The More, The Mightier:
Is Your Probiotic Supplement Packing a Powerful Enough Punch?

While the majority of information about the benefits of probiotics focuses primarily on Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria (two of the most prevalent strains in a healthy human digestive tract), your digestive system is actually home to more than 500 different species of bacteria, or literally trillions of individual microorganisms.

What’s more, if this number were ever reduced to just one type of bacteria (no matter how potent), your body would soon be overrun with pathogenic invaders. Indeed, no single species of beneficial bacteria can provide enough defensive measures on its own to protect the digestive tract from infection. This is precisely why scientists worldwide agree that when supplementing with probiotics, it is always best to incorporate more than one species.

Recently when researchers in Taiwan examined the effectiveness of probiotics with regard to combating H. pylori, a type of bacteria linked to stomach ulcers, they found that a combination of both Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria types worked better than using either type on its own. (AJCN, Vol. 80: 3, 737-741, 9/04) The study also revealed that to effectively combat H. Pylori, probiotics need to be taken continuously. When the participants in the study stopped taking their supplements, the H. pylori staged a destructive comeback.

Results of this particular study have scientists convinced that fine-tuning probiotic treatment to address problems such as H. Pylori is preferable to using antibiotics, which can often do more harm than good. Although traditional antibiotic treatment has proven effective, researchers are concerned that the misuse or overuse of antibiotics can eventually destroy the good bacteria along with the bad.

A Beneficial Partnership

The enhanced benefits of taking a probiotic supplement with both Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are proving so powerful that researchers are considering ways to use those benefits to treat liver disease.

A collaborative study conducted by researchers in China, England and Australia found that administering such synbiotic supplements (those containing Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, as well as added fiber – a prebiotic) to those suffering from cirrhosis of the liver reversed many of the signs of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). MHE is liver damage linked to brain dysfunction, which, if left untreated, can lead to changes in behavior and neuromuscular function, as well as decreased intelligence. (Hepatology, 5/04)

The study revealed that roughly half of the people given synbiotic preparations showed a reversal of their MHE difficulties. They also had more acidity in their digestive tract (which kills off pathogens) as well as fewer toxins circulating in their bodies. MHE is often accompanied by an overgrowth in the digestive tract of the harmful bacteria E. coli and Staphylococcus. However, researchers found that these pathogens were also reduced when people took synbiotic probiotic supplements or fermentable fiber.

Choosing the Right Probiotic

Because maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract is essential to your overall health, choosing the right probiotic formula is crucial. Select a supplement that contains both Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, one that mirrors the body’s natural balance – more Bifidobacteria than Lactobacilli.

Studies highlight the fact that when these bacteria, in the proper ratio, work together in the gut to preserve health, the potential benefits are enormous. They help the body fight off a host of diseases, including viruses. Further, scientists in Slovenia have demonstrated that together, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria “…have the ability to decrease viral infection by establishing the antiviral state in macrophages, by production of NO and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 and interferon-gamma.” (Anti Viral 2007 Sep;75(3):266-74) This means that Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria provide substantial support for the body’s anti-virus arsenal. Together with the immune system, they enable the body to stay healthy in a world filled with harmful, disease-causing microorganisms.

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