effects of probiotics with or without honey on radiation-induced diarrhea

background: diarrhea is a well-recognized side effect associated with pelvic radiation; however, there is not any effective common treatment for radiation-induced diarrhea. a popular alternative is probiotics, which have been used in several gastrointestinal disorders. probiotics are live microbial food supplements. furthermore, honey is a putative nutritional with a variety of health effects, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic. the present study evaluated the effects of probiotic with or without honey on radiation-induced diarrhea. materials and methods: sixty-seven adult patients with pelvic cancer underwent radiotherapy for four weeks. they randomized to receive probiotic (n = 22), probiotic plus honey (n = 21) or placebo (n = 24) from one week before radiotherapy for five weeks. diarrhea grade and stool consistency score were recorded weekly according to the common toxicity criteria system and the bristol scales, respectively. results: the results showed a decrease in the daily number of bowel movements (p = 0.003 and 0.006), diarrhea grade (p = 0.001 and 0.001) and the need for antidiarrheal medication (p = 0.021 and 0.041) also an increase in the stool consistency (p = 0.004 and 0.005) in patients who either used probiotic or probiotic plus honey (respectively), these were significant in weeks 4 and 5 of treatment. conclusion: probiotics with or without honey can reduce the incidence of radiation-induced diarrhea and the need for antidiarrheal medication