Research Library

There is a huge body of research on probiotics which supports your choice to supplement.

The research strongly supports the role of probiotics in:

  • Digesting food better
  • Absorbing nutrients from food
  • Re-colonising the gut
  • Crowding out harmful pathogenic bacteria
  • Making B and K vitamins
  • Improving bowel motility
  • Building immunity
  • Supporting vaginal health and helping relieve candida
  • Improving colon health
  • Preventing or reduce incidences of diarrhoea
  • Supporting healthier cholesterol levels
  • Aiding the digestion of lactose (milk products)
  • Creating internal antiseptics

Probiotics may have a role in:

  • Reducing the severity of allergic responses like hay fever
  • Improving mood and reducing anxiety
  • Reducing the incidence and severity of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Improving the condition of patients with Parkinson’s disease
  • Assisting with weight loss
  • Alleviating chronic fatigue

See also Gut Health Conditions

References

  • Revival and identification of bacterial spores in 25- to 40-million-year-old Dominican amber.Cano RJ1, Borucki MK. Science. 1995 May 19;268(5213):1060-4.
  • Impact of probiotics on colonizing microbiota of the gut: Sanders ME1. J ClinGastroenterol. 2011 Nov;45 Suppl:S115-9. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e318227414a.
  • Resistance of Bacillus Endospores to Extreme Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Environments Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Jul; 72(7): 5113–5117.
  • Probiotics, prebiotics, and the host microbiome: the science of translation. Petschow Bet al, Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2013 Dec;1306:1-17. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12303. Epub 2013 Nov 22.
  • Anti-Enteric Neuronal Antibodies and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Jackie D Wood et al 2012 Jan; 18(1): 78–85.Gut. 2004 Oct;53(10):1459-64.
  • Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuro-inflammation in a Model of Parkinson’s Disease: Mazmanian, Sarkis K. et al. Cell(2016)
  • Probiotics and Prebiotics: Effects on Diarrhea: Vrese, M; Marteau, P.. J. Nutr. March 2007 vol. 137 no. 3 803S-811S
  • Probiotics, immune function, infection and inflammation: a review of the evidence from studies conducted in humans. Lomax AR, Calder PC. Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(13):1428-518.
  • Prebiotic intake reduces the waking cortisol response and alters emotional bias in healthy volunteers. Schmidt, K. et al. Psychopharmacology. 232 (10).
  • Bacillus coagulans: a viable adjunct therapy for relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis according to a randomized, controlled trial’, Mandel D, Eichas K, Holmes J (2010) BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 10(1186), pp. 1472-6882.
  • Effects of seven potential probiotic strains on specific immune responses in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Paineau D1, Carcano D, Leyer G, Darquy S, Alyanakian MA, Simoneau G, Bergmann JF, Brassart D, Bornet F, Ouwehand AC.FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2008 Jun;53(1):107-13. doi:10.1111/j.1574-695X.2008.00413.x. Epub 2008 Apr 15.
  • Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women. Marina Sanchez, et al British Journal of Nutrition, 2013; 1 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114513003875
  • Probiotics reduce symptoms of antibiotic use in a hospital setting: a randomized dose response study. Ouwehand AC, DongLian C, Weijian X, Stewart M, Ni J, Stewart T, Miller LE.Vaccine. 2014 Jan 16;32(4):458-63. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.11.053. Epub 2013 Nov 26.
  • Effect of probiotics on body weight and body-mass index: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Qingqing Zhang, Yucheng Wu, XiaoqiangFei. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2016; 67 (5): 571 DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2016.1181156
  • The effect of five probiotic lactobacilli strains on the growth and biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans. Lin X1, Chen X, Chen Y, Jiang W, Chen H. Oral Dis. 2015 Jan;21(1):e128-34. doi: 10.1111/odi.12257. Epub 2014 Jun 3.
  • Probiotics to minimize the disruption of faecal microbiota in healthy subjects undergoing antibiotic therapy. Engelbrektson A1, Korzenik JR, Pittler A, Sanders ME, Klaenhammer TR, Leyer G, Kitts CL. J Med Microbiol. 2009 May;58(Pt 5):663-70. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.47615-0.
  • Lactobacilli vs antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections: a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial in postmenopausal women. Beerepoot, M. A. et al. Archives of Internal Medicine.172 (9).
  • Effect of supplement with lactic-acid producing bacteria on fatigue and physical activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.Sullivan, A., Nord, C. E., &Evengard, B. (2009).Nutr J, 8(4)
  • Effects of probiotic supplementation over 5 months on routine haematology and clinical chemistry measures in healthy active adults.Cox AJ, West NP, Horn PL, Lehtinen MJ, Koerbin G, Pyne DB, Lahtinen SJ, Fricker PA, Cripps AW.Eur J ClinNutr. 2014 Nov;68(11):1255-7. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.137. Epub 2014 Jul 23.
  • Influence of a probiotic mixture on antibiotic induced microbiota disturbancesSofia Forssten, Malkanthi Evans, Dale Wilson, and Arthur C Ouwehand. World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Sep 7; 20(33): 11878–11885.
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus supplementation in human subjects and their resistance to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection.Ouwehand AC, ten Bruggencate SJ, Schonewille AJ, Alhoniemi E, Forssten SD, Bovee-Oudenhoven IM.Br J Nutr. 2014 Feb;111(3):465-73. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513002547. Epub 2013 Aug 12.
  • Live probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis bacteria inhibit the toxic effects induced by wheat gliadin in epithelial cell culture. K Lindfors, T Blomqvist, K Juuti-Uusitalo, et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008 Jun; 152(3): 552-558. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03635.x.
  • Gut microbiota of healthy elderly NSAID users is selectively modified with the administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and lactitol. Björklund M, Ouwehand AC, Forssten SD, Nikkilä J, Tiihonen K, Rautonen N, Lahtinen SJ. Age (Dordr). 2012 Aug;34(4):987-99. doi: 10.1007/s11357-011-9294-5. Epub 2011 Aug 19
  • Novel Probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum CECT 7366 Strain Active against the Pathogenic Bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Chenoll E, Casinos B, Bataller E, (2011) Applied Environmental Microbiology 77(4) 1335-1343.
  • Effect of synbiotic in constipated adult women–a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of clinical response. DL Waitzberg, LC Logullo, AF Bittencourt, RS Torrinhas. Clinical Nutrition, 2013
  • Benefits of oral supplementation with and without synbiotics in young children with acute bacterial infections.Schrezenmeir J, Heller K, McCue M, Llamas C, Lam W, Burow H, Kindling-Rohracker M, Fischer W, Sengespeik HC, Comer GM, Alarcon P. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2004 Apr;43(3):239-49.
  • Lactobacilli vs antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections: a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial in postmenopausal women. Beerepoot, M. A. et al. Archives of Internal Medicine.172 (9).
  • Specific probiotics alleviate allergic rhinitis during the birch pollen season Arthur C Ouwehand, MerjaNermes, Maria Carmen Collado, Nina Rautonen, Seppo Salminen, and Erika Isolauri; World J Gastroenterol. 2009 Jul 14; 15(26): 3261–3268.
  • Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM on insulin sensitivity and the systemic inflammatory response in human subjects. Andreasen AS, Larsen N, Pedersen-Skovsgaard T, Berg RM, Møller K, Svendsen KD, Jakobsen M, Pedersen BK. Br J Nutr. 2010 Dec;104(12):1831-8. doi: 10.1017/S0007114510002874. Epub 2010 Sep 6.
  • Probiotics reduce symptoms of antibiotic use in a hospital setting: a randomized dose response study. Ouwehand AC, DongLian C, Weijian X, Stewart M, Ni J, Stewart T, Miller LE. Vaccine. 2014 Jan 16;32(4):458-63. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.11.053. Epub 2013 Nov 26.
  • Inhibitory effect of Bifidobacterium longum on colon, mammary, and liver carcinogenesis induced by 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, a food mutagen, Reddy BS, Rivenson A (1993) Cancer Research, 53(17) 3914-8.
  • The use of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: two case reports. Faber S, Rigden S, Lukaczer D. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005 Jul-Aug;11(4):60-2.
  • Clinical trial: a multistrain probiotic preparation significantly reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a double-blind placebo-controlled study.Williams EA, Stimpson J, Wang D, Plummer S, Garaiova I, Barker ME, Corfe BM. Aliment PharmacolTher. 2009 Jan;29(1):97-103. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03848.x. Epub 2008 Sep 9.
  • Effects of probiotic supplementation over 5 months on routine haematology and clinical chemistry measures in healthy active adults.Cox AJ, West NP, Horn PL, Lehtinen MJ, Koerbin G, Pyne DB, Lahtinen SJ, Fricker PA, Cripps AW. Eur J ClinNutr. 2014 Nov;68(11):1255-7. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.137. Epub 2014 Jul 23.
  • Evidence-based review of probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile infections’, McFarland LV (2009) Clinical Microbiology, 15(6), pp. 274-278.
  • Xylo-oligosaccharides alone or in synbiotic combination with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis induce bifidogenesis and modulate markers of immune function in healthy adults: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, factorial cross-over study. Childs CE, Röytiö H, Alhoniemi E, Fekete AA, Forssten SD, Hudjec N, Lim YN, Steger CJ, Yaqoob P, Tuohy KM, Rastall RA, Ouwehand AC, Gibson GR. Br J Nutr. 2014 Jun 14;111(11):1945-56. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513004261. Epub 2014 Mar 24.
  • Probiotic supplementation for respiratory and gastrointestinal illness symptoms in healthy physically active individuals.West NP, Horn PL, Pyne DB, Gebski VJ, Lahtinen SJ, Fricker PA, Cripps AW. ClinNutr. 2014 Aug;33(4):581-7. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2013.10.002. Epub 2013 Oct 10
  • Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve’, Bravo J, et al (2011) Proc Natl Acad Sci, 108(38), pp. 16050–16055.
  • Probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 versus placebo for the symptoms of bloating in patients with functional bowel disorders: a double-blind study. Ringel-Kulka T, Palsson OS, Maier D, Carroll I, Galanko JA, Leyer G, Ringel Y. J ClinGastroenterol. 2011 Jul;45(6):518-25. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e31820ca4d6.
  • Amplification and sequencing of DNA from a 120-135-million-year-old weevil.Cano RJ, Poinar HN, Pieniazek NJ, Acra A, Poinar GO Jr. Nature. 1993 Jun 10;363(6429):536-8.

Links

  • https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/
  • https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/01/why-antibiotics-making-us-ill-bacteria-martin-blaser?CMP=twt_fd
  • https://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/bacterial-endospores
  • http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/fcs3/fcs3555/fcs3555.pdf
  • http://www.pbrc.edu/training-and-education/pdf/pns/PNS_Probiotics.pdf
  • https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvNzcwNDY4Xzc=&ac=401
  • https://www.asm.org/index.php/journal-press-releases/94202-probiotics-mitigate-stress-in-medical-students-at-exam-time