Bacteria typically carries a negative connotation as a cause of illnesses and infections in humans. Probiotics are the exception to the rule. This set of bacteria, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, is essential to maintaining a healthy digestive system and ensuring that the body absorbs nutrients from food. The bacteria live in the body's intestinal tract and is also available in dietary supplements or foods, particularly yogurt.
Fighting Diseases of the Digestive and Excretory System
Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietician on staff at the Mayo Clinic, writes that "you don't necessarily need probiotics to be healthy. However, these microorganisms may...offer protection from harmful bacteria." Zeratsky says research shows probiotics may offer a defense against antibiotic-related diarrhea, urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections and irritable bowel syndrome.
Researchers at Tufts-New England Medical Center published a paper supporting these claims and explaining how probiotics work against infection. The severity of an infection is based on the ability of the harmful bacteria to colonize in a specific area. The immune supporting properties of probiotics prevent colonization. The good bacteria, or probiotics, intermingle with bad bacteria disrupting the organization of an infection. By impacting colonization, the probiotics also impede the bad bacteria from corrupting healthy cells.
Pediatric Illness Therapy
Numerous studies support the use of probiotics as a treatment for pediatric illnesses. In 2002, Dr. Jon Vanderhoof and Rosemary Young, R.N., authored a paper for the Journal of Pediatrics outlining the benefits of probiotic therapy for children, including the use of Lactobacillus GG to prevent of diarrhea in children on antibiotics and relieve respiratory infections related to cystic fibrosis.
In addition, scientists at the University of Turku in Finland conducted a study of families who suffered from atopic eczema. The probiotic Lactobacillus GG was given to pregnant women throughout their term and to the baby for six months after delivery. The likelihood of developing eczema for children who received probiotics was half of those in the control group.
Potential Cancer Fighter
Researchers believe probiotics may reduce the impact of carcinogens which enter the body. Scientists at the University of Tokyo found that Lactobacillus casei was useful in the treatment of some bladder cancer sufferers. German scientists studied the use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium on the immune systems of colon cancer patients. The results showed a decrease in the overproduction of intestinal cells, a result of colon cancer.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Is It Important to Include Probiotics in a Healthy Diet?
- Lancet: Probiotics in Primary Prevention of Atopic Disease
- European Urology: Preventive Effect of a Lactobacillus Casei Preparation...
- The British Journal of Nutrition: Consumption of Prebiotic Inulin Enriched with Oligofructose...
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction to Probiotics
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