Probiotics benefits

Below is an assignment for my Nutritional degree course written September 2006- quite long and technical but gives good indication as to why probiotics are so valuable for a strong immune system.

“The human bowel flora can be managed so as to produce a major positive impact on health”.

Probiotics came to television in the past few years in the form of yoghurt drinks fortified with ‘friendly bacteria’. The science behind the commercials may seem like fresh news but actually fermented milk products have been used for eons, probably since the domestication of the cow. The health benefits of probiotics have been confirmed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. These organizations have stated that there is adequate scientific evidence to indicate that there is potential for probiotic foods to provide health benefits. (Reid 2003) Probiotics have such a profound beneficial impact on health they ought to be considered essential to a long life. Lifestyle and diet determines the health of the bowel to a large extent and is able to be effectively enhanced in order to support the actions of the good bacteria.

Of the estimated four hundred species of bacteria living in various areas of the digestive system, the scientifically verified and discussed species that provide healing benefits are Lactobacillis and species of Bifidobacterium. The friendly bacteria referred to in literature is primarily Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, infantis and adolescentis. Some of these bacteria reside permanently in the bowel while others are transient, both providing immune benefits. Lactobacillus bacteria offer remarkable health protection through the following functions; aid the digestion and absorption of nutrients, help prevent cancer through detoxification or through anti-tumour effects, produce B vitamins, destroy invading bacteria by producing antibiotic substances, inhibit and control hostile yeasts such as candida, and protect the cardiovascular system by reducing cholesterol levels. (Plaskett p.A7) Some bacteria produce butyrate, which provides 70% of the energy source for the cells lining the colon, and without which we would die. (Moore 2004)

Lactobacillus produce lactic acid from carbohydrates which allows them to withstand the high acidity levels of the digestive tract and helps them create an unfriendly place for non-beneficial bowel bacteria. The Bifodobacteria are found mainly in the large intestine on healthy adults and breast-fed infants. This provides protection for the infant by keeping the gastrointestinal tract acidic and unfriendly towards competing detrimental bacteria. Bifidobacteria is crucial for infants as it aids in the retention of nitrogen and assists in weight gain. Additionally they produce acetic and lactic acid which maintain a good environment for probiotics to flourish. (Chaitow 1990 p. 24-29) The balance of the bacteria are a cornerstone to the foundation of vitality.

Dysbiosis is due to putrefactive bacteria taking control of the colon. These opportunists create havoc on the body as they feed on undigested protein in the bowel to yield toxic amines, raise the risk of infection by encouraging the growth of pathogenic bacteria, produce metabolites that contribute to colon cancer and create a sticky plaque that adheres to the bowel wall, reducing its ability to absorb nutrients. This in turn can encourage candida, a common yeast, to proliferate and further upset the ecosystem. According to eminent researcher Elie Metchnikoff, the noxious substances produced by the putrefactive bacteria damage the nervous and vascular systems. Metchnikoff suggesteded that low concentrations of toxic bacterial products could escape detoxification by the liver and enter the systemic circulation, carrying them through the blood stream and contributing to the aging process. (Tannock 2004)

Lactobacillus protect and provide for the acidic environment of the bowel and thrive on diets high in vegetables and whole grain cereals. A low protein diet is preferred as excess or undigested protein is hazardous to the bowel since it leads to high alkalinity which favours non-acid-forming bacteria. (Plaskett p.A4) The World Health Organization regards the Western lifestyle as characterized by “a highly caloric diet, rich in fat, refined carbohydrates and animal protein, combined with low physical activity, resulting in an overall energy imbalance. It is associated with a multitude of disease conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arterial hypertension and cancer”. ( http://www.who.int) A study conducted by the European Prospective investigation of Cancer (EPIC) reported that people who ate two daily 80g portions of red meat increased their bowel cancer risk by a third, compared to those who ate just 20g a day. Eating processed meat increased bowel cancer risk more than red meat. Another large study found that every daily 80g portion of processed meat increased bowel cancer risk by two thirds. (www.info.cancerresearchuk.org 1)

Secondary bile acids contribute to the trouble. In order to absorb fat, the liver makes bile, which it stores in the gallbladder. Bile acids are sent into the intestine after a meal where they chemically modify the fats eaten so they can be absorbed. When the balance of bacteria in the intestine is unfavourable, the putrefactive bacteria turn the bile acids into cancer-promoting substances called secondary bile acids. Meats and animal fats foster the growth of bacteria that cause carcinogenic secondary bile acids to form. Additionally diets high in these products lack the protective effects of fibre, phytochemicals, antioxidants and vitamins found in legumes, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Fibre not only increases food transit times, effectively removing carcinogens, it also changes the bacteria present in the intestine so there is reduced production of carcinogenic secondary bile acids. (www.cancerproject.org) Vegetarians generally consume far more fibre in their diets than meat eaters and studies of more than half a million people in 10 European countries found that people who ate the most fibre rich food had the lowest incidence of bowel cancer. Those with least fibre in their diets had the most cases of the disease. (http://info.cancerresearchuk.org 2)

Bowel cancer is the second highest cause of cancer in the UK after lung cancer mostly

due to tobacco use. There is a disturbing correlation between affluence and cancer. The most common childhood cancer is acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Recent results from the Czech Republic indicate that as socio-economic conditions improve there is a higher incidence of ALL in children between the ages of 1-4 years. (http://info.cancerresearchuk.org 3) According to the World Cancer Report, the most comprehensive global examination of the disease to date, cancer rates could further increase by 50% to 15 million new cases in the year 2020. However, the report also provides clear evidence that healthy lifestyles could stem this trend, and prevent as many as one third of cancers worldwide. (http://www.who.int) Scientists are searching for a link between probiotics and cancer prevention and treatment and the results are looking promising.

Colonic bacteria provide a beneficial effect in scavenging free radicals. Lactic acid bacteria strains often produce microbicidal substances with effect against gastric and intestinal pathogens and other microbes, or compete for mucin binding sites on the cell surface. This could suggest that some probiotic strains inhibit or decrease translocation of bacteria from the gut to the liver. A protective effect against cancer development can be ascribed to binding of mutated cells by intestinal bacteria and deconjugation of bile acids, or merely by enhancing the immune system of the host. (Ljungh, 2006) Stimulating the immune system using fermented milks as a means of keeping the host immune system in a permanent state of alert has been shown to successfully prevent different cancers. Beneficial effects of fermented products in colon cancer prevention have been widely reported. Studies carried out with an animal model of colon cancer showed inhibition of the tumour through yoghurt feeding, demonstrating that yoghurt modulated the immune system response and exerted its anti-tumour activity through its anti-inflammatory capacity. This effect was observed by long-term cyclic yoghurt consumption, which inhibited promotion and progression of the experimental intestinal tumour. (LeBlanc 2005) While food choice certainly plays a large role in long term health, it is only part of the picture. Lifestyle in general has a definitive impact on bowel flora, and it starts from a young age.

One of the greatest threats to bowel flora is wide spectrum antibiotics. The influence of antibiotics on the faecal flora in children were studied using nine different types of antibiotics. All the antibiotics affected the normal flora although there were variables to the severity. Three penicillins, ampicillin, penicillin V and methicillin caused a considerable suppression of Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus and the Lactobacillus species. Intravenous Cefpiramide, an expanded-spectrum antibiotic, suppressed normal flora so markedly that almost all species of organisms were eradicated, and the growth of yeast was promoted. (Sakata 1986) Furthermore the repeated use of antibiotics has lead to the bacteria adapting to form multi-drug-resistant strains in many species that cause disease in humans.

The concern over ‘superbugs’ is justified. There are no treatments available for infections caused by many of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and resistance to commonly used antibiotics is steadily increasing. Despite dedicated research, no class of drugs with a novel mode of action has been developed since 1962. Staphylococcus aureus is a widespread bacterium carried by humans that can cause a number of problems, from mild skin infections to more serious diseases such as food poisoning, wound infections, pneumonia, and toxic shock syndrome. One study on Rhesus monkeys reports that the mercury in dental amalgam fillings engendered a 61% increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and upon removal of the amalgam fillings, the drug-resistant bacteria dropped 58%. In another example, Staphylococcus aureus was shown to acquire resistance to antibiotics by cohabitation with vancomycin-resistant bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis, in the wound of a hospitalised patient. Through exchanging genetic material between bacterial species, the mere coexistence of these two particular bacteria helped to create the drug resistance in S. aureus The World Health Organization recently reported that more than 95% of S. aureus worldwide is resistant to penicillin, and 60% to its derivative methicillin. Today in the U.S. more than 20% of all Enterococcus infections are resistant to vancomycin, once considered the antibiotic of last resort. (http://www.actionbioscience.org)

We do not have to take antibiotic tablets to be exposed to them. Antibiotics are regularly used in the meat and dairy industries, where they are added to livestock feed. A great deal of study has focused on the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in sediment under fish farms, in farmed salmon, and in wild organisms caught near salmon farms. Increases in antibiotic-resistant bacteria leads to increased use of antibiotics on the salmon farm, increasing the environmental risks. (http://www.davidsuzuki.org)

The nets of fish are typically located in the fast-flowing waters of estuary heads, so the toxic faeces, uneaten food pellets, parasitic lice, dead fish, escaped non-native fish as well as chemical and antibiotic residues spill into the whole estuarine ecosystem. A typical salmon farm of 200,000 fish produces roughly the same amount of faecal matter as a town of 62,000 people. (http://oceans.greenpeace.org) It seems to a large extent that the general population of westernised countries are at a great risk of dysbiosis. The misuse of antibiotics in medicine, agriculture, meat and fish farming and household products has crippled our colonic bacteria leaving us further exposed to detrimental bacteria and pathogens. While the bacteria balance is disturbed by antibiotics, it can also change for the worse due to altered acid levels as a result of diet or illness, GI troubles such as constipation, diarrhoea, Crohn’s disease, liver impairment, radiation exposure and general low immunity. (Chaitow 1990 p. 30) Unless the digestive tract ecology is restored to favour good bacteria, dysbiosis is one of the main causes of degenerative and destructive diseases. (Chaitow 1990 p.73) To enjoy health and longevity, we must consider probiotics from as early as birth and perhaps even sooner.

Bowel flora in infants is vulnerable to changes in nutrition, infection, convalescence, vaccination, antibiotics and even sudden changes in weather. (Chaitow 1990 p 30) Babies born vaginally were found to have 60% Bifidobacterium infantis while those babies born through Caesarean section only had 9%. (Chaitow 1990 p 13) Furthermore, the infant who is not breast fed will be even more susceptible to non-beneficial bacteria as breast milk, particularly colostrum, contains substances that fight hostile bacteria and encourage the bifidobacteria to colonise and increase the acidity of the GI tract. (Chaitow 1990 p 147) These lactobacilli might also have a role in preventing vaginal colonization by group B streptococci, organisms that can cause serious illness and even death in newborns. Bacterial vaginosis, a condition in which lactobacilli are displaced from the vagina by inflammation-causing pathogens, has been suggested as a factor that increases risk of early labour. Daily use of Lactobacillus has been shown to decrease risk of bacterial vaginosis and maintain normal lactobacilli vaginal flora. In animal studies, these strains were found to be safe during pregnancy and to enhance the health of mothers and newborns. A second promising area of research is use of probiotics to prevent allergic reactions. Studies using probiotics have shown that atopic dermatitis, a condition that causes severe skin rashes in up to 15% of babies, can be prevented in 50% of cases if mothers ingest probiotics during pregnancy and newborns ingest them during the first 6 months of life. This is believed to be due to a reprogramming of the newborn’s immune system. (Reid, 2005) Surely if probiotics enhance immunity in vitro, we ought to all be on them as soon as we draw our first breath.

A detailed literature review (from 1950 through February 2004) of English-language articles was undertaken to find articles showing a relationship between probiotic use and medical conditions. Medical conditions that have been reportedly treated or have the potential to be treated with probiotics include diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), cancer, depressed immune function, inadequate lactase digestion, infant allergies, failure-to-thrive, hyperlipidemia, hepatic diseases, Helicobacter pylori infections, genitourinary tract infections, and others. (Brown 2004) The link between the immune system and probiotics has been known and studied for decades. Certain vulnerable groups will need higher doses or potency strains to readdress any imbalance. In particular those people who have been on repeated broad spectrum antibiotics and any type of cancer treatment will most likely need higher doses. The general public would be wise to use a probiotic supplement or natural yoghurt on a daily basis. While diet most certainly influences bowel flora there are other components as well.

In adults the bowel flora can become imbalanced for a variety of reasons. Already covered are the hazards of antibiotics, high protein intake and intestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease. Additionally lowered stomach acid, disturbed gastric function, pernicious anaemia, X-ray irradiation, cirrhosis of the liver and immune system deficiency will all affect adults and their bacterial balance. (Chaitow 1990 p. 30) There are also the high level of chemicals in the atmosphere now and the long term risk of exposure to mobile phones is still unknown. Additional risk factors exist for women. If bowel flora is upset, excessive amounts of female sex hormone oestrogen are eliminated from the body instead of being recycled, leading to a drop in the level of this hormone in the bloodstream. When oestrogen levels are low women lose calcium and bone strength. There is a chance that low levels of probiotics in the body are contributing to bone diseases such as Osteoporosis, especially in post-menopausal women. (Chaitow 1990 p 71-72) Having oestrogen levels that are too high is also dangerous. Obesity may increase the risk of breast and womb cancers by raising levels of oestrogen and other hormones. In early life, oestrogen is mainly produced by the ovaries but this stops after menopause and fat in the body becomes the main source of oestrogen. Obese women have 50-100% more oestrogen than women of a healthy weight . Obese women also have lower levels of SHBG, or sex hormone binding globulin, which mops up oestrogen in the body. Scientists continue to research how obesity increases the risk of other cancers. Kidney and bowel cancer risks may increase with obesity due to high levels of growth factors and hormones. Oesophageal cancer might be in part caused by gastric reflux common in obese people. The stomach acids are pushed into the oesophagus where they cause damage. (http://info.cancerresearchuk.org 4) Other lifestyle factors that feature in the destruction of the bowel bacteria would be anything that weakens the body in general be it tobacco, drugs, exhaustion, illness or stress. Depending on the susceptibility of the person, a chronic weakening will eventually lead to disease.

In homeopathy we cure like with like. Rather than attack putrefactive bacteria with aggressive drugs that carry side effects it seems far more efficient to use the competing bacteria in high amounts to repopulate the bowel. Modern living is destroying our beneficial bacteria and as dysbiosis is the underlying cause of degenerative disease, it is critical to keep the good bowel flora flourishing. Using beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria strains is the only certain way to restore order and balance to the bowel which in turn will enhance immunity and ideally prolong life. Certain vulnerable groups or persons living with cancer or undergoing cancer therapy will need to supplement with a high potency probiotic in order to re-establish friendly bacteria balances. In general it would be wise to use probiotics from infancy or even conception right through to old age. The health benefits of these bacteria are astounding and offer a viable means of prevention of degenerative disease. Probiotics are a simple answer to a modern dilemma.

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