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This article (http://www.livestrong.com/article/426584-foods-that-reduce-gas-and-bloating/) mentions that:

If your gas and bloating is caused by unhealthy bacteria in your digestive tract, foods that contain probiotics can help solve the problem. According to registered dietitian Kristi King, writing on the Huffington Post website, probiotics contain healthful bacteria that crowd out the bad bacteria in your gut. Look for products, such as yogurt and kefir, that note “live and active” cultures on the package.

So, do probiotics help to remove gas and bloating?

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    Dannon Activia yogurt (in the US) currently has a Activia Challenge - they claim it "may help the frequency of minor digestive issues such as bloating, gas, rumbling, and discomfort". "It works or it's free." Why not give it a go? $65 in free yogurt. At the same time, a few years ago, Dannon was forced to back down: Dannon Agrees to Drop Exaggerated Health Claims for Activia Yogurt and DanActive Dairy Drink ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2010/12/…
    – user17967
    Commented Oct 4, 2014 at 13:23

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Currently there is no conclusive answer addressing this issue.

Probiotics are used more and more for symptoms relief of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS):

As probiotics have shown benefit and possess a favorable adverse-effect profile, their use may represent an option for symptom relief in patients with IBS. However, additional data are necessary before probiotics can become a standard of care in the treatment of IBS, a complex and chronic condition [1].

The results are highly variable as another paper agrees:

Clearly, some probiotics have considerable potential in the management of IBS; however, the benefits are likely to be strain-specific. Preliminary studies suggest low doses of prebiotics may improve symptoms of IBS, although further robust clinical trials are required [2].

Yet there are some conditions in which probiotics have shown benefits. These include [3]:

  • Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
  • Clostridium difficile colitis
  • Infectious diarrhea in both adults and children
  • (Inflammatory bowel disease - but with variable efficacy)

The same study [3] questions:

  • the delivery method of probiotics
  • the dose
  • interaction between probiotic and immune system
  • treatment duration

A newer study agrees on all of the above:

Promising results have been found and in some, indications such as maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis and pouchitis guidelines recommend therapy with probiotics already today. However, many open questions still remain and the urgent need for high-quality trials requires much more research in the future [4].

References:

  1. Wilhelm SM, Brubaker CM, Varcak EA, Kale-Pradhan PB. Effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Pharmacotherapy. 2008 Apr;28(4):496-505. doi: 10.1592/phco.28.4.496. PubMed PMID: 18363533.
  2. Whelan K. Probiotics and prebiotics in the management of irritable bowel syndrome: a review of recent clinical trials and systematic reviews. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2011 Nov;14(6):581-7. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e32834b8082. PubMed PMID: 21892075.
  3. Elizabeth C. Verna and Susan Lucak. Use of probiotics in gastrointestinal disorders: what to recommend? Therap Adv Gastroenterol. Sep 2010; 3(5): 307–319. doi: 10.1177/1756283X10373814. PMCID: PMC3002586
  4. Kruis W. Probiotics. Dig Dis. 2013 Nov 14;31(3-4):385-7. doi: 10.1159/000354706. PubMed PMID: 24246993.
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