Evidence mapPaperPMID 41457232Full record

SynthesisJournal of health, population, and nutrition2025

Probiotic and synbiotic supplements for osteoporosis: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Zhiyuan Gong, Qi Hu, Zahra Sabagh, Tianyu Liang, Cheng He

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Zhiyuan GongDepartment of Nursing, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. N1, Shangcheng Avenue, Yiwu, 322000, Zhejiang, China.
Qi HuThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an, 271000, Shandong, China.
Zahra SabaghThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an, 271000, Shandong, China.
Tianyu LiangEmergency and Critical Care Center, Intensive Care Unit, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. liangtianyu1111@163.com.
Cheng HeEmergency and Critical Care Center, Department of Nursing, Intensive Care Unit, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. hchchhc0823@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProbiotic/synbiotic, have been proposed as a supplement to improve bone health markers. However, findings evidence remains inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of Probiotic/synbiotic supplementation on osteoporosis.

methodsA systematic search was carried out in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to June 2025 to evaluate the efficacy of probiotic or synbiotic supplementation for osteoporosis. Data were pooled using a random-effects model to calculate standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% Confidence intervals (CIs).

resultsTen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Probiotic/synbiotic supplementation significantly decreased PTH levels (SMD = -1.19; 95% CI: -2.13, -0.26; P = 0.012), and increased lumbar spine BMD (SMD = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.01, 1.71; P = 0.047). However, probiotic/synbiotic supplementation did not significantly affect BMD of the total hip (SMD = 0.64; 95% CI: -0.56, 1.83; P = 0.296), C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) (SMD = -0.37; 95% CI: -0.75, 0.02; P = 0.063), osteocalcin (SMD = 0.24; 95% CI: -0.34, 0.82; P = 0.415), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (SMD = 0.60; 95% CI: -0.61, 1.81; P = 0.334), and osteoprotegerin (SMD = -1.04; 95% CI: -3.19, 1.10; P = 0.340). Begg's test revealed no significant publication bias.

conclusionsThe current meta-analysis revealed that probiotic/synbiotic supplementation beneficial effect on PTH, and lumbar spine BMD. No favorable effect of probiotic/synbiotic supplementation on BMD of the total hip, CTX, osteocalcin, ALP, and osteoprotegerin was observed.

Indexed as

Dietary SupplementsOsteoporosisProbioticsSynbioticsBiomarkersBone DensityHumansLumbar VertebraeParathyroid HormoneRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicBiomarkersParathyroid HormoneBoneGut microbiotaMeta-analysisOsteoprosisProbiotic

Identifiers

PMID41457232
PMCPMC12857092

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.