Posted on 10/19/2011 4:59:44 PM PDT by decimon
Scientists have been unclear for some time about how most probiotics work. A new study has found a scientific 'design' for a probiotic that could be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease.
The research by academics at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences and the School of Clinical Medicine is published online in the journal PLoS ONE.
Most probiotics on the market, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are lactic acid bacteria. Although probiotics have been shown to successfully maintain remission in IBD, evidence of their effectiveness in active disease is rare. The researchers have found that this is because an increase in iron levels, which happens during active IBD, inhibits the growth of probiotic bacteria, including Lactobacillus.
Iron levels increase in the intestine during inflammation, bleeding, during stress and when people are taking iron supplements. Iron is critically important to the growth of most species of bacteria, including pathogens, and its availability is what restricts their growth. It is well known that pathogens increase growth rate by up to 8,000 times when exposed to increased levels of iron. Lactic acid bacteria are unusual as they have evolved not to require iron, and so do not increase growth rate when exposed to it.
Dr Tristan Cogan, Research Fellow in the School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "When we started our study we considered the properties that a probiotic would need to treat IBD. Most importantly, it would need to be able to survive and grow in the presence of high levels of iron and to reduce inflammation. We then worked out how to test bacteria to see whether it had these properties.
(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
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Love probiotics! I hope this isn’t a ploy for the feds to regulate yogurt.
Works for me as well!
I’m sitting here drinking by glass of kombucha, which I brew myself.
they were talking about giving the patient worms or worm eggs
Problem with taking a lot of iron is that taking a dump is like trying to send a boulder out through a straw.
Probiotics are excellent.
Doctors used to use them when they first started using penicillin because they knew “antibiotics” killed off both good and bad gut bacteria.
However the prescription of probiotics with antibiotics fell out of the normal protocol. They are not technically ‘prescription’ so insurance doesn’t cover them, so they aren’t prescribed by doctors.
The fact people don’t replenish their gi trat with good bacteria is a very big cause of medical problems today, especially digestive problems.
If you take soluble fiber and drink enough water you can prevent that. Anything with psyllium husks in it should do the trick well.
TMI!!
They have an okra like gumbo effect in soups & sauces.
Also great in oatmeal, etc.
You will have giant, healthy textbook quality "what'cha'ma'call'um's".
Agree with everything you’ve said. In fact, using a natural antibiotic in conjunction with a probiotic is my first choice, not a prescription.
Dig that, big time, more die every year from big pharma than when those two buildings blew up in New York awhile back ( "can't remember the exact date.").
Oh, you do have a way with words.
Been there, done that. Fiber and probiotics don’t work for everyone. Fiber made me worse and probiotics were just placebos.I’ve been fighting microscopic colitis for 9 years now and so far the only things that have helped me a *PRE*biotics and Entocort, a very expensive medication. I hope they come up with something soon. Oh yeah, quitting coffee has helped but it was misery coming off it.
It’s a gift.
1. Another key for probiotic effectiveness is getting them to survive the low pH of the stomach; they only help you in the intestines if they’re ALIVE when they get there —look for probiotics that come in ENTERIC capsule coatings.
2. If the probiotic comes in naked tablet, don’t chew it up —less will survive that way.
3. Try to take the probiotic with yogurt, keifer, saurkraut or Kombucha.
4. The CFU count on the label is accurate only at the time of MANUFACURE —it was shipped in a hot truck and sat on a shelf for some weeks @ RT, so the CFU count is not even 10% of what’s claimed, usually. Consider buying refrigerated probiotics, and refrigerate yours.
5. Licorice and slippery elm are good 2 think about
It's a bit of work, not for the lazy, but it works like a charm.
btw- your teeth will be squeaky clean like you just came from the dentist as there's an enzyme in fresh Aloe that removes tarter.
Probiotic effectiveness can be radically boosted if you also take some oligosaccharides derived from priobiotics chickory root fiber.
I’m sure that sounds SUPER hippy-esque —I had my doubts— but that’s true.
Skin health is often GUT HEALTH.
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