Acidophilus and Other Probiotics Usage

Probiotics are believed to help prevent infections through various mechanisms, including supporting the immune system.

Read more about Viral Upper Respiratory Infections (Colds and Influenza) and Probiotics.

Especially during a round of antibiotics, probiotic supplements can help the body in innumerable ways. Since antibiotics kill of beneficial bacteria that is innate to the digestive tract,...

Read more about Lyme Disease and Probiotics.

Probiotics help populate the gut with "good bacteria." These bacteria play a role in the break-down of bile and the removal of cholesterol, ultimately helping reduce the amount of cholesterol in your...

Read more about Lipid Disorders and Acidophilus and Other Probiotics.

Evidence from many but not all double-blind, placebo-controlled trials suggests that probiotics may be helpful for many types of diarrhea , as well as for irritable bowel syndrome . ¹ Additionally, probiotics have shown some promise for preventing or treating eczema . ² Probiotics may be helpful for controlling symptoms and maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis . ³ However, probiotics may be less useful for inducingremission; when probiotics were added to standard medications used for induction of remission, no additional benefits were seen in a study of people with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis. ⁴ Probiotics might help prevent colds , ⁵ possibly by improving immunity . ⁶ On a related note, one small, double-blind study found evidence that use of the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus fermentumimproved the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine. ⁷ (The probiotic supplement was taken in two doses. One was taken two weeks before the vaccine, and the other was taken two weeks after.)

Although probiotics are widely used to prevent or treat vaginal yeast ( Candida albicans) infections, evidence regarding potential benefit remains incomplete and inconsistent. ⁸ A small trial of 55 women with vulvovaginal candidiasis did demonstrate that daily Lactobacillus rhamnosusand L. reuterisupplementation for 4 weeks combined with single dose fluconazole (an anti-fungal medication) decreased symptoms compared to fluconazole alone. ⁹ Another large, well-designed trial, however, failed to find a Lactobacilluspreparation helpful for preventing yeast infections caused by antibiotics. ¹⁰ One study did find that probiotics might reduce levels of Candida albicansin the mouth. ¹¹ The bacteria Gardnerella vaginaliscan cause a different type of vaginal infection; as with vaginal yeast infections, probiotics have shown some promise for this condition, but evidence remains inconclusive. ¹² A trial of 64 women taking a single dose of tinidazole for bacterial vaginosis suggests that women who also took daily probiotics capsules had better cure rates at 4 weeks. ¹³ The bacteria Helicobacter pyloriis the main cause of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. Antibiotics can kill H. pylori, but more than one must be used at the same time, and, even then, the bacteria is not necessarily eradicated. Probiotics may be helpful. Evidence suggests that various probiotics can inhibit the growth of H. pylori. ¹⁴ While this effect does not appear to be strong enough for probiotic treatment to eradicate H. pylorion its own, preliminary evidence, including several small double-blind trials, suggest that various probiotics may help standard antibiotic therapy work better, reducing side effects and possibly increasing rate of eradication. ¹⁵ Some, but not, all preliminary double-blind trials suggest that probiotics might improve cholesterol profile. ¹⁶ In addition, milk fermented by probiotics may slightly improve blood pressure levels. ^{17 18} Various probiotics might be helpful for allergic rhinitis (hay fever). ¹⁹ While there is some evidence that probiotics can help reduce symptoms of milk allergies, ²⁰ one study found that adding probiotics to infant cow’s milk formula was not helpful. ²¹ One interesting study found that the use of probiotics during pregnancy and breastfeeding may decrease the likelihood that a highly allergic mother will pass her allergic tendencies to her breastfed infant. ²² One double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 70 people with chronic constipation found some evidence of benefit with Lactobacillus casei Shirota. ²³ Another study found that Lactobacillus rhamnosuswas helpful for chronic constipation in children. ²⁴ A small trial also found benefits in children, this time with a mixture of bifidobacteriaand lactobacilli. ²⁵ In another study, a combination of B. lactisand B. longusshowed promise for improving bowel regularity in nursing home residents. ²⁶ Finally, in a 6-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 274 people with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, use of a probiotic formula containing B. animalissignificantly improved stool frequency. ²⁷ A preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled study found evidence that Lactobacillus GGmight potentially be helpful for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. ²⁸ This small study followed 23 people with severe kidney disease who tested positive for vancomycin-resistant bacteria in the stool. (Vancomycin is one of the main “last-ditch” antibiotics for treatment of resistant bacteria.) Use of a yogurt product containing L. rhamnosusappeared to be more effective at ridding the gastrointestinal tract of these bacteria than placebo. However, the study suffered from a number of flaws, especially its small size. Note also that participants in this study did not have active infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria; they were carriers for it. Do notattempt to use probiotics as sole treatment for active infection with resistant bacteria.

On a related note, preventive use of probiotics does not appear to help prevent the development of resistant bacterial strains that may arise during antibiotic treatment. ²⁹ Probiotic treatment has also been proposed as a treatment for canker sores and as a preventative measure against colon cancer , but there is no solid evidence that it is effective.

Probiotics have shown some promise for helping to prevent cavities by antagonizing cavity-causing bacteria. ³⁰ One study found that giving probiotics to certain critically ill people could help prevent multiple organ failure. ³¹ One small, placebo-controlled study found that use of L. helveticusmight improve sleep quality in seniors, for reasons that are not at all clear. ³² An open study found hints that probiotics might be helpful for mouth sores caused by Behcet’s syndrome. ³³ As noted above, probiotics have shown some promise in the treatment of infections with the yeast Candida albicans. Probiotics are also proposed for the treatment of a theoretically related, but markedly controversial condition, known as yeast hypersensitivity syndrome(also known as chronic candidiasis, chronic candida, systemic candidiasis, or just candida ). As described by some alternative medicine practitioners, yeast hypersensitivity syndrome is a common problem that consists of a population explosion of the normally benign candida yeast that live in the vagina and elsewhere in the body, coupled with a type of allergic sensitivity to it. Probiotic supplements are widely recommended for this proposed condition because they establish large, healthy populations of friendly bacteria that compete with the candida that is trying to take up residence. However, there is no evidence that yeast hypersensitivity is a common problem, and virtually none that it exists at all.

In one small, 12-week study, Lactobacillus GGfailed to prove more effective than placebo for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis . ³⁴ Another study failed to find Lactobacillus GGhelpful for dyspepsia (generic stomach pain of unknown origin) in children. ³⁵ A year-long open trial of 150 women failed to find Lactobacillusprobiotics effective for preventing urinary tract infections as compared to cranberry juice or no treatment. ³⁶ Other studies, however, including a large (453-participant), 3-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a special healthy E. coliprobiotic, did find benefits. ³⁷ A substantial study failed to find a mixture of L. casei, L. bulgaricus, and S. thermophilusin yogurt and milk helpful for asthma in children. ³⁸ But, another study found that the combination of a probiotic ( Bifidobacterium breve) and a prebiotic (galacto/fructo-oligosaccharide) may help reduce wheezing in infants with eczema. ³⁹