SELECTION AND DOSING OF PROBIOTICS

After testing has validated the existence of a GI problem, the very first part of any support program must be Probiotics. During the past several decades, an enormous amount of research has been conducted on many of the different strains of L. acidophilus and bifidobacteria, and some on Saccharomyces boulardii and other forms of beneficial microorganisms.

Among the factors that affect the quality and effectiveness of probiotic products are the strains of bacteria, the culture method, packaging and handling and the concentration and viability of the organisms in the product.

Host specificity is another important factor. For example, strains of acidophilus that originate from the human intestinal tract have been determined to adhere to the lining of the gut mucosa much more effectively than strains of acidophilus that originate from cattle or other animals. However, even different human strains of acidophilus vary greatly in their ability to survive and grow in the hostile of the GI tract. Their survival and proliferation depends on their tolerance of stomach acid and intestinal bile, their production of natural antibiotics and their ability to adhere to the intestinal wall.

The method used to culture, package, ship and store probiotic products is also important. These fragile organisms are heat, light and moisture sensitive and these factors will ultimately affect the strength and viability of the product purchased by the consumer. For this reason, it is important that independent laboratories provide verification of the quantity and viability of the organisms. Not only should this be verified at the packaging date, but also at the expiration date of the product after a certain period of "shelf life" time.

Potency of the Probiotic products varies widely. While some labels claim to contain "millions of organisms," better quality products usually contain billions of CFUs (colony forming units) per dose. For those formulas with a wide variety of organisms, such as a high CFU may not be necessary due to the synergistic properties between the various organisms.

In most cases, probiotics should be refrigerated for optimum potency. However, there is a relatively new "freeze drying" technique that enables probiotics to maintain their potency without being refrigerated. Refrigeration is always advisable after a bottle has been opened as a precaution for viability and longevity.

Individuals with dysbiosis should consider ingesting a probiotic containing 10-20 billion CFU's of a single or double-strain Probiotic or use a high-potency multi-strain synergistic probiotic every day for two weeks, especially after taking antibiotics. Better outcomes will be obtained when probiotics are taken at bedtime or twice daily between meals on an empty stomach. The farther away from meals they are taken, the fewer good organisms are destroyed by stomach acids.

Products like yogurt and acidophilus containing milk do contain some of the live organisms, but the amount of beneficial bacteria in these products is not nearly enough to re-colonize the GI tract after taking a round of antibiotics.

Infants

Colonization of the GI tract is a special consideration in infants. It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is for infants to start out life with a strong, fully functioning immune system. One important aspect of creating this foundation is the development of a healthy GI tract microecology. There are two situations or factors that play a critical role in determining whether or not an infant gets the opportunity to develop a healthy immune system after being born.

The first determining factor is a vaginal birth. An infant is born with a sterile GI tract, or essentially without microorganisms in the gut. However, as an infant passes through the vaginal canal during a vaginal delivery, the infant's head and body are coated with the slimy mucous secretions from the mother's vaginal lining. These vaginal mucosal secretions contain large numbers of beneficial bacteria, some of which gets into the infant's mouth and down the throat to the stomach. The proliferation of these bacteria is the beginning of developing a healthy immune system, assuming that the mother has these organisms in her vaginal canal. If she is dysbiotic herself, she may not have these organisms and they dysbiosis can be passed on to the infant. There is a high rate of cesarean births in the United States, approximately 23 percent annually, which means there are many infants born every year whose immune systems are immediately compromised due to their unnatural birthing procedure. Consequently, the premature infant who is sent off to the neonatal unit suffers stress and is given antibiotics and other medications that prevent proliferation of these bacterial organisms even if born vaginally. All of these infants could greatly benefit from probiotic supplementation.

The second important immune system development factor is breastfeeding. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the many benefits and the large number of immunoglobins that are transferred from mother to infant during breastfeeding. However, it is applicable to comment that scientists have discovered mother's milk (but not cow's milk) contains a disaccharide amino sugar that is a required growth factor for the beneficial bacteria. Thus, there is a substance in mother's milk that specifically stimulates the growth and proliferation of bifidobacteria in infants. Studies show that the fecal flora of breast-fed infants is 99 percent bifidobacteria, but the fecal flora in bottle fed infants is less than 20 percent bifidobacteria. C-section, bottle-fed and premature babies have a much higher incidence of colic, diarrhea, gas, fungal diaper rash, ear infections, etc.
Healthcare professionals have an opportunity and a professional responsibility to educate pregnant women about the importance of helping their newborn babies develop a healthy intestinal microflora as soon as possible after birth. Encourage women to breastfeed and recommend probiotic supplementation when infants are born by C-section, born prematurely, or if the mother is unable or choosing not to breastfeed. Have the mother place a little on the nipple or the tip of the finger and let the baby suck it off. This will help colonize the infant's GI system and may prevent health problems later in life.

FINAL REMARKS

Health professionals are accepting the importance of good digestion, nutrient assimilation, waste elimination and general intestinal health as one of the primary keys to health and longevity. As highlighted in this article, a healthy intestinal ecology is absolutely essential to good health. People in reasonably good health should take a good quality probiotic product several times per week, making it part of a regular supplementation program. Individuals in less than optimal health should take a daily dose. People on antibiotics should take Probiotics daily throughout the medication cycle and for two weeks thereafter.

For people who take antibiotics or other GI tract-altering medications and for those who may have developed dysbiosis for some other reason, counseling on how to implement high-dosage probiotic supplementation to rebuild the GI organisms and improve overall health is advised. Treating but not correcting digestive complaints leads to more serious symptomatic systemic disorders. Probiotics can possibly decrease cancer risks by eliminating the cancer-causing enzymes and strengthening the immune system by enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Promoting the use of Probiotics is a simple, effective measure in generating more business and developing happy, healthy customers who view you as the professional.