Table 2.

Measuring statistical differences in alpha diversity between groups. Three alpha diversity metrics were used (Shannon Index, Chao1 Estimator, and Observed Species/OTUs). Significant differences between groups were determined using the estimated marginal means analysis applied to linear mixed model, which was built with alpha diversity as the response variable, the treatment group and time points as predictor variables, and subject number as a random variable.

Groups		Shannon Index		Chao1 Diversity		Observed Species
Within	Between	Estimate	p Value	Estimate	p Value	Estimate	p Value
Baseline	Placebo—Synbiotic	0.144	0.643	295	0.359	222	0.388
End of Trial	Placebo—Synbiotic	0.145	0.641	205.4	0.521	180.9	0.481
Placebo	Baseline–End of Trial	0.208	0.208	76.94	0.577	76.2	0.46
Synbiotic	Baseline–End of Trial	0.209	0.206	-12.65	0.927	35.1	0.732