobacteria: a dose-response relationship study in healthy humans

Table 4 Intensity of digestive symptoms (scores) in 40 healthy volunteers assigned to a 7-d consumption of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) at a dose from 2.5 to 10 g/d or a placebo

scFOS dose (g/d)	Excess flatus			Bloating			Borborygmi			Abdominal pain
	d1-d8*	d8-d15*	P**	d1-d8*	d8-d15*	P**	d1-d8*	d8-d15*	P**	d1-d8*	d8-d15*	P**
0 (placebo)	4.12 ± 1.35	4.12 ± 1.45	***	3.87 ± 1.80	2.62 ± 0.92	***	3.25 ± 1.80	2.75 ± 1.47	***	1.50 ± 1.00	0.50 ± 0.26	***
2.5	1.75 ± 0.45	3.62 ± 1.28	NS	1.50 ± 0.42	3.12 ± 1.28	0.03	1.37 ± 0.49	300 ± 1.36	NS	1.12 ± 0.61	1.12 ± 0.61	NS
5.0	3.00 ± 1.08	5.25 ± 1.71	NS	1.75 ± 0.97	3.37 ± 1.76	0.03	1.75 ± 0.92	2.87 ± 1.42	NS	0.87 ± 0.51	0.87 ± 0.51	NS
7.5	3.50 ± 0.86	3.50 ± 0.68	NS	1.75 ± 1.03	1.50 ± 0.62	NS	1.75 ± 0.64	0.62 ± 0.32	NS	2.12 ± 0.87	2.12 ± 0.87	NS
10	3.37 ± 1.16	4.75 ± 1.03	NS	2.25 ± 1.06	2.62 ± 1.16	NS	1.50 ± 0.75	1.62 ± 0.86	NS	2.12 ± 0.81	2.12 ± 0.81	NS

*days 1–8 was a run-in period during which no treatment occurred, but subjects excluded from their diet fermented dairy products containing viable bifidobacteria and limited consumption of food products containing high level of non-digestible oligosaccharides.
** Statistical analyses were performed versus placebo, on the difference d15-d8, using Fisher's Test
*** As the difference days 15-8 with placebo was the reference, p-values are not reported. Symptom intensity was noted every day using a 4-grade scale 0: no symptom; 1: mild symptoms; 2: moderate symptoms; 3: severe symptoms. Cumulative daily scores were calculated for each period [d1, d8 a.m.], [d8 p.m., d15] and are reported in the present table as m ± sem. Severity of symptoms and cumulative daily scores can be related via the following scale: 0: no symptom; 1–7: mild symptoms; 8–14: moderate symptoms; 15–21: severe symptoms.

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