SynthesisNutrients2020
Role of Probiotics in Stimulating the Immune System in Viral Respiratory Tract Infections: A Narrative Review.
Synthesis in Nutrients, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 98 citations in OpenAlex.
- Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years of age.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of early enteral nutrition combined with probiotics in patients with stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2022Pooled it
- Modulation of gut microbiota protects against viral respiratory tract infections: a systematic review of animal and clinical studies.European journal of nutrition · 2021Pooled it
- Effect of probiotic fermented dairy products on incidence of respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Nutrition journal · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of Heat-KilledNutrients · 2024Trial
- Effects of Heat-KilledNutrients · 2023Trial
- A Novel Bacteriocin from Insectivorous Bat (Hipposideros speoris) Intestine Mimicking Mammalian FAM216B: Probiotic, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Enterococcus hirae BNT6.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Article
- Comparative effectiveness of oral nutritional supplements in preventing respiratory tract infections among adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
- Exploring the Therapeutic Landscape of Probiotics in Enteric and Respiratory Viral Infections.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2025Review
- Modified-Release Pulmonary Delivery Systems for Labile Bioactives: Design, Development, and Applications.Pharmaceutics · 2025Review
- Advancements related to probiotics for preventing and treating recurrent respiratory tract infections in children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2025Review
- Shaping oral and intestinal microbiota and the immune system during the first 1,000 days of life.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2025Review
- Probiotics and human health: biological activities, nutritional aspects, immunomodulatory properties, applications, and future perspectives - a comprehensive review.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- The effect of probioticHeliyon · 2024Article
- Microbiota and Immunity during Respiratory Infections: Lung and Gut Affair.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- The impact of probiotics and vitamin C on the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms in two preschool children cohorts.Nutrition research and practice · 2024Article
- Expert consensus on the use of oropharyngeal probiotic Bactoblis in respiratory tract infection and otitis media: available clinical evidence and recommendations for future research.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Associations between intestinal lactic acid bacteria species and feeding habits of zoo animals.Microbiome research reports · 2024Article
- Dynamic Interactions between Diarrhoeagenic EnteroaggregativeMicroorganisms · 2023Article
- The Effect ofMicroorganisms · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Viral respiratory tract infection (RTI) is the most frequent cause of infectious illnesses including the common cold. Pharmacological solutions for treating or preventing viral RTIs are so far limited and thus several self-care products are available in the market. Some dietary supplements such as probiotics have been shown to modulate immune system function and their role in reducing the risk and the course of RTIs has been investigated extensively within the past decade. However, the mechanism of action and the efficacy of probiotics against viral RTIs remains unclear. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Knowledge for pre-clinical and clinical studies investigating the effect of probiotics on respiratory virus infections, immune response, and the course of upper and lower respiratory tract illness. The literature summarized in this narrative review points out that specific probiotic strains seem effective in pre-clinical models, through stimulating the immune system and inhibiting viral replication. Clinical studies indicate variable efficacy on upper respiratory illnesses and lack proof of diagnosed viral infections. However, meta-analyses of clinical studies indicate that probiotics could be beneficial in upper respiratory illnesses without specific etiology. Further studies aiming at discovering the mechanisms of action of probiotics and clinical efficacy are warranted.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.