Dallas Chiropractor Best Practices
Research Commentary;
Probiotics for Your Health!
A review of
Reid G, Jass J, Sebulsky MT, McCormick JK. Potential uses of probiotics in clinical practice. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2003 Oct;16(4):658-72. doi: 10.1128/CMR.16.4.658-672.2003. PMID: 14557292; PMCID: PMC207122.
Research Reviewed by Dr. Anthony Vasile
Summarized Review of Conclusion:
This article explains how probiotics are becoming more popular in health care and there is increasing evidence of their effectiveness in helping with many types of health issues. Some of the potential clinical uses are to help treat diarrhea, helicobacter pylori infections, cancer, mucosal immunity, urinary tract infections, allergies and to even help with surgical infections.
As of now, only general health claims are currently allowed on foods containing probiotics. This should change because research like this shows how probiotics are superior to a placebo in certain situations. There are specific health claims allowed if drug-approved probiotics have gone through phase 3 clinical studies. For example, statements such as “reduces the incidence and severity of rotavirus diarrhea in infants” would be more informative than “improves gut health.”
The use of probiotics in general clinical practice is on the way. If a clinician puts the time into finding a clean source that is backed by research, there should be no issue. That is why we at Texas Chiro Health put the time and research into finding some of the best on the market that have been properly identified, documented, and manufactured under good manufacturing practices. We have each patient start on a probiotic because our gut microbiome in general has been ruined by the use of anti-biotics and the way we eat. This essential nutrient is just one of the key components of how we can eat better, move better, and think better towards a life of wellness and homeostasis.
Below I have referenced key quotes from this research to help summarize the results.
Quotes from the Article:
“Probiotics represents an expanding research area. A Medline search of the term probiotics illustrates the significant increase in research undertaken in this area during the past 5 years: over 1,000 publications cited, compared to 85 for the previous 25 years.”
“At present, only a small percentage of physicians either know of probiotics or understand their potential applicability to patient care.”
“A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 132 participants over a 2-year period showed that daily feeding of two capsules containing 1010 Lactobacillus sp. strain GG to pregnant mothers who had at least one first-degree relative (or partner) with atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, or asthma and after birth to the mother and to the babies for 6 months significantly reduced the incidence of allergic atopic dermatitis (15 of 64 [23%] versus 31 of 68 [46%]”
“The acquisition of toxin-producing C. difficile is approximately 2,700 cases per 100,000 exposures to antibiotics in the community. Other studies have also suggested that probiotics can alleviate the signs and symptoms of C. difficile infection.”
“The authors concluded that S. boulardii and lactobacilli have the potential to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea.”
“The ability of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria to modify the gut microbiota and reduce the risk of cancer is in part due to their ability to decrease β-glucuronidase and carcinogen levels (57).”
“As stated earlier, the application of probiotics to prevent allergic reactions became more prominent with the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial showing that L. rhamnosus GG given to pregnant women for 4 weeks prior to delivery and then to newborn children at high risk of allergy for 6 months caused a significant reduction in early atopic disease (66).”
“The current understanding suggests that the probiotic organisms reverse increased intestinal permeability, enhance gut-specific IgA responses, promote gut barrier function through restoration of normal microbes, and enhance transforming growth factor beta and interleukin-10 production as well as cytokines that promote production of IgE antibodies (63, 66).”
“Rather than use antibiotics in an attempt to “decontaminate” the intestine prior to surgery, these studies indicate that there is merit to administering probiotic organisms to reduce the risk of complications.”
Introduction to the Research
The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of probiotics in a variety of clinical applications. The term probiotic was derived from the Greek, meaning “for life.” The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have stated that there is adequate scientific evidence to indicate that there is potential for probiotic foods to provide health benefits and that specific strains are safe for human use (38). An expert panel commissioned by FAO and WHO defined probiotics as “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” This is the definition that should be used, and probiotics should not be referred to as biotherapeutic agents
Research Methodology
This article is a comprehensive review of the literature by the expert panel of FAO and WHO demonstrating a number of areas in which probiotics have proven anti-disease effects.
Research Findings
This research concluded that probiotics are effective in the healing process for many health conditions. They are not only effective, but they were far superior to a placebo when tested in this research review.
This article is a great lesson on why we teach our patients how to move, how to eat and how to think better. There is no better way to achieve increased immunity and overall health than with everyday lifestyle decisions.
Take your life into your own hands to start making choices that will improve your baseline health. Keep your spine healthy by getting adjusted and make the lifestyle decisions that are backed by research to improve your life.
Research References
As always with these reviews, these are my takeaways from the article and I encourage you to read the article in its entirety. The references used in this article by the authors of this article are listed here.
Our Message
The doctors at our Dallas location, near the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., are here to get you out of pain and back to enjoying life. But, the care doesn’t stop there. We make sure you know what is causing the pain, how to stop it and prevent it from coming back by teaching you the 3 elements of health; how we eat, how we move and how we think. By improving all of these elements you will achieve optimal health and we have the tools and education to help along the way.