Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Not everyone completes the full treatment cycle of antibiotics, mainly because of diarrhea, a common side-effect of antibiotics. Researchers at the US based nonprofit RAND Corporation have found that probiotics may help prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).

Their findings were published on May 9, 2012, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The meta-analysis looked at 63 randomized, controlled trials that tested the effects of probiotics on AAD and included 11,811 participants. The majority of the trials used lactobacillus-based interventions, alone or in combination with other probiotic strains.

The researchers found that probiotic consumption in conjunction with antibiotics was associated with a 42% lower risk of developing diarrhea when compared to not using probiotics. They noted that more research needs to be done to determine which strain of probiotics will have the best results.

Probiotics are most commonly known for improving digestion and gut health, but they have been linked with numerous other health benefits, including weight loss, a stronger immune system, and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Probiotics can be found naturally in many foods, such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. You may also consider taking a high quality supplement but make sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Good oral hygiene, and particularly gum health, is important for more than just making sure you have good breath. Studies have shown that gum diseases can lead to heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. A recent study from AB-BIOTICS in Spain and the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona has found that probiotics may aid oral health.

The findings were published online ahead of print on November 3, 2011 in the Archives of Oral Biology.

Previous studies have shown that probiotics may prevent caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. The researchers sought to identify the lactic acid strains showing the best potential for oral health benefits.

100 strains of bacteria were isolated from healthy children, of which 46 were lactic acid bacteria and therefore qualified for this trial. The strains were tested in order to assess their ability to prevent oral disorders.

The researchers found that most of the strains tested were able to live in the mouth and actively work against gum disease. The strains showed high ability to adhere to oral tissues and did not present any antibiotic resistance. The researchers concluded that lactic acid bacteria could potentially be very useful for improving oral health.

Beyond oral health, probiotics have been shown to help aid in weight loss, improve digestion, prevent recurring yeast infections, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

You can get more probiotics by eating certain foods such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. For many people, taking a high quality supplement is an easier approach. If you choose this option, be sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Probiotic supplements and probiotic foods are gaining popularity worldwide as research links them to more health benefits every year. In the United States alone we can expect spending on probiotics to double over the next five years, according to the market researcher Euromonitor International,.

The researchers reported at the Pre-& Probiotics 2012 conference on February 1, 2012 that worldwide probiotic sales are expected to increase from $2.7 billion in 2011 to $4 billion in 2016. That’s a 48% increase.

The United States is showing the fastest growth of probiotic sales, with the industry bringing in $140 million in 2011.

In terms of best selling probiotic products, in 2011 drinkable yogurt was the most popular, generating $14 billion of revenue. Spoonable yogurt brought in $11.3 billion , supplements $2.7 billion and juice $135 million.

Probiotics are most commonly known for improving digestion and gut health, but they have been linked with numerous other health benefits, including weight loss, a stronger immune system, and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Probiotics can be found naturally in many foods, such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. You may also consider taking a high quality supplement but make sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

For some people, standard oral hygiene isn’t sufficient when combating bad breath. A new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that gum containing lactobacillus reuteri (a probiotic) may improve halitosis.

The findings were published online ahead of print on December 20, 2011, in the journal Acta Odontologica Scandinavica.

This small scale study included 28 19-25 year olds who suffered from halitosis. For fourteen days, 12 of the participants ate one piece of chewing gum in the morning and one at night consisting of isomalt, hydrogenated palm oil, sucrose esters of fatty acids, peppermint oil, menthol flavor and sucralose. The other 16 ate the same gum but with an added supplement of lactobacillus reuteri.

The researchers took measurements at the onset and conclusion of the study and found that the organoleptic scores of the probiotic group, which were about equal to the placebo group at the beginning of the study, were noticeably lower. In organoleptic testing, researchers smell a person’s breath to evaluate their level of halitosis.

Due to the small size of the study and other biological factors which were present, the researchers caution that more needs to be done in the examination of the effects of probiotics on bad breath. They suggest this study shows that probiotics may be useful as a supplement to other oral health measures.

Probiotics are most commonly known for improving digestion and gut health, but they have been linked with numerous other health benefits, including weight loss, improved digestion, a stronger immune system, and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Probiotics can be found naturally in many foods, such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. You may also consider taking a high quality supplement but make sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Researchers have long theorized that lack of early exposure to certain microorganisms and parasites in childhood is the reason for the rise in childhood allergies, but they’ve had a hard time proving their theory. A recent study from researchers at Linkoping University in Sweden aimed to show that probiotics and diversity in the gut are essential for preventing the development of allergies and autoimmune diseases.

The findings were published online ahead of print on December 6, 2011 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The study included 40 infants, half of whom had atopic eczema and allergic antibodies to foods and half of whom showed no signs of allergy. The researchers took stools samples from the two groups at 1 week, 1 month, and 12 months of age. They analyzed the stool samples using genetic sequencing to determine which bacteria were present.

They found that the amount of exposure to a diverse variety of microorganisms has an effect on allergy development. The babies who did not have allergies had higher levels of a variety of gut microflora at one month old than the babies with allergies.

The researchers also found differences in the effects provided by different types of bacteria. Proteobacteria, which protects against allergies, were more abundant in the babies without allergies at 12 months of age. Bacteroides were found to help with inflammation. However, Bifidobacteria, which is often added to dairy products, did not appear to have a protective effect.

While most commonly linked with improved gut health, probiotics have also been shown to have help with weight loss, strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

As this study shows, a diversity of probiotic bacteria is key for good health. Good dietary sources of probiotics include yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. A high quality supplement is also great source . If you choose this option, be sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Quitting smoking is really the only way to mitigate the negative health effects of cigarettes. However a recent study suggests that probiotics may enhance the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, boosting the immune system and counteracting some of the damage done by smoking.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of ‘G. d’Annunzio’ in Italy and the Nippon Medical School in Japan. The findings were published online on December 6, 2011, in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Study participants included 72 Italian men with an average age of 50 who were in good health other than their smoking habit. Half of the group consumed a probiotic consisting of 40 billion lyophilized viable cells of Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain and half of the group consumed a placebo daily for three weeks.

At the end of the study, the probiotic group showed a 17-26% increase of NK activity whereas the placebo group showed only an 8.4-10.5% increase. The probiotic group also reported less nausea and stomach-ache symptoms, reflecting an improvement in gastrointestinal function.

NK cells are a type of white blood cell. They are an important component of the immune system and play a major role in the containment of viral infections.

The researchers warned that these results should not be used as an alternative to quitting smoking. They hope that people will take their research as more proof that smoking has a negative effect on the immune system.

While most commonly linked with improved gut health, probiotics have been shown to have a positive effect on weight loss and reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Dietary sources of probiotics include yogurt, milk and sauerkraut but for many people, taking a high quality supplement is an easier approach. If you choose this option, be sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Probiotics are well known for improving gastrointestinal and immune health, now it appears heart health can be added to the list. A new study from Jiangnan University in China suggests that probiotics may lower total cholesterol, largely by lowering the “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The article was published in Nutrition and Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases online ahead of print on September 17, 2011.

The study examined data from 13 trials, each of which was testing the efficacy of probiotic supplements, The 485 participants had a wide range of cholesterol levels, ranging from normal to high.

Compared to the placebo or control group, the researchers found that those taking probiotics experienced a 6.4 mg/dl decrease in total cholesterol, on average.

This included a 4.9 mg/dl drop in LDL cholesterol and a 3.95 mg/dl decrease in triglycerides, on average.

It is also noteworthy that the average “good” or HDL cholesterol level remained virtually unchanged, declining just 0.1 mg/dl.

From this data, the researchers concluded a diet rich in probiotics can decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in people with normal, borderline high or high cholesterol.

Probiotics have been linked with other health benefits, including weight loss, improved digestion, a stronger immune system, and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Probiotics can be found naturally in many foods, such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. You may also consider taking a high quality supplement but make sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

If you take a probiotic, you may want to take a calcium supplement as well. According to a new study from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany, the growth of good bacteria found in a probiotic gets a boost from calcium.

The findings were published in Clinical Nutrition online ahead of print on October 19, 2011.

Study participants included 34 omnivorous men and women who had somewhat high cholesterol levels. Over the course of four weeks, half of the participants consumed a drink containing 10 billion colony forming units (CFUs) of L. paracasei daily and one group consumed the same drink but with an added supplement of one gram of calcium phosphate.

After completely the four week intervention, all of the participants had a two week “washout period,” a time when they were not taking any supplement, and then two weeks of consuming a placebo. Following that one month period, the groups switched interventions for four more weeks.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted enhanced colonization of the probiotic in the gut when it was taken with the calcium. Higher levels of good bacteria in the gut tend to result in greater health benefits for the person taking a probiotic.

The researchers also noted that the probiotic plus calcium intervention resulted in a notable re-duction in overall cholesterol levels and specifically LDL cholesterol levels. They are unsure if the cholesterol lowering effects are due to the combo or calcium alone. However, given that the amount of cholesterol lowering was approximately the same as previous calcium alone studies, they believe it may be due to just the calcium.

L. paracasei has also been associated with aiding gut flora and improving digestive system function. It can be found naturally in dairy products or can be consumed in supplement form.

Calcium has been shown to aid bone health, muscle contraction, central nervous system function, skin health, and hormone secretion. Calcium absorption decreases as we age, so it is especially important to make sure you are getting enough of it in your diet or through a high quality supplement.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Probiotics may boost your immune system’s disease fighting capabilities, according to a new joint study conducted by the Health and Nutrition Division at Chr. Hansen in Denmark, the Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan, and the University of Southampton in England.

The findings were published in the British Journal of Nutrition on September 7, 2011.

The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study with 211 participants. Over the course of six weeks, participants were randomly assigned to take either one billion colony forming units of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis, one billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus paracasei or a placebo.

Two weeks into the study, all of the participants received a standard flu shot. Four weeks after taking the shot, the probiotic groups showed significantly more flu antibodies and antibodies in general than the placebo group.

Specifically, supplementation with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis was associated with a 66% increase in the levels of the antibody IgG3. Supplementation with Lactobacillus paracasei was associated with a 46% increase in the levels of the antibody IgG3.
Probiotics may also help aid in weight loss, improve digestion, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Probiotics can be found naturally in many foods, such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. However, most foods do not contain enough of this probiotic to see the types of results discovered in this study, so consider taking a supplement. If you choose this option, be sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

A not-yet-published study suggests that the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium lactis may reduce the frequency and severity of the common cold in healthy, physically active adults. The findings were presented at the International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics in Kosice, Slovakia on June 15, 2011.

The researchers are from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, Australia. The study was funded by Danisco, a large supplier of probiotics based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The researchers recruited 474 healthy adults who were given Bifidobacterium lactis over the course of 150 days. The participants reported a 30-50% decrease in upper respiratory tract illness and chest illness during the course of the study. Participants also experienced a reduction in the duration and severity of symptoms, leading to a reduction in the use of medication.

These results are impressive because physically active, healthy individuals are less susceptible to common colds and respiratory illnesses than sedentary people or those undertaking prolonged intense exercise. Therefore, the researchers are encouraged that “these findings, which demonstrate benefits in healthy individuals, hold promise for other groups in the population who may be more susceptible to respiratory infections such as the young and elderly.”

Subjects in this study were given Bifidobacterium lactis in supplement form. It’s a strain of probiotics that is commonly found in supplement form. Please keep in mind when purchasing a probiotic supplement to be sure it is packaged to block light, air, and moisture, which can easily harm probiotics.