Key clinical point: A probiotic treatment of three Lactobacillus strains protected against lumbar spine bone mineral density loss in postmenopausal women.

Major finding: There was a significant reduction in lumbar spine bone mineral density loss for participants who received the probiotic treatment, compared with women in the control group (mean difference, 0.71%; 95% confidence interval, 0.06%-1.35%).

Study details: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 249 postmenopausal women who received probiotics with three Lactobacillus strains over a period of 12 months.

Disclosures: This study was funded by Probi, which employs two of the study’s authors. Three authors reported being coinventors of a patent involving the effects of probiotics in osteoporosis treatment, and one author is listed as an inventor on a pending patent application on probiotic compositions and uses.