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Health benefits of probiotics
Health benefits of probioticsSome of the strongest evidence for probiotics comes from research involving people with digestive disorders and allergies. There has been very little published research about healthy people. Here's a brief summary of what is known:Gastrointestinal relief. In clinical studies involving more than 1,900 infants and children with acute diarrhea, mostly from viral infection, various Lactobacillus supplements reduced bouts by about a day. Other studies involving nearly 200 patients with irritable bowel syndrome suggest that taking Lactobacillus acidophilus or other probiotics may relieve major symptoms. Some research indicates that Lactobacillus GG reduces the rate of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children.Allergies. Research suggests that probiotic bacteria may help alleviate atopic eczema, an allergic reaction to milk or other foods, in some children.Respiratory infections. Research involving more than 500 children ages 1 to 6 who attended day-care centers showed that kids who drank milk with Lactobacillus GG had fewer days of absence because of respiratory infections.Urological infections. Some clinical evidence suggests that yogurt with Lactobacillus acidophilus may boost immune cells that help protect against abnormal microbes in the urogenital tract and help reduce the incidence of vaginal bacterial infections. Yogurt may also help prevent yeast infections.Cancer. Laboratory and animal research suggests that consuming probiotics and prebiotics--nutrients that stimulate probiotic growth--may help prevent cancerous changes in the large intestine and thus help protect against colon cancer.BEHIND THE LABELSLabels can be confusing, incomplete, or wrong. Four of five yogurts and three of four yogurt drinks listed the probiotic genera and species, but none specified the amount. Instead, some yogurt products display the National Yogurt Association's Live & Active Cultures seal, which simply indicates that when manufactured they contained at least 100 million CFUs of viable yogurt bacteria per gram.All of the supplements' labels note genera and species, and most note bacterial count at time of manufacture. But at testing time, 4 of the 14 pill products had no more than half of their claimed number of probiotics, on average. For example, Origin Acidophilus, sold at Target, claimed to have more than 100 million CFUs per serving when produced, but our sample had 20 million. Three of the four liquid supplements listed bacterial count but fell far short of those numbers when we tested.
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