INTESTINAL FLORA: A VIRTUAL ORGAN

Good bacteria are needed to properly digest foods and to provide a strong immune system. See video where pharmacist Jean-Yves Dionne explains about good bacteria.

The intestine is a very large organ that is populated by so many bacteria that there are more cells in the intestine than in the rest of the body. So much so that there are more than a hundred thousand times more bacteria than there are body cells. Experts now refer to these bacteria as the microbiota and consider it a virtual organ. These populations of good bacteria are needed to properly digest foods and to provide a strong immune system.

The small intestine is a very fast moving environment. The concentration of bacteria is low and the dominant ones are the lactobacilli. The large intestine is a very slow moving environment almost devoid of oxygen. That is why the most abundant family of bacteria in a healthy large intestine is the Bifidobacteria. The Bifidobacteria provide a protective environment against most chronic disease of the GI from IBS (Irritable Bowel syndrome) to IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease) and even polyps and colon cancer. When the Bifidobacteria population is diminished because of antibiotics, stress, alcohol, food additives, bad diet, or whatever, they are replaced by other families of bacteria such as the Clostridia. When that happens it is an open door for disease. That is why protecting or improving the Bifidobacteria population is a must for a healthy GI. Probiotics with a good concentration of Bifidobacteria is your best ally in preventing chronic disease of the intestine.

PROBIOTICS & TRAVEL SICKNESS

Feb 26, 2011 | By Charis Grey

Travel sickness is a term commonly used to describe motion sickness, the feeling of dizziness or nausea sometimes experienced by passengers in moving vehicles. There is no association between motion sickness and the use of probiotics. Probiotics have, however, been associated with relief from another disorder sometimes experienced by travelers, called traveler's diarrhea.

PROBIOTICS EXPLAINED
Probiotics are beneficial microbes that take up residence in your digestive system, where they ward off colonization by harmful pathogens. Probiotic microorganisms are present in the bacterial cultures that are used to create fermented milk products such as yogurt. These microbes can be consumed live, and they remain live in your intestines, thus bolstering your natural gastrointestinal flora with friendly bacteria.

TRAVELER'S DIARRHEA EXPLAINED
Traveler's diarrhea is known by a variety of colorful names: Montezuma's revenge, Delhi belly, Aztec two-step. Whatever you call it, traveler's diarrhea can ruin your trip. Over 60 percent of travelers to developing countries experience this unfortunate malady, according to Marc Cohen, president of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association. Probiotics can be a safe and effective solution in dealing with the "tourist trots." Gastrointestinal distress can be attributed to a number of factors while on holiday, such as jet lag, stress and contaminated food and water. "American Family Physician" states that food and beverages that contain bacteria are the most common causes of traveler's diarrhea. Viruses and parasites can also be responsible in some cases. Some areas are more commonly associated with traveler's diarrhea than others. These include Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia.

DIARRHEA AND PROBIOTICS
Probiotics have been suggested as a treatment for a variety of different gastrointestinal ailments, but its effectiveness in treating diarrhea has received the most scientific scrutiny. According to "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," probiotics have shown promise as a treatment for treating and preventing viral and bacterial diarrheal disorders, reducing the effects of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and the risk of traveler's diarrhea by as much as 50 percent.

PROBIOTIC STRAIN SPECIFICITY
It is important to note, however, that not all probiotics are effective in treating or preventing traveler's diarrhea. Different strains of probiotic microorganisms have different effects. "Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease" states that the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii is significantly effective in preventing traveler's diarrhea. A mixture of two probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, was also shown to be effective. Consult your doctor if you are considering taking probiotics.

REFERENCES

1. "Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease"; Meta-analysis of Probiotics for the Prevention of Traveler's Diarrhea; LV McFarland; March 2007
2. "Australian Family Physician"; Traveller's 'Funny Tummy' Reviewing the Evidence for Complementary Medicine; Marc Cohen; May 2007
3. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;" Probiotics: Future Directions; Jon A Vanderhoof; 2001
4. "American Family Physician"; Traveler's Diarrhea; Johnnie Yates; June 2005.

Article reviewed by Brigitte Espinet Last updated on: Feb 26, 2011

Probiotics could prevent and treat atopic eczema in children

Does your child suffer from inflamed skin, red patches, crusted or leaking lesions, and itching that may even keep him or her from sleeping at night? Atopic eczema is the most common form of chronic eczema, affecting 15% to 30% of children appearing before age 5 in 90% of cases.

Among infants, atopic eczema usually appears on the cheeks, shoulders, chest, and scalp, and on the thumb for those who suck their thumb. Among children over the age of 2, it often appears in the bends of joints (elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles).

The first symptoms are frequently seen in infants under the age of 18 months, and most often between the ages of 2 and 6 months. Children who also suffer from allergies (food allergies, hay fever, urticaria, etc.) and children whose parents suffer from atopic eczema or allergies are at higher risk of developing eczema. Studies also show that children who suffer from allergies often have deficiencies in their intestinal flora.

Therefore, healthy intestinal flora can help to prevent atopic eczema. Here are three examples:

1. Taking probiotics during pregnancy has a beneficial effect on the child’s intestinal flora.
2. The same is true when breastfeeding.
3. Giving children a probiotic supplement is very effective in re-establishing and maintaining intestinal flora, because the comprehensive formula ensures complete intestinal tract coverage.

Unfortunately, there are no medications available to prevent or cure atopic eczema. Cortisone-based creams can be used to ease the discomfort, but they are not recommended for long-term use, and more studies are required in order to confirm that probiotics can prevent or cure atopic eczema. However, this is a worthwhile and promising avenue to explore, and probiotics are safe to use, so why not try your luck?

Annie Jolicoeur
Dietician-Nutritionist

References

1. Kirjavainen PV, Arvola T, Salminen SJ, Isolauri E. Aberrant composition of gut microbiota of allergic infants: a target of bifidobacterial therapy at weaning? Gut. 2002 Jul;51(1):51-5. PubMed PMID: 12077091; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1773282.
2. Doege K, Grajecki D, Zyriax BC, Detinkina E, Zu Eulenburg C, Buhling KJ. Impact of maternal supplementation with probiotics during pregnancy on atopic eczema in childhood - a meta-analysis. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jul 26:1-6. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 21787448.

Pharmacist Jean-Yves Dionne talks about the advantage of taking a Multi-strain Probiotic Supplement.

There is a big debate about probiotics. On one hand, some will say it is better to take a well documented single bacterial strain because we know from studies what this single strain can do. On the other hand, some say that it is better to take a synergistic combination of different types of probiotic bacteria because they will have the ability to work together by enhancing each other's growth, colonizing different area of the GI, and eventually pushing out the bad pathogens from the intestine. Each probiotic bacteria produces specific molecules that inhibit the growth of their competitors, the pathogenic bad bacteria. But each good bacteria is specific to a few enemy bacteria. Having a well designed synergistic probiotic with both lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria is your best team work effort to promote a healthy GI flora.

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that involves inflammation and sores(or ulcers) in the inner lining of the large intestine, the colon and the rectum. It is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the other one being Crohn’s disease. Colitis’ main symptoms are diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, even pain.

The inflammation associated with IBD hampers the large intestine in performing its main function: absorbing water and turning liquid stools solid. It also leads to a loss of inner lining in the colon that in turn may cause bleeding and mucus and pus production. Even if its exact causes have yet to be discovered, we know that ulcerative colitis is always accompanied by a change in gut flora (also called microbiota). No single pathogen or harmful bacteria has been found responsible, but part of the microbiota’s protective bacteria called bifidobacteria are replaced by inflammation producing bacteria including E. coli and Clostridia. These are not pathogens per se (most people carry them) but the good/bad bacteria ratio is reversed: more inflammation producing ones, less good ones.

Medical treatment
Always consult a physician as colitis is a condition requiring medical attention. The medical treatment for ulcerative colitis involves anti-inflammatory and immune modulating drugs. Although they may reduce your suffering, these medications are not without side effects.

Your best ally
Probiotics are your best ally against ulcerative colitis. Even if these supplements have not been shown to cure colitis, both human and animal trials have proven them to reduce symptoms and flare ups. In the colon, bifidobacteria compete with bad bacteria for food, prevent their growth and their attachment to the lining. Most importantly, while bad bacteria promote inflammation, bifidobacteria secrete compounds that reduce inflammation and promote a healthy intestinal inner lining. Since bifidobacteria are your main protective bacteria in the large intestine, choose a probiotic formula that contains more bifidobacteria than other strains and preferably several different bifidobacteria strains.

By Jean-Yves Dionne, pharmacist

1. Colitis, definitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colitis
2. Hammer HF. Gut microbiota and inflammatoryboweldisease. Dig Dis. 2011;29(6):550-3. PubMedPMID: 22179210.
3. Hedin C, Whelan K, Lindsay JO. Evidence for the use of probiotics and prebiotics in inflammatoryboweldisease: a review of clinical trials. Proc Nutr Soc. 2007 Aug;66(3):307-15. Review. PubMedPMID: 17637082.
4. Kanauchi O, Mitsuyama K, Andoh A. The therapeutic impact of manipulatingmicrobiota in inflammatoryboweldisease. CurrPharm Des. 2009;15(18):2074-86. Review. PubMedPMID: 19519445.