Good Article from ScienceDaily.com about the benefits of probiotics and how they protect the body from inflammation.
Article Highlights
"Dirk Haller therefore warns against false promises: "Not every product labeled as 'probiotic' actually earns this name." This is true..ConsumerLabs tested the accuracy of probiotics to see if the amount of probiotic in the capsule matches what the amount is on the label. The results were horrid. Some of the companies that supply probiotics had a % as low as 10% of what they said was in the capsule. Others had better results, but a lot of them had a much lower % of healthy bacteria in them than what they documented on the label. A good probiotic can be costly. Remember though.. you get what you pay for. Be sure to do your research before investing a dime in the probiotic you choose.
"As the scientists observed, lactocepin degrades messengers from the immune system, known as chemokines, in the diseased tissue. As a part of the "normal" immune response, chemokines are needed to guide defense cells to the source of the infection. In chronic intestinal disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the otherwise highly effective defense mechanism against infectious agents is malfunctioning. Chemokines such as "IP-10" then contribute to the tissue damage due to chronic inflammatory processes, preventing the tissue from healing."
YES!!
I'm editing this blog post to just add what probiotics I am currently taking and also ones that have helped in the past.These are the probiotics that I take, excluding Mutaflor due to the availability of the product.
VSL#3 - Prescription probiotic. You must get an actual prescription fro your doctor to get this. The packets of powder vs the capsules work better for me. This may be due to easier absorption, the powder mixed with water or juice instantly is dissolved and metabolized. Very good product.
S.Boulardii - Beneficial for IBD patients(also beneficial to these medical conditions - HIV/AIDS, C. Difficile infection, IBS, Acute diarrhea, Travelers' diarrhea, Anti-biotic diarrhea.
Mutaflor - (sold in Canada. Have not been able to get this in the US) Efficacy of Mutaflor for a variety of inflammatory bowel diseases has been tested through 80 years of clinical experience. There are numerous double-blind placebo-controlled studies showing the efficacy of Mutaflor in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal disorders. These include Ulcerative Colitis, Chronic constipation, Crohn's Disease, IBS, Pouchitis, Antibiotic -associated/ Pseudo-membranous, Prophylaxis against colonization of pathogens and enhanced immunity of newborn infants.
LactoFlamX (Metagenics) - relieve intestinal irritation, promote the integrity of the GI intestinal barrier, and support a healthy immune response.
Metagenics has a large product supply of GI beneficial products to help maintain microbial balance, address GI function and support the immune system: Here's the link to the GI health products.http://www.metagenics.com/products/product-categories/gastrointestinal-health
I already knew this to be true. I don't have UC, I have Crohn's and I need to take Probiotics to keep my intestinal flora in balance.
This last sentence in the article, pretty much sums up the findings of their study....."Through meta-analysis, they concluded that probiotics should be considered as an auxiliary medicine in the remission induction stage and maintenance stage of ulcerative colitis."
Which treatment is effective in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis: Probiotic or placebo?
