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HEALTH BENEFITS


Beneficial effects of probiotic strains, demonstrated and proposed, include the following*(5,6,7,8,9,10,11,16,17,18,19,20):

1. Increased nutritional value (better digestibility, increased absorption of vitamins and minerals);
2. Promotion of intestinal lactose digestion;
3. Positive influence on intestinal and urogenital flora (antibiotics and radiation induced colitis, yeast infections and vaginitis in women);
4. Prevention and reduction of intestinal tract infections (bacteria or virus induced, Candida enteritis, Helicobacter Pylori);
5. Regulation of gut motility (constipation, irritable bowel syndrome);
6. Decreased incidence and duration of diarrhea (antibiotic associated, Clostridium difficile, travelers, and rotaviral);
7. Maintenance of mucosal integrity;
8. Improvement of immune system;
9. Prevention of colon cancer;
10. Reduction of catabolic products eliminated by kidney and liver;
11. Prevention of osteoporosis;
12. Better development (growth);
13. Anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-allergic activities;
14. Feeling of well-being;
15. Anti-Candida properties;
16. Hepatic encephalopathy;
17. Regulation of inflammatory conditions such as Inflamatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis);
18.Reductions and elimination of small bowel bacterial overgrowth;
19. Relieving urinary tract infections;
20. Positive influence on autistic children;
21. Provides antagonistic environment for pathogens;
22. Blocking adhesion sites from pathogens; and
23. Inactivating enterotoxins.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The diagram below is a good representation of various functions and health benefits of probiotics(18).



Table 1. Reported Clinical Effects of some Probiotics(20).

Clinical effect
Probiotic

Immune stimulation

Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. delbrueckii, L johnsonii, Bifidobacterium bifidum

Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea

L. rhamnosus,  L. acidophilus. L. bulgaricus, Saccharomyces boulardii, B. longum, Enterococcus faecium

Travellers diarrhoea

L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus. L. bulgaricus, B. bifidum, Streptococcus thermophilus, L. johnsonii, S. boulardii

Recurrent C. difficile colitis

L. rhamnosus, S. boulardii

Anti-tumour

L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. plantarum, L. delbrueckii, L. gasseri, B. longum, B. bifidum, B. adolescentis, B. infantis

Rotavirus diarrhoea

L. rhamnosus, B. bifidum, S thermophilus

Acute diarrhoea

B. bifidum, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, E. faecium, L. rhamnosus, L. reuteri

Balancing of intestinal microbiota

L. acidophilus, L. casei, B. bifidum, L. plantarum

Lactose intolerance

L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. johnsonii

Lowering faecal enzyme activities

L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. gasseri, L. delbrueckii, L. acidophilus


Probiotics play an important role in human nutrition and health, and in balancing the intestinal microflora naturally. Health benefits attributed to the consumption of probiotics include: maintenance of the normal gut flora, alleviation of lactose (milk-sugar) intolerance, improvement of digestive processes and absorption of nutrients, and stimulation of body’s immune system*. Probiotics are now widely used in many countries by consumers and in clinical practice and their health benefits are being investigated extensively, especially in the last few decades.The need to find replacement therapeutic approaches to overcome side effects associated with the current pharmacological treatments, and the need for new antimicrobials due to the overuse of antibiotics has propelled forward research on probiotics against a multitude of disorders of varying severity given their favorable safety profiles.

Additional developments in the field of probiotics require cooperation between microbiologists, gastroenterologists, immunologists, nutritionists and food technologists reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of the functional food research.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

CUSTOM PROBIOTICS remains committed to formulating and supplying highest potency and quality probiotic dietary supplements at affordable prices.

REFERENCES
1. Holzapfel WH, Haberer P et al. "Overview of gut flora and probiotics". Int J of Food Microbiol 1998;41:85-101.
2. Balch JF, Walker M. "Heartburn and what to do about it". Avery Publishing Group, New York, 1998.
3. Marteau P, Rambaud JC, "Probiotiques en gastroenterologie: bases rationelles, effet demontres et perspectives". Hepato-Gastro, 1998;5:267-273.
4. Collins MD, Gibson GR. "Probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics: approaches for modulating the microbial ecology of the gut". Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 69 (suppl):1052S-7S.
5. Shortt C. "Living it up for dinner". Chemistry & Industry 1998;8:300-303.
6. Bengmark S, "Ecological control of the gastrointestinal tract. The role of probiotic flora". Gut 1998;42:2-7.
7. Hanson LA, Yolken RH ed. "Probiotics, other nutritional factors, and intestinal microflora". Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1999.
8. Orrhage K., Nord C.E. "Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in human health". Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. 2000;XXVI(3): 95-111.
9. von Wright A., Salminen S. "Probiotics: established effects and open questions". Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1999;11:1195-1198
10. Schultz M., Balfour S., "Probiotics and Inflamatory Bowel Diseases". American J. Gastroenterology Suppl. 2000;95:S19-S21
11. Balish E., Wagner R.D., "Probiotic bacteria for prophylaxis and therapy of candidiasis". Rev. Iberoam. Micol. 1998;15:261-264.
12. Mackie R., Gaskins H.R., "Gastrointestinal microbial ecology". Science & Medicine Nov./Dec. 1999.
13. Levy J., "The effects of antibiotic use on gastrointestinal function". American J. Gastroenterology Suppl. 2000;95:S8-S10.
14. Wolfson D., "Turning Pro: The myriad benefits of probiotics". Health & Nutrition Breakthroughs, Aug. 1999, 12-14.
15. Vanderhoof J.A., "Probiotics and inflammatory disorders in infants and children". Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2000;30:S34-S38.
16. Rolfe R.D., "The role of probiotic cultures in the control of gastrointestinal health". Journal of Nutrition 2000;130:396S-402S.
17. Dugas et al. "Immunity and Probiotics". Immunology Today 1999;20:9:387-340.
18. Saarela et al, "Gut bacteria and health foods - the European perspective". Int’l Journal of Food Microbiology 78 (2002) 99-117.
19. Danone Nutritops, " The three lines of defense in human intestine - Effect of Probiotics on body's natural defences".  No. 25, July 2002.
20. Gibson GR, Collins DM, Concept of Balanced Colonic Microbiota, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics". Published in "Probiotics, other nuritional factors, and intestinal microflora", Nestle Nutrition Workshop Series, Vol. 42, Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1999.
21. R. Reid, "The scientific basis for probiotic strains of Lactobacillus". Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Sept.1999, Vol. 65, No. 9, p. 3763.

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