Skip to main content

Food Trends: The guts on probiotics

To explain probiotics simply, they are the beneficial bacteria found in food or supplements that help destroy the ‘bad bacteria’ and maintain gut health.  Some food products such as yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, and miso have probiotics in them.  You can find out if products you eat contain probiotics by checking out the ingredient list.  If the ingredient list states live or active cultures, lactobacillus, or acidophilus you can bet the product contains probiotics.

It is thought that probiotics can help treat diarrhea, prevent yeast infections and urinary tract infections, help with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and also help heal eczema or skin disorders.

I have a lot of clients ask me what my thoughts are on probiotics.   As there is not a lot of research that ties definitive results from probiotics, I think there is enough published information that allows for a hypothetical conclusion that probiotics are beneficial for specific situations.  Read on to see some examples.

Research from my alma mater, Virginia Tech in conjunction with Ohio State University found that newborn pigs that received a vaccine similar to one for the rotavirus infection who paired it with a probiotic had a better immune response than newborn pigs who received the vaccine alone.  Also, in September 2010 Pediatrics published that a daily dose of "good" bacteria may help infants cry less. At initiation of study all infants were crying five to six hours a day.  After three weeks of treatment with a probiotic or placebo, babies who received probiotics cried for an average of a half hour a day, while the placebo babies cried for an hour and a half a day.  Perhaps this study suggests how probiotics can ease gastrointestinal symptoms related to colic?

Pediatrics also published an article in 2005 that showed that children who attend daycare and consume probiotics had a significance decrease in onset and duration of diarrhea.  Another study completed in China produced significant results with children who drank a mixture of probiotics in milk twice a day during the winter and spring.  Guess what?  Children with fevers, coughs, or runny noses receiving probiotics recovered faster.

In 2004, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published results of a study that proved that humans and animals ingesting probiotics significantly reduced H. Pylori, a precursor to ulcers.

If you or someone you know suffers from ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, or consistent GI symptoms talk to your practitioner and see what he or she recommends.  An easy way to initiate and do a self assessment is to try any of the yogurts containing probiotics. Take one a day and see how you feel.  Good luck and be well!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Family Nutrition: What’s the deal with Multivitamins?

This is definitely one of my top ten questions from clients and frankly it’s a hard question because there isn’t a generic answer.   The internet and such stores as the Vitamin Shoppe and GNC continue to place a lot of focus on vitamins and minerals and some of my clients swear by their regimen.   I’ve even had some clients tell me they can tell a difference within hours of taking certain supplementations.    Since this is a subject I try to tame my responses too, I was very glad to see the article “Multivitamins, So Many Types, So Many Labels” by Melinda Beck in the Wall Street Journal published June 21, 2001.   Did you know that the multivitamin is the number one dietary supplement producing $4.8 billion back in 2008 and that one third of American’s take multivitamins religiously?   As Melinda points out there are many different varieties of multivitamins yet there is no specific formulation that specifies what a multivitamin should look like.  ...

Miraculous Misconceptions: Raspberry Ketones

The interwebs are abuzz about the supposedly “miraculous” Raspberry Ketone supplements. Raspberry Ketone popularity started with Dr. Oz's show in February 2012, when he nicknamed it a “miracle weight loss drug.” Some even credit Raspberry Ketones with stimulating hair growth, but for our purposes here, let’s talk about weight loss. Raspberry Ketones are derived from red raspberries. Proponents claim that the supplement will stimulate your metabolism causing weight loss. However, there are no reliable studies to prove this.   Specifically there is no scientific evidence to show how it alters metabolism to promote weight loss. There is also no scientific evidence to determine a proper dosage. If you find a study that claims otherwise, check the funding source. Most likely, that study was funded by a company who produces or funds raspberry ketone products. As far as I know, no major pharmaceutical companies are investing in Raspberry Ketone research. And it is my opinion ...

Food Trends: Plant vs. Animal Protein

In my practice I see a lot of vegetarians who have a lot of questions about the types of protein they eat.   In case you need a refresher, animal proteins are proteins derived from meat, dairy, and eggs.   Plant protein is derived from nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and soy.   Most animal proteins are higher in saturated fat as well as cholesterol which have been proved to increase risks of arteriosclerosis, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.   A lot of the general public, not just vegetarians, are starting to focus on decreasing intakes of animal proteins and focusing on plant sources to decrease total calorie, fat, and cholesterol intake.   It’s important to know that most generally healthy individuals only need .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.   Basically this means that a 150 pound man or woman requires about 54 grams of protein in an entire day. Protein is made from amino acids.   Although there are many amino acids, ther...