Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates that propolis can modulate gastrointestinal (GI) function. This trial aims to assess the efficacy of propolis supplementation on the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted on 56 subjects with IBS diagnosed by Rome IV criteria. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 900 mg/day of propolis or matching placebo tablets for 6 weeks. The IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) was used to evaluate IBS severity in five clinically applicable items. RESULTS: After adjusting anxiety scores, a significant reduction was observed in the overall score of IBS symptoms (-98.27 ± 105.44), the severity of abdominal pain (-24.75 ± 28.66), and the frequency of abdominal pain (-2.24 ± 3.51) with propolis treatment as compared to placebo (p-value < .05). Patients in the propolis group were 6.22 times more likely to experience improvement in IBS symptoms than those in the placebo group (95% CI: 1.14-33.9; p-value: .035). There was no significant change in anthropometric measurements and dietary intakes in both groups (p-value > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that propolis supplementation might have a beneficial effect on constipation subtype of IBS (IBS-C) and mixed subtype of IBS (IBS-M) severity by reducing the severity and frequency of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).