Probiotics: -A look at their utilization to promote health and wellness in all ages!

[Trauma1]

This thread is based at presenting some research on this topic, as well as engaging in conversation about probiotic supplementation, and the broad spectrum of benefits they can provide. We shall post up some more informative readings over the coming days, but we think this is a good start.

Enjoy, and let the educational experience for all....begin!






Probiotics Support Health in All Ages

Posted: 10/12/2008

Posted Oct 12, 2008




New research on the benefits of probiotics in children and seniors was presented at The American College of Nutrition (ACN) Annual Meeting in a symposium, "Practical Applications of Probiotics in Health and Disease." Scientific experts in the fields of pediatrics, aging, and nutrition discussed the potential uses for probiotics in children as well as the elderly, and for health conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Probiotics are used worldwide and in the US they are one of the most rapidly growing categories of functional food. Probiotics are living "friendly" bacteria, like those in certain active-culture dairy drinks that can provide health benefits. Evidence is showing that specific strains of probiotics can improve digestive health and enhance immune function when consumed regularly.

Dr. Allan Walker, Professor of Nutrition and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, led a world class panel of speakers in summarizing the role of probiotics in pediatrics. "Infants don't have all of their gut bacteria at birth as they acquire it up until about 2 years of age. Probiotics are 'good' bacteria, which can promote healthy colonization of bacteria in the gut during this time, leading to enhanced immunity," said Walker.

Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, a consultant specializing in probiotics, provided an overview of the studies showing the benefits of probiotics and health. She said, "compelling new studies are showing how probiotics can help keep healthy people healthy. One study showed a decreased incidence of common infectious diseases among kids in day care." She stressed the fact that each individual strain of probiotic can act differently, so a probiotic that helps with digestion may be different from one that supports the immune system.

Dr. Stefano Guandalini, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center shared the newest research on probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. "Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition that affects approximately 1 million adults and 150,000 children in the US. Emerging studies are showing promise in children and will continue to help determine how we can be using probiotics practically for such serious conditions."

About 70 percent of our body's immune system is located in the digestive tract and as we age, our immune function weakens. Dr. Simin Meydani, Associate Director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University presented cutting-edge data, which helps in answering the question, could probiotics help the elderly? "The idea is that taking in certain probiotics on a regular basis might positively change the bacterial populations in the gut in older people," she said.

Under normal circumstances in our gastrointestinal systems, there are many more "friendly" bacteria than "bad" bacteria. If this balance shifts, however, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract may be affected. Research suggests that adding probiotics to the diet can help optimize the functioning of the intestinal lining, as well as, the immune system. The role of probiotics in health may be greater than what we once thought.

A Webcast of the symposium will be made available at Invalid Link Removed, Invalid Link Removed, and Invalid Link Removed.

SOURCE The Dannon Company

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-Make sure to check out the links on the page of this website i've posted above.



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Date: Oct 7, 2008

Copyright © 2008 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved​

 

[allstar]

Some dis agree with me, but probiotics are a staple in my supplement stacks. Very interested in reading the studies.

 

[Trauma1]

Some dis agree with me, but probiotics are a staple in my supplement stacks. Very interested in reading the studies.

There are always going to be the nay-sayers with anything....even when something is proven effective. We plan to add a lot of good info in here in the coming days.

Welcome.

 

[allstar]

This should be good, I'll try to add to it also.

 

[Trauma1]

This should be good, I'll try to add to it also.

Definitely!

The whole point here is to help gather significant info, and to provide a good educational opportunity for all involved.

 

[allstar]

This is by far the best article I have read about probiotics:

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[GeneGnomeX]

This is by far the best article I have read about probiotics:

Why thank you

Until recently the estimated number of bacteria strains in the gut was usually placed around 500, recently a new measuring technique (pyrosequencing) has placed the number at over 5,600... pretty incredible.

 

[allstar]

Really, that is a very incredible fact.

 

[Chub]

As long as you keep making it. Gut Health will be a staple in my arsenal!

 

[Trauma1]

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[dsade]

Why thank you

Until recently the estimated number of bacteria strains in the gut was usually placed around 500, recently a new measuring technique (pyrosequencing) has placed the number at over 5,600... pretty incredible.

Christ....how many different subspecies, etc from the same species?

It would be interesting to start categorizing more completely the families of probiotics (lacto, bifidus, etc) as well as species (acidophilus, etc) and start trying to see what their strong and weak points are.

 

[GeneGnomeX]

Christ....how many different subspecies, etc from the same species?

It would be interesting to start categorizing more completely the families of probiotics (lacto, bifidus, etc) as well as species (acidophilus, etc) and start trying to see what their strong and weak points are.

I remember an ADA article this year started to do this from the research that is available, will try to find it again.

 

[Trauma1]

It was suggested that i take probiotics after i took some antiobiotics a little while ago. Apparently it killed off all the bacteria in my digestive tract and i got really sick off of it. So i gave acidophilus pearls a shot and felt much better after.

How does Gut Health compare to the Acidophilus Pearls that i had taken?

Depending on the type of antibiotic given (or combination of antibiotics given to contol either gram postive/gram negative/anaerobic involvement), the severity of this issue can vary. Broad Spectrum antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in the G.I. tract without any specificity. This is were the more noted severity of this issue resides. Many infections are treated initially with a broad spectrum antibiotic until cultures show specific sensitivity to a narrow specturm antibiotic to control the problem.

Our product Gut Health is a completely different strain of probiotic bacteria (There are MANY.) Acidophilus is an effective probiotic product, but Gut Health utilizes a university studied strain (Lactobacillus Casei KE-99) that has shown to be very effective in attaching to intestinal sites, and subsequent colonization of the bacteria to produce its benefits.

RPN has made this product even better in a few ways. We've suspended the KE-99 in an oil base that allows these bacteria to continue to thrive and remain shelf life stable, and we've also added enteric coating to the capsules which delivers the KE-99 through gastric transit (avoiding destruction by gastric acid) intact so it arrives in the small intestine to colonize in full force.

So essentially, we've taken a well researched an proven probiotic strain, and modified it to be able to continue to thrive in its encapsulated environment, and arrive at its intended location intact.

 

[Trauma1]

thanks for the quick response! il give these a try next time around. is Gut Health stable at room temp or do I have to throw it into the fridge?

Perfectly stable at room temperature.

When you do give it a try, make sure to let us know what you think.

 

[allstar]

Is it true that glucose, will enhance the survival of probiotics.

 

[Trauma1]

Is it true that glucose, will enhance the survival of probiotics.

Absolutely. In some bacterial species that holds more significant than in others though. Bacteria are living entities, and need fuel to complete it's own metabolic processes. This should sum it up for you:

All bacteria must utilize the energy sources in their environment in order to produce ATP. ATP is required for all of the biosynthetic processes that bacteria use for their maintenance and reproduction. Bacteria produce enzymes that allow them to oxidize environmental energy sources; however, the energy sources that different bacteria use depends on the specific enzymes that each bacteria produce.

Heterotrophic bacteria often use carbohydrates as energy sources. Many bacteria use glucose, a monosaccharide or simple sugar, because many bacteria possess the enzymes required for the degradation and oxidation of this sugar. Fewer bacteria are able to use complex carbohydrates like disaccharides (lactose or sucrose) or polysaccharides (starch). Disaccharides and polysaccharides are simple sugars that are linked by glycosidic bonds; bacteria must produce enzymes to cleave these bonds such that the simple sugars that result can be transported into the cell. If the bacteria cannot produce these enzymes then the complex carbohydrate is not used. For example, lactose is a disaccharide consisting of monomeric glucose and monomeric galactose linked by a glycosidic bond. Bacteria that use lactose must first produce the enzyme lactase (beta-galactosidase) to break the glycosidic bond between these monomers. Starch is a large polysaccharide consisting of long chains of monomeric glucose linked by glycosidic bonds. Bacteria that use starch produce an exoenzyme, alpha amylase, that break these bonds such that free monomeric glucose is produced.

 

[allstar]

Thanks that was a good summary, here is another study I found on it:
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