Figure 5. Symptom scores in the clinical studies.

The total symptom scores reported in the studies represent the symptom severity evaluations, and higher scores represent more severe symptoms. The pooled results are expressed as SD with 95% CI. I² and P-values represent the heterogeneity among the studies, while an I² value >50% and a P-value <0.1 indicate considerable heterogeneity. When the result intersects the invalid line, the result has no statistical significance. Abbreviations: D-L, dead Lactobacillus; L-L, live Lactobacillus.