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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Just how friendly are those probiotics in your food?
  • Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:59:07 -0600



Just how friendly are those probiotics in your food?
Helpful bacteria is being added to a growing number of products, but
scientists say the industry's claims can mislead and confuse consumers

By Julie Deardorff | Tribune newspapers
June 18, 2009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-tc-health-probiotics-0624-06jun18,0

,1568349.story

Ready for some live, active cultures in your chocolate? How about your
breakfast cereal?

Probiotics, the so-called friendly bacteria with health benefits, have
broken out of the dairy case and are colonizing other areas of the
supermarket.

The bacteria, which occur naturally in fermented foods such as yogurt,
kefir and miso, are thought to aid digestion and support the immune system
by balancing the intestinal ecosystem.

But as manufacturers add the microbes to everything from infant formula and
fruit juice to pizza, muffins and granola bars, experts caution that the
word "probiotic" is widely misused by the industry and misunderstood by
consumers.


While there are thousands of bacterial strains, only a few dozen have been
tested for health benefits. Studies suggest some products may offer relief
for digestive issues, but it's not known whether healthy people benefit
from snacking on live "bugs."

The European Union Food Safety Authority this week started a process to
regulate health claims on products, including probiotics. And a pending
class-action lawsuit alleges that Dannon misled consumers about the
benefits of Activia and DanActive, both marketed as probiotics.

Dannon denies using deceptive advertising and is standing by the claims and
the studies that supported them. But a spokesman agreed it's buyer beware
at the market.

"We're on the front lines; we see a lot of confusion," said Dannon's
Michael Newirth.

There is no standard definition of probiotics, according to the Food and
Drug Administration, but scientists generally say the term refers to foods,
beverages or supplements containing live microorganisms that studies show
promote health when people take enough of them. Without studies, products
shouldn't be called probiotic, scientists say.

"Sadly, of the hundreds of new products launched in recent years, very few
have been shown to be probiotic," said probiotic researcher Gregor Reid, a
microbiologist at the University of Western Ontario and the president of
the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics.

Though probiotics are not a new invention -- they also are found in breast
milk -- researchers are just beginning to understand the role they can play
in regulating the immune system and managing disease.

Scientists cannot yet explain exactly how probiotics work, but it's thought
they can help restore beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. "Some
[bacteria] can produce enzymes that help digest food, while others can
synthesize vitamin K in the gut or even help stimulate the immune system,"
Joe Schwarcz wrote in "An Apple a Day: The Myths, Misconceptions and Truths
About the Food We Eat."

The bacteria may produce antibodies for certain viruses, produce substances
that prevent infection or prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to the
gut wall and growing there, according to the American Gastroenterological
Association. But if those bacteria are wiped out by disease or medication,
potentially harmful microbes may flourish.

The strongest studies have found that a few probiotics (Lactobacillus GG
and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii) can help with common
gastrointestinal disorders that may involve an imbalance of gut bacteria.

"They are most effective for diarrhea due to rotavirus, and if given early
in the course of the illness," said Stefano Guandalini, professor of
pediatrics and chief of the gastroenterology section at the University of
Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. "They've been also shown to reduce the
incidence of postantibiotic diarrhea -- which occurs in up to 40 percent of
children taking antibiotics."

There's also growing evidence that children with ulcerative colitis can
benefit from a proprietary mixture of eight strains called "VSL #3,"
Guandalini said. And certain probiotics have been shown to reduce symptoms
of irritable bowel syndrome.

But more research is needed for probiotic effects on almost all other
conditions, including cancer, oral health, allergies, skin conditions and
obesity.

For the consumer, finding the right probiotic can be vexing. Labels can't
legally declare that the probiotic can cure, treat or prevent disease. So
health claims, which don't require FDA approval, are often vague.

For example, Kashi's Vive is called a "probiotic digestive wellness
cereal," one that "may restore your digestive balance."

And it may -- each serving contains a whopping 12 grams of fiber. But the
probiotic used -- Lactobacillus paracasei ssp paracasei F19 -- has not been
tested in humans eating Kashi Vive. And there's no guarantee that the
microbes in the dry cereal are alive.

To make things more complicated, probiotics interact with bacteria already
in the body, and everyone has slightly different microflora, said probiotic
expert Gary Huffnagle, a professor of internal medicine and microbiology at
the University of Michigan Medical School. So a product that works for one
person might not be right for another.

Still, Huffnagle says one of the best things about probiotics is they're
safe and your own trials should yield answers in a few weeks.

Bonnie Thompson, 43, of Fort Collins, Colo., who suffered from irritable
bowel syndrome for decades, tried several brands before finding one that
worked: the Garden of Life supplement called Primal Defense.

Ultimately, the most effective probiotic was her own homemade kefir. "I
credit it with normalizing my bowel function," she said.

jdeardorff@tribune.com








  • [Livingontheland] Just how friendly are those probiotics in your food?, Tradingpost, 06/18/2009

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