Nutrition

Probiotics and Lactic Acid Bacteria

On Benefits, Advantages & Health Effects

Adapted by copyright Healing Cancer Naturally from "Probiotic" in Wikipedia

Probiotics are bacterial cultures comprising of potentially beneficial bacteria or yeast, however lactic acid bacteria are the most common microbes used. Humanity has been using lactic acid bacteria (which inter alia convert lactose into lactic acid) for fermenting milk and vegetables possibly since 12,000 years.

The modern food industry uses the same mechanisms for preserving food. This not only provides the characteristic sour taste of fermented dairy foods such as yogurt, but acts as a preservative, by lowering the pH and creating less room for spoilage organisms to grow.

Probiotic bacterial cultures are intended to assist the body's naturally occurring flora within the digestive tract to reestablish themselves. They are sometimes recommended by doctors, and, more frequently, by nutritionists, after a course of antibiotics, or as part of the treatment for candidiasis. Many probiotics are present in natural sources such as lactobacillus in yogurt and sauerkraut. Claims are made that probiotics strengthen the immune system.^[1]

The rationale for probiotics is that the body contains a miniature ecology of microbes, collectively known as the gut flora. The number of bacterial types can be thrown out of balance by a wide range of circumstances including the use of antibiotics or other drugs, excess alcohol, stress, disease, exposure to toxic substances, or even the use of antibacterial soap.

In cases like these, the bacteria that work well with our bodies may decrease in number, an event which allows harmful competitors to thrive, to the detriment of our health.

Effects of probiotic dietary supplements

There is no published evidence that probiotic supplements are able to replace the body’s natural flora when these have been killed off. There is evidence, however, that probiotics do form beneficial temporary colonies which may assist the body in the same functions as the natural flora, while allowing the natural flora time to recover from depletion.

The probiotic strains are then progressively replaced by a naturally developed gut flora. If the conditions which originally caused damage to the natural gut flora persist, the benefits obtained from probiotic supplements will be short-lived.

Benefits

Scientists have found a range of potentially beneficial medicinal uses for probiotics. Briefly, they are described below.

Prevention of Colon Cancer: In laboratory investigations, lactic acid bacteria have demonstrated anti-mutagenic effects thought to be due to their ability to bind with (and therefore detoxify) hetrocylic amines; carcinogenic substances formed in cooked meat.^[2]

Animal studies have demonstrated that lactic acid bacteria can protect against colon cancer in rodents, though human data is limited and conflicting.^[3] Most human trials have found that lactic acid bacteria may exert anti-carcinogenic effects by decreasing the activity of an enzyme called ß-glucuronidase^[3] (which can regenerate carcinogens in the digestive system).

Lower rates of colon cancer among higher consumers of fermented dairy products have been observed in some population studies^[1] the results of which are encouraging, however, more research is needed.

Helping to Lose Weight: Some bacterial strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus Gasseri have shown benefits in overweight individuals. The study "Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women" for instance concluded that the formulation did assist obese females in losing weight (and keeping it off).

A systematic review of randomised and controlled clinical trials on the effects of Lactobacilli on body weight and fat in overweight adults appeared in the International Journal of Obesity in November 2017 (see www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28792488). It found that changing the intestinal flora via probiotics may indeed result in weight loss.

Also see The development of probiotic treatment in obesity: a review which suggests that specific microbial strains can be used in the treatment of obesity.

Mood-boosting: A relatively recent but exciting area of medical research explores the effect of beneficial gut bacteria on mental and emotional states such as anxiety, brain fog and OCD.

Doing a search for the terms "gut biome anxiety" for instance will give you many articles discussing studies which delve into the astounding connection between the gut and the brain.

Apart from the generally mood-enhancing effect of a smoothly working digestive apparatus, apparently, health-promoting germs are able to lift your mood and make you more relaxed by generating a neurotransmitter named GABA (while simultaneously enhancing the brain's GABA receptors). GABA reduces neuronal excitability and relaxes those brain areas which are overactive in anxiety and panic states.

Cholesterol-lowering: Animal studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a range of lactic acid bacteria to be able to lower serum cholesterol levels in animals, presumably by breaking down bile in the gut, thus inhibiting its reabsorption (which enters the blood as cholesterol).

Some, but not all human trials have shown that dairy foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria can produce modest reductions in total and LDL cholesterol levels in those with normal levels to begin with, however trials in hyperlipidemic subjects are needed.^[1]

Please note however that cholesterol is not necessarily the evil guy that it is made out to be (quite the opposite, in fact), see e.g. On the link between cholesterol and cancer incidence: High cholesterol levels associated with lower cancer risk.

Managing Lactose Intolerance: Because lactic acid bacteria convert lactose into lactic acid, their ingestion may help lactose-intolerant individuals tolerate more lactose than what they would have otherwise.^[1]

Lowering Blood Pressure: Several small clinical trials have shown that consumption of milk fermented with various strains of lactic acid bacteria can result in modest reductions in blood pressure. It is thought that this is due to the ACE-inhibitor-like peptides produced during fermentation.^[1]

Improving Immune Function and Preventing Infections: Lactic acid bacteria are thought to have several presumably beneficial effects on immune function. They may protect against pathogens by means of competitive inhibition (i.e., by competing for growth) and there is evidence to suggest that they may improve immune function by increasing the number of IgA-producing plasma cells, increasing or improving phagocytosis as well as increasing the proportion of T lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells.^[4],^[5]

Like the human immune system itself, several lactobacilli also produce hydrogen peroxide which may help keep candida yeast from multiplying.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that probiotics may decrease the incidence of respiratory tract infections^[6] and dental caries in children^[7] as well as aid in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections (which cause peptic ulcers) in adults when used in combination with standard medical treatments.^[8]

Lactic acid bacteria foods and supplements have been shown to be effective in the treatment and prevention of acute diarrhea; decreasing the severity and duration of rotavirus infections in children as well as antibiotic-associated and travelers diarrhea in adults.^[4],^[5],^[9]

Reducing Inflammation: Lactic acid bacteria foods and supplements have been found to modulate inflammatory and hypersensitivity responses, an observation thought to be at least in part due to the regulation of cytokine function^[4]. Clinical studies suggest that they can prevent reoccurrences of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in adults^[4], as well as improve milk allergies^[10] and decrease the risk of atopic eczema in children.

Synbiotics

Although use of probiotic formulations may well help in achieving these benefits, it is also possible to increase and maintain a healthy bacterial gut flora by increasing the amounts of prebiotics in the diet such as inulin, raw oats, and unrefined wheat.

As probiotics are mainly active in the small intestine and prebiotics are only effective in the large intestine, the combination of the two gives a synergistic effect. Appropriate combinations of pre- and probiotics are synbiotics.

Types

The most common victuals in which probiotics are found are unpasteurized dairy products (particularly yoghurt) and probiotic fortified foods. However, tablets and capsules containing the bacteria in freeze-dried form are also available. Capsules may be more effective than tablets because some protect the beneficial bacteria from stomach acids.

Some common probiotics include:

Bifidobacterium bifidum
Bifidobacterium breve
Bifidobacterium infantis
Bifidobacterium longum
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactobacillus GG

Some commonly used bacteria in products, but without probiotic effect (yogurt bacteria) :

Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Streptococcus thermophilus

Some nonexisting bacteria (phantasy names, fraud) mentioned on probiotic products (taken from food-info.net, see link below for more details on these 'bacteria') :

Lactobacillus sporogenes
Lactobacillus bifidus
Lactobacillus caucasicus

Some fermented products containing similar lactic acid bacteria include:

Yogurt (for homemade yoghurt, see How to cheaply include huge amounts of probiotics in your diet)
Sauerkraut (see Making home-made sauerkraut)
Kefir (see Making home-made kefir)
Kimchi

Lactic acid cancer treatment

Most remarkably, there are several cancer cure approaches that heavily rely on or include lactic-acid-fermented foods and drinks, foremost among them the Lactic-acid-fermented food treatment for cancer but also the Budwig Diet, the Moerman cancer cure diet, the cancer treatment with Kombucha and coli preparations and the simple kombucha cancer treatment.

... and for the best, easiest, and least expensive ways healingcancernaturally.com knows to heal cancer

after studying the subject for some twenty years, click here.

References

1. Sanders ME. Considerations for use of probiotic bacteria to modulate human health. J Nutr. 2000;130:384S-390S.

Be aware that recent research has associated high cholesterol levels with reduced cancer risk, see On the link between cholesterol and cancer incidence.

2. Wollowski I, Rechkemmer G, Pool-Zobel BL. Protective role of probiotics and prebiotics in colon cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001;73:451S-455S. Also see The application of probiotics in cancer.

3. Brady LJ, Gallaher DD, Busta FF. The role of probiotic cultures in the prevention of colon cancer. J Nutr. 2000;130:410S-414S.

4. Reid G, Jass J, Sebulsky MT, McCormick JK. Potential uses of probiotics in clinical practice. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2003;16:658-72.

5. Ouwehand AC, Salminen S, Isolauri E. Probiotics: an overview of beneficial effects. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 2002;82:279-89.

6. Hatakka K, Savilahti E, Ponka A, Meurman JH, Poussa T, Nase L, Saxelin M, Korpela R. Effect of long term consumption of probiotic milk on infections in children attending day care centres: double blind, randomised trial. BMJ. 2001;322:1327

7. Nase L, Hatakka K, Savilahti E, Saxelin M, Ponka A, Poussa T, Korpela R, Meurman JH. Effect of long-term consumption of a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, in milk on dental caries and caries risk in children . Caries Res. 2001;35:412-20.

8. Hamilton-Miller JM. The role of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of Helicobacter pylori infection. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2003;22:360-366.

9. Cremonini F, Di Caro S, Nista EC, Bartolozzi F, Capelli G, Gasbarrini G, Gasbarrini A. Meta-analysis: the effect of probiotic administration on antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002;16:1461-1467

10. Kirjavainen PV, Salminen SJ, Isolauri E Probiotic bacteria in the management of atopic disease: underscoring the importance of viability. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2003;36:223-227 11. Kalliomaki M, Salminen S, Poussa T, Arvilommi H, Isolauri E. Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4-year follow-up of a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2003;361:1869-1871.

External link

How to select a proper probiotic as a consumer: food-info.net/uk/ff/probiotics.htm