You might have heard that Lactobacillus acidophilus is good for some digestive tract problems. While this is true, unfortunately there's no scientific evidence -- nor any scientific foundation -- to support the notion that you can use sources of the bacteria to treat or alleviate symptoms of morning sickness.
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is an extremely common pregnancy discomfort -- so common, in fact, that it's one of the classic early signs of pregnancy. More than half of all pregnant women have morning sickness to at least some extent, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book, "What To Expect When You're Expecting." The cause of the nausea is rising hormone levels, and the nausea typically lasts until you get used to the extra hormones -- around the end of your first trimester.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a bacterial species that is part of the normal flora of the human body, and is also used in the production of many popular foods. The bacteria break down sugars for energy, including lactose, which is the sugar in milk and other dairy products. As a byproduct of their utilization of sugar, they produce lactic acid, explain Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book, "Biochemistry." This gives yogurt its sour taste and also reacts with the proteins in milk to produce yogurt's creamy texture.
Using Lactobacillus
Though you have Lactobacillus in your intestine and in your vagina on a regular basis -- they're part of the normal flora of both locations -- you can increase the population by eating foods made with Lactobacillus bacteria, including yogurt. There's no evidence to suggest that this will have any effect on morning sickness, however -- though it certainly isn't going to hurt either. In fact, yogurt made with low-fat dairy is a healthy source of protein, and though it won't help with your nausea, it's good for you.
Treating Morning Sickness
Rather than trying to treat your morning sickness with Lactobacillus acidophilus, try using ginger, which is a safe and effective -- but drug-free -- way to treat the nausea. You can try ginger in tea or in cooking; there are even ginger candies available. The ginger works by confusing your nervous system, explain Drs. Penny Le Couteur and Jay Bureson in their book, "Napoleon's Buttons;" you can't process the flavor of the ginger and nausea at the same time.
References
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
- "Napoleon's Buttons"; Penny Le Couteur and Jay Bureson; 2004
