Will Consuming Acidophilus Help With Celiac?

Lactobacillus acidophilus, a bacterium found in live-culture yogurt and in your gastrointestinal tract, is one of many organisms that are classified as "probiotics." The World Health Organization defines probiotics as "live organisms which, when administered in adequate doses, confer a benefit on the host." Probiotics have been attributed with the ability to modulate your immune response by stimulating the white cells that inhabit the lining of your intestine.

Celiac Disease Characterized by Gluten Intolerance

According to the December 2007 "American Family Physician," celiac disease affects as many as 1 in 100 persons in the United States. People with celiac disease develop an exaggerated response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and related grains. This autoimmune condition leads to malabsorption and varying levels of malnutrition, and it is often associated with other autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Probiotics Beneficial for Some Bowel Disorders

A 2010 review in "Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology" suggests that probiotics, such as acidophilus, exert beneficial effects in a limited number of gastrointestinal disorders, including travelers' diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease. These are conditions where the intestine's normal bacterial contingent, or "flora," is disrupted. Some research, such as a 2008 "Clinical and Experimental Immunology" study, suggests that probiotics can attenuate the toxic effects of gluten-based proteins on intestinal cells and proposes that probiotics could one day prove useful for treating celiac disease. However, the specific effects of acidophilus in celiac disease are unknown.

Probiotics in Foodstuffs for Celiac Patients

Celiac disease is currently treated by strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free menus are relatively expensive and, until recently, have been limited in their variety. Some investigators have postulated that extended fermentation of gluten-containing foods with live probiotics might produce novel foods that could be tolerated by celiac patients. An intriguing study from the July 2007 "Applied and Environmental Microbiology" demonstrated that wheat flours could be "detoxified" by Lactobacillus probiotics, thereby making them available for consumption by individuals suffering from celiac disease. However, L. acidophilus was not specifically tested in this study.

Considerations

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition whose precise underlying cause has not been identified. Exposure to gluten is necessary to evoke the abnormal immune response that characterizes this disorder, but it is not clear whether disrupted bowel flora plays a role in the genesis of celiac disease. Probiotics may eventually prove useful in managing this condition, but there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend them for treating or preventing celiac disease. If you have celiac disease and believe you could benefit from acidophilus or other probiotics, talk to your physician.