Table 3. Baseline characteristics between the treatment and control groups.

Variables	L. plantarum Lp3a (n=59)	Placebo (n=58)	P value
Female/male	43/16	35/23	0.150#
Age (years)	45.80±12.03	43.07±9.36	0.174*
Stool frequency (times/week)	1.61±0.49	1.62±0.49	0.908*
Defecation condition	1.64±1.06	1.66±1.07	0.955*
Stool form (Bristol scale)	0.93±0.76	0.97±0.82	0.820*
Daily fiber intake (%)	27.99±4.52	28.56±3.56	0.447*

*, data compared by t-test; ^#, data compared by chi-square test.