Welcome to the seventh edition of Probiotics: News You Can Use, a quarterly bulletin brought to you by the Dannon Probiotics Center.
Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient amounts,
can provide health benefits that go beyond basic nutrition. Certain probiotic
strains help strengthen your body's natural defenses by providing a regular
source of "friendly" bacteria for the intestinal tract. Others can help
regulate the digestive system by helping regulating the time it takes for food
to pass through the intestine.
The benefits that probiotics can bring to the intestine have received a lot of
media attention in recent months. Just as compelling, but less well known, is
the research that indicates probiotics play a role elsewhere in the digestive
system.
Martin H. Floch, M.D. is clinical professor of medicine of the Yale University
Department of Internal Medicine, editor of the Journal of Clinical
Gastroenterology, and the author of Netter's Gastroenterology and Diet
and Nutrition Therapy in Gastroenterology. In an interview with
Dannon, he discussed the way probiotics operate not only in the small and large
intestine, but in the mouth, stomach, and liver.
1. Studies have indicated that certain probiotic cultures
have an effect on the cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.1 Other
probiotics are being studied for their ability to reduce the bacteria that
cause bad breath.2 What's your view on probiotic activity in the
mouth?
There hasn't been a great deal published [compared to findings related to the
intestine], but there have been some studies that indicate probiotics could
play a role in the maintenance of mouth health. Although the data is scarce,
what is available makes sense. If you have the probiotic organisms in your
mouth, they would have an effect on the bacterial population of the mouth,
including bacteria that may be responsible for cavities and bad breath.
2. What about probiotics in the stomach? Two years ago,
researchers Barry Marshall and Robin Warren won the Nobel Prize for discovering
that peptic ulcers are caused not by stress, but by a bacterium, Helicobacter
pylori.
There's been a lot of activity in this area. Animal and human studies suggest
that regular intake of certain probiotic bacteria can affect the presence and
activity of H. pylori and its ability to survive5. About 50
percent of the population is infected and since this is a worl
More Bac for Your
