Search Results for: Probiotic

by Melissa Blake, BSc, ND The use of probiotics has grown substantially over the last several years. Propelled by development in sequencing methods and analytical techniques, there has been a significant increase in knowledge and understanding about the importance of a healthy microbiome.1 The currently accepted definition of a probiotic states they are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.2 Is this relatively broad definition sufficient for clinicians to guide treatment? Can…

by Bianca Garilli, ND and Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is no longer a Western world phenomena, but rather a global epidemic, with research revealing an association between higher T2D rates and a country’s wealth or economic growth.1 As a clear example, in a publication titled “Prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the Arab world: impact of GDP and energy consumption”, it was observed that the higher a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the higher the…

by Noelle Patno, PhD Research has demonstrated that probiotics not only help with gastrointestinal (GI) health but they also support immune health. Specifically, meta-analyses have shown that probiotics help reduce the incidence and duration of colds (AKA acute upper respiratory tract infections [URTI]).1-2 The length of the cold may be reduced by almost a day, resulting in less absenteeism from work, school, or day care.3 This can be significant considering that adults experience ~2-4 URTI episodes per year, with an estimated…

by Noelle Patno, PhD Colonoscopy is one of the most common medical procedures, used for screening various bowel diseases, including colon cancer, to examine for any pathological findings (e.g. polyps, ulcers, or inflamed tissue). Barriers to colonoscopy include patients’ fears related to invasiveness, pain, or complications.1 Complications may be as minor as bloating or as severe as bowel perforation (rare); factors that may predict increased risk for complication include insufficient bowel preparation (not completely cleaned out and therefore more difficult…

Probiotics from the Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria genera are some of the most commonly studied and used. Two specific probiotic strains, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®)* and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12®)*, have been extensively researched for safety and efficacy, particularly in the pediatric population. The LGG® and BB-12® Research Review examines the clinical evidence for these two probiotic strains as a primary preventive and management strategy for many of the most common infectious diseases and skin disorders affecting children. View…

This Nutrition Masters Course on probiotics provides history, guidelines, reviews scientific studies on key probiotic strains, discusses mechanisms of action, multiple and single strains, as well as new research. The piece begins with a brief history of intestinal microbiome science, including pioneering researchers in the fields of microbiology and immunology. Next, the relationship between the microbiome and human health is explored, with a focus on the gut microbiota and factors that influence the composition or activity of gut bacteria. Criteria…

Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 is a well-characterized and evidence-based probiotic strain. A feeding study led by Fergus Shanahan, MD and his research group at the University College Cork was conducted in patients with ulcerative colitis. This pilot-scale, open-label study aimed to determine the ability of L. salivarius UCC118 to adhere to human enterocyte epithelial cells. The bacterial strain was administered to patients with ulcerative colitis at ~109 CFU/day for 12 days. Biopsy specimen analyses demonstrated that the ingested bacteria effectively adhered to…

by Bianca Garilli, ND In a single year, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is responsible for nearly 500,000 infections among patients in the US. Approximately 29,000 of these patients die within 30 days of initial diagnosis of the infection, and 15,000 of those deaths can be attributed directly to C. difficile infection (CDI). C. difficile is now the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infection in US hospitals, with excess health care costs in acute care facilities estimated to be $4.8…

Results from a recent small randomized clinical trial found that a combined probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy (PPOIT) may potentially be an effective option to manage children with peanut allergy and the treatment effect may last for at least 4 years.1Previously, researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (Melbourne, Australia) conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effect of PPOIT in 62 children with peanut allergy. For 18 months, children received either placebo or PPOIT (2 x 1010 CFU of Lactobacillus…

Results from a supplementation trial demonstrated that the combination of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk for steatosis (fatty liver) in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)1. Previous research has shown that modulation of the gut microbiota via probiotics supplementation may have beneficial effects on the gut-liver axis and metabolic and immunologic responses, and omega-3 supplementation may improve liver lipid metabolism and adipose tissue function. 2,3 Seeing the potential, researchers from the Bogomolets National Medical University (Kiev, Ukraine)…