Which Probiotic Supplement Works For Colitis?

If you've got colitis, you may find the prospect of extended periods away from a toilet quite daunting, and the time you spend perched on the toilet isn't much better. People with colitis often suffer the dual indignities of diarrhea and painful defecation. There's also gas, cramping and the potential for complications so severe that surgical removal of sections of your bowels may be necessary. If you could find a simple, safe therapy for colitis, surely you'd give it a try. Probiotics may help. Consult your doctor to find out if probiotics are right for you.

Probiotics Explained

Your gastrointestinal tract is prime real estate for beneficial bacteria. Friendly microbes that live in your intestines help repel pathogens that can cause numerous diseases. If your normal flora, meaning the microbes that naturally live inside you, are disturbed or depleted, these pathogens can move in and take over. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria and yeasts that are consumed to promote positive health benefits. One of these benefits involves managing bowel disorders like colitis, It's important to use a probiotic species that has been shown through research to help in this particular disorder, as different probiotics offer different effects.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG

One of the probiotics that shows promise as a colitis therapy is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a bacterial microbe. In March 2010, the "Annals of Pharmacotherapy" published the results of review conducted at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, which found that this particular probiotic was useful in helping prolong periods of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Saccharomyces Boulardii

Saccharomyces boulardii differs from most probiotics in that it is a yeast, rather than a bacterium. This probiotic is sometimes referred to as brewer's yeast. "The European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology" published the results of a 2003 study that found Saccharomyces boulardii to help patients who had ulcerative colitis that was being treated with a drug called mesalazine. Saccharomyces boulardii helped over 70 percent of the study participants to achieve clinical remission of their colitis.

Probiotic Mixtures

In some cases, probiotic supplements contain a mixture of several different probiotic microbes. A mixture called VSL#3, which contains eight different probiotics in specific concentrations, helped the majority of colitis patients attain remission in a 2005 study that appeared in "The American Journal of Gastroenterology." BIFICO, a mix of enterococci, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, was reportedly successful in preventing relapse of colitis symptoms in 80 percent of test subjects, compared to less than 7 percent who received a placebo, according to research published in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology" in 2004.