3D rendering of Bacteria infection under microscope.

3D rendering of Bacteria infection under microscope.

Your colon is an ecosystem containing several pounds of bacteria–they belong there. They remove toxins, keep pathogens in check, and create nutrients that are beneficial to the GI lining and to the rest of the body. There is a fair amount of research demonstrating the value of supplementation with probiotics. Here are a few of the studies.

A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled studies was published in Epidemiology (23(3):402-414, May 2012) looked at probiotic supplementation in pregnant women, and in infants shortly after birth, and the relation to the incidence of allergic dermatitis in their infants after birth. A total of 14 studies were included in the analysis. Overall, the studies show that probiotic supplementation was helpful in preventing atopic dermatitis.

Research appearing in the Journal of Perinatology (33, 40-44 doi:10.1038/jp.2012.37) looked at probiotic supplementation in infants with low birth weight. The subjects of the double-blind, placebo-controlled study were 31 low-weight infants. Postprandial (after meal) increase in time-averaged mean velocity (a measurement of intestinal blood flow) increased in the group given the probiotic supplements.

Research appearing in Inflammation & Allergy–Drug Targets (Volume: 11, Issue: 3, Year: June 2012, Pages: 244-249) looked at 80 patients with H. pylori and the effect supplementation with probiotics had on their condition. The subjects were given either a placebo or a supplement containing eight species of probiotic bacteria for a period of 10 days. One month later stool samples were tested for H. pylori stool antigen and given a urea breath test one month later. The testing revealed that 13 out of the 40 subjects given the probiotic were free of H. pylori one month after the supplementation.

Research published in the journal Nutritional Research (Volume 28, Issue 1, January 2008, Pages 1-5) tested probiotic supplements and their effect on nausea and vomiting. The subjects of the study were 75 men and women between the ages of 16 and 60 who were randomly divided into two groups and given either a placebo or a proprietary blend of probiotics. At the end of three weeks, the group receiving the probiotic reported less abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, compared to the placebo group.

Taking antibiotics can create an imbalance in the bowel flora. The resulting imbalance can change carbohydrate metabolism and decrease short-chain fatty acid absorption and produce diarrhea. This is known as “AAD”, or antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Clostridium difficile, also known more commonly as C. diff, is known to account for 10-20% of antibiotic-associated diarrhea cases.

A meta-analysis of parallel, randomized clinical trials was published in JAMA (May 9; 307(18):1959-69) that looked at 82 controlled studies involving supplementing AAD patients with probiotics. The combined studies involved 11,811 subjects. Results indicated that probiotic supplementation could lead to a significant reduction in AAD.