Nutrition Science Update - Probiotics (Part Nine of
Ten)
There can be no doubt that the field of nutrition has come of age. More than 80 years have passed since the first vitamin was discovered. Today the speed at which laboratory and clinical findings are released is so accelerated that an individual's understanding of nutrition is seriously out-dated if he or she is not abreast of the findings published within even the past year.
This special Nutrition Science Update takes the guesswork out of keeping up-to-date on important nutritional breakthroughs by presenting the following summations of all the most important research released over the past year.
Key Concepts in Probiotics Research:
Researchers at the University of Washington reviewed almost 30 years of research about beneficial bacteria and determined that "there is now evidence that administration of selected microorganisms is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain intestinal and, possibly, treatment of vaginal infections." (Elmer, G.W., Journal of the American Medical Association, 1996;275(11):870-876.)
Probiotic bacteria prevent and treat infections in several ways, such as
producing substances that prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria,
competing
for food, and competing for "living space" in the intestines. But the most
important function of probiotic supplements may be their ability to "buy
time" until normal bacteria can recolonize the gut and reproductive organs.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect any part
of the digestive tract. Its cause is unknown and many of the treatment options
are unsatisfactory. Researchers from the University of Tampere Medical School
in Finland suggest that beneficial bacteria "could provide an adjunct
nutritional
therapy for Crohn's disease." (Malin, M., et al., Annals of Nutrition
&
Metabolism, 1996;40:137-145.)
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally-occurring carbohydrates that cannot be digested or absorbed by humans but are, however, readily utilized by beneficial bacteria residing in the intestine. FOS supplements have been confirmed to increase populations of beneficial bacteria residing in the gut, which in turn is believed to inhibit the activity of enzymes implicated in carcinogenesis. (Buddington, R.K., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1996;63:709-716.)
By Victoria Dolby - Vitamin Retailer / February 1997
Courtesy of
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Don't miss Part Ten - Essential Fatty Acids in this Ten Part series
