Some probiotics may be used in the effective management of many chronic health conditions such as lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, pouchitis, antibiotic or radiotherapy-induced diarrhea, immunomodulation, and in reducing blood cholesterol. In addition to being effective in preventing viral infections, they are also useful in prevention of cancers due to their antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties. Various studies show encouraging results on the use of probiotics in management of conditions such as diverticulitis, traveler's diarrhea, stomach ulcers, vaginal infections, cold, flu, obesity, and anxiety; however, there is lack of sufficient scientific evidence. The most common probiotics used as therapeutic options and in dietary supplements include members of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species.
Probiotics mainly consist of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium or Streptococcus genera. The genera consist of a variety of species such as Lactobacillus acidophilus where in ‘Lactobacillus’ is the genus and ‘acidophilus’ is the species that belongs to this genus. Often, the product label will shorten ‘Lactobacillus’ to ‘L.’ and ‘Bifidobacterium’ to ‘B’.
Different probiotic supplements have different combinations of bacteria in varying numbers. Probiotic supplements are “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). The US Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements and several of these supplements have not been studied exhaustively. Thus, the acclaimed health benefits of supplements may not be factual. It is important to read fact labels on probiotic supplements which usually contain a list of live bacteria along with their total amounts. This is also called colony forming units (CFU) per serving at the time of manufacture. A higher CFU count does not indicate that the supplement will offer greater health benefits. The health benefits are specific to the type of bacteria present in the supplement and not necessarily the CFU count.
There are no official recommendations for use of probiotics for healthy adults. It is best to consult your physician for advice to select a probiotic supplement, its dosage, and to determine the duration of use. Always check the expiration date and store the product as instructed on the label. gastroenterologists or other healthcare professional. Despite their GRAS status, current studies have not proven the efficacies claimed by manufacturers. Some research has indicated a discrepancy between the number of viable cells claimed on the label and actual number of viable cells. Storage and handling conditions may also influence this difference. Further, the immunocompromised, such as the elderly or critically ill.
No, unless recommended by your physician,
gastroenterologists or other healthcare professional. Despite their GRAS status, current studies have not proven the efficacies claimed by manufacturers. Some research has indicated a discrepancy between the number of viable cells claimed on the label and actual number of viable cells. Storage and handling conditions may also influence this difference. Further, the immunocompromised, such as the elderly or critically ill
elderly or critically ill
individuals, should not take probiotic supplements, due to associated risks such as endocarditis, sepsis, and fungemia. Premature infants should not be given probiotics without a physician's recommendation. Some commonly studied and widely used probiotics include:
Some commonly studied and widely used probiotics include:
Did you know? Just like our fingerprint, composition of the gut microbiota can be unique to every individual.