The human body is inhabited by good bacteria that keep levels of other harmful organisms in check. These good bacteria can be taken in supplement form and are termed probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus. These beneficial bacteria (or flora) reside in the digestive tract, other mucosal surfaces and on the skin. Administration of probiotics has been shown to resolve flora-imbalance related diarrhea. Recent research indicates that probiotics can also be useful in combating the effects of chronic stress. Results from a study published on April 25, 2006 in the medical journal, Gut, indicate that taking probiotics may prevent intestinal disturbances, like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, caused by chronic stress.
Researchers at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children divided male rats into two groups, giving one only water and the other group water containing probiotics (a strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and a strain of Lactobacillus helveticus). They then subjected half of the rats in each group to psychological stress to determine the impact on gut function. They found that the stressed rats, who had not taken probiotics, had harmful bacteria attached to the intestinal wall and nearby lymph nodes, while those taking probiotics did not. Their findings suggest that probiotics prevent leakage of harmful bacteria across intestinal barriers to lymph nodes and also compete successfully for attachment to intestinal cell walls. The implications for humans are far reaching. Simple supplementation with quality probiotics could prevent serious gastrointestinal disorders. Controlled long-term follow-up studies in humans are needed to confirm this trend.
Unfortunately, all probiotic supplements are not created equal. A pilot study conducted at Bastyr University tested the reliability of 20 Lactobacillus products and found only 1 contained only the species that was printed on the label, which was Culturelle Lactobacillus GG (1). A more disturbing fact of the study was that pathogenic bacteria were isolated from some of the products tested, like Town and Country Acidophilus and Nature's Way Primadophilus which contained Enterococcus faecalis. As well, no cultures could be obtained from a number of the supplements suggesting the products were not active, including Nature's Bounty Acidophilus and Natural Brand Acidophilus Plus from GNC. This pilot study shows that certain products may not even contain anything that may be helpful, but much worse, may even cause harm. Your best bet would be to visit a licensed nutritionally minded health care provider, like a naturopathic physician who has access to high quality supplements and can advise you which companies are reputable.
Posted by Dr. Jennifer Stagg on September 4, 2006 05:11 PM
