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Probiotics, or "good bacteria," may lower levels of inflammation in the body, which could benefit patients who have inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis, a new study says.
Inflammation normally helps your body fight off infection, but chronically high levels of it may cause swelling and pain and damage tissues. Psoriasis, ulcerative colitis and chronic fatigue syndrome are all disease in which inflammation is thought to play a role.
In the new study, patients with one of these conditions who took the probiotic bacteria B. infantis for eight weeks had lower levels of inflammation compared with those who took a placebo. And healthy people who took probiotics also saw a reduction in inflammation compared with those who took a placebo.
The results suggest that probiotics may lower levels of inflammation, regardless of the affliction, the researchers said. However, it's still not clear whether probiotics can actually help with symptoms of these diseases, experts say.
"It would be too soon to be able to say people with psoriasis or chronic fatigue syndrome would feel a lot better after taking this [probiotic]," said Gregor Reid, a microbiologists at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, who was not involved in the study. "In theory it should," but studies haven't shown this, he said.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University College Cork in Ireland, will be presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. It was funded by the biotechnology company Alimentary Health Ltd.
The results may seem to conflict with other research that shows probiotics ramp up, not tone down, our immune system responses. But Reid said it's possible for the bacteria to do both.
"I don’t think there's anything that bacteria can't do, just about," Reid said. "We are essentially walking bacterial bodies. They're affecting everything that we do."
The study adds to evidence that probiotics can help treat the bowel disease ulcerative colitis, said Dr. Raymond Cross, a gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. However, the bacteria may help those with mild or moderate forms of the disease, and not severe forms of it, Cross said.
Probiotics may also help people who need to take antibiotics for an extended time.
Another study presented at the ACG meeting showed taking probiotics before starting antibiotics reduced the risk of developing antibiotic-associated diarrhea by about 60 percent, said study researcher Dr. Rabin Rahmani, a gastroenterologist at Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Rahmani and colleagues reviewed 22 studies involving more than 3,000 patients who took probiotics for an average of 1.5 weeks.
While gastroenterologists are beginning to recommend probiotics for disorders such as ulcerative colitis and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, is not clear exactly which bacteria, or what dose, is most beneficial, Cross said. Researchers should investigate this so doctors know the best way to prescribe these bacteria to their patients, he said.
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Prebiotics are even more under-appreciated than probiotics. We need prebiotics so our probiotics don't starve. It's time we started eating more foods containing them and/or supplementing them.
I have Crohn's and tried Probiotics with limited success. Yes they made me go. But I also had discomfort because of it. My Crohn's is where the small and large intestine join. The area is scarred and narrowed from when I was first hit with Crohn's. Sometimes trying to get stuff to move through that narrow area causes terrific cramps and pain. I decided to stop taking probiotics for now. I might try again in the future.
The probiotics are not to blame. If only you'd been trying them *before* you developed Crohn's...
AB-1981, Insinuating that taking probiotics could have prevented Crohn's from developing in the first place is absurd. It's genetic.
I have Ulcerative Colitis. I finally found a probiotic that makes me feel better. Trust me, they aren't all created equal. And the incubation period with any probiotic can be extremely painful until your gut reaches a new equilibrium, regardless if you have a gut issue or not.
I also feel better when I have a yogurt everyday. If you want to try that, be sure to get a yogurt that has the ac symbol. It guarantees a certain amount of live and active cultures if consumed by the use by date.
Why should you believe me or listen to me? I live with UC. I'm also a registered dietitian. I help people live with their diseases, and learn to manage the disease so the disease doesn't manage you.
I support you economykiller. Ignore AB-1981's stupid, ignorant comments.
I am sorry to hear you suffer with that disease. I fully can appreciate what it puts you through because I also have something similar. If you can try using Olive Oil ( Virgin olive oil. ) as it helps fight inflammation as well as fish oil, even rubbing it into your skin but better when you baste your meals with it BEFORE COOKING. Also try researching a milk called Kefir. It is a probiotic sour milk that helps with easing gut stress. I use it and so have others. It has been used for several thousand years sucessfully to treat gut related motility and inflammation disorders. Try googling it and see what you find. I hope it helps.
We must be cautious about recommending probiotics (or anything else) as a "cure" for medical conditions because people can react to food, medications, and supplements quite differently. Try things only in conjunction with your doctor's knowledge and advice if you are already taking medications or have a health condition.
For example, while some people with autoimmune inflammatory diseases may benefit from probiotics, my condition only worsened when trying them (with my GI's approval). Apparently the probiotics increased bacteria in my GI tract to the point that everything was overactive and painful. Just eating regular Light'N'Fit Dannon yogurt, not the probiotic kind, is more soothing for me, along with a healthy diet, exercise, and being slender.
I continue to be followed by GI docs and they told me that about 20% of their patients report MORE distress when taking probiotics, about 60% seem to improve, and another 20% notice no difference.
I suspect other comments on this article will be filled with ill-informed advice, quirky recommendations, and promotions for untested, unproven products. Buyer beware.
Rebecca-4408014, Crohn's is an auto-immune disease. Probiotics modulate the immune system. This is a simple but powerful fact. Sure, Crohn's has a genetic component, but there is much more to a complex disease such as Crohn's than just a gene being present or absent. Even though you're a dietitian, I assure you I read many more relevant research articles than you.
Rebecca your comments towards AB-1981 were unwarranted and a little rude, AB-1981 is on the money that is correct, the early immune system is primed by the presence and action of the intestinal bacteria. There is some logic in the statement that perhaps taking probiotics earlier in life may help prevent Crohn's or reduce the symptoms.
When my kids were little, the doctor always told me to give them acidophilus if they had diarrhea or were on antibiotics. It worked so well, we all take one dose every day, sick or not. We all have sensitive digestive systems and the probiotics really seem to make a difference for us.
A probiotic complex is significantly better than acidophilus alone. It doesn't make sense to supplement just one strain when thousands or millions exist. Saccharomyces boulardii may work even better for diarrhea.
Thanks! Will Try!
I live in Washington state where naturopathic doctors are allowed to practice. My doctor has for many years told me to take probiotics whenever I take an antibiotic. He also tells me to take them for my IBS symptoms. I think it's strange the medical profession is now coming around to see this is important when naturopathic doctors have known it for a long time.
Have any of you heard about the benefits of raw milk or even raw goat milk?
http://www.robinsonfarm.org/FactsRawMilk.html
Of course, watch out because your government is currently targeting the dairy farmers who sell raw milk. They're "watching out" for us again.
That's interesting, Ben. I wish I could take advantage of raw milk. Unfortunately, since I became lactose-intolerant all milk tastes and smells spoiled. I can take lactase pills all day, but I still gag at the smell or taste of the milk. I guess people like me are stuck with probiotic supplements for now.
Huh? Probiotic-rich yogurt, kefir, and other such products contain tons of probiotics, and their lactose content - if any, does not compare. Sure, supplements are not bad either, but a diverse approach is best.
@THammock try researching Kefir. I am lactose intolerant too and I quit drinking milk in 1990 but I did find that a short useage of Kefir ( Around a week. ) works wonders and contains the needed LIVE cultures which is what you want. Anything in pill or tablet form does not work quite as well. Try Olive Oil too. I hope this helps anyone as it helped me greatly. Take care.
I would encourage you to try the raw stuff, especially raw goat milk. You may find that the problem is related to pasteurization. It may take some work on the gagging problem. Add some hershey's chocolate mix. If you do find a source for the raw stuff, it spoils rapidly unless you vacuum seal it in a mason jar using a foodsaver. The difference is three days versus four weeks.
I think I can spell probiotics. Let's see - "F" "I" "B" "R" "E". Yep. That's it.
Are you dumb? Probiotics and fiber (not fibre) are two different things entirely. Probiotics feed on the prebiotics found among some fibers.
I just had to say yes a little on the wrong path for thinking fibre= probiotic but hey the alternative spelling for fiber is fibre so give the poor guy a break ;).
The only thing probiotics do, is give you UNBELIEVABLY Horrible DIARRHEA !!!!
That's ridiculous. If anything, they stop it.
AB-1981, you seem to be fighting a losing battle. Probiotics may be the best thing out there for many lifestyle and autoimmune diseases. A good mixture of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium will do miracles for those who suffer from IBS and other gastrointestinal problems. Make sure that the probiotic will survive the passage through the acidic environment in the stomach. This is why yogurt is not a great source of probiotics for those who suffer from dysbiosis. I use probiotics from Qivana. I am very happy with the results. Good luck.
@drjbgraham, Kefir and some live culture probiotics ( NOT in pill form. ) actually thrive in an acid rich environment, especially if you smoke or drink coffee which lowers the acidity level of your gut. The particular strep lactis ( It is called by different names. ) in Kefir thrives so it is best to use that proper mix of Kefir and a natural supplement called Betaine. Of course different things work for different people but I hope this information helps anyone that reads it.
That's right. Take it with food, and yogurt is food. They're not all as vulnerable to acid as we'd like to think.
It seems to help my acid indigestion, reflux and heartburn somewhat.
Whoa, hold it! Certain bacteria are beneficial and might thus be classed as "probiotics", but don't waste your money on the lactobacillus in those tiny pots of ridiculously expensive liquidly yoghurt that the industry calls "probiotics".
For anyone who must take antibiotics, take a probiotic and/or prebiotic. Antibiotics can lead to yeast infections because they kill all the good bacteria along with the bad. For anyone with chronic yeast infections, try probiotics. The medication you get over the counter kills the vaginal yeast, but not what is still in your system, and the yeast infection will return.