kebaldwin
Thu, Jul-19-07, 14:44
Probiotics Protect GI & Immune Health, and More!
Probiotics, also known as "friendly bacteria," are microorganisms that colonize in your digestive tract. They help break down the foods you eat, promoting proper absorption and utilization of vitamins and minerals. They also play a part in immune function, helping to keep pathogenic, or "bad" bacteria levels in check. For both digestive and immune health, I recommend taking a high-quality probiotics supplement daily.
Although I consider myself fairly knowledgeable in the area of nutrition, there are times I come across a particular nutrient with which I have very little experience.
There was a study published in the July 2007 Journal of Bone and Mineral Research regarding a flavonoid called epimedium, otherwise known as horny goat weed1. Epimedium has been touted as an aphrodisiac with many individuals reporting improved sexual health using it. In the study, researchers conducted a 24-month randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial using epimedium in regards to benefits for bone health. Eight five healthy post-menopausal women were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids (EPF) (60 mg icariin, 15 mg daidzein and 3 mg genistein) or placebo. All the women also took a 300 mg daily calcium supplement. It was found that after two years of supplementation women on the EPF regimen had improvement in bone mineral density compared to the placebo group, which had a decrease in bone mineral density.
There was another interesting study published in the July 16, 2007 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences2. Researchers throughout the world have been studying brains of patients with poor cognitive/brain health. There is a particular protein deposited in these brains called amyloid which has been felt by many to be the primary underlying cause of the memory loss. Researchers from the LA Veterans Affairs Medical Center took immune cells called macrophages from patients with poor cognitive health and tested them with the active ingredient called curcumin found in turmeric. It was discovered the cells treated with turmeric showed improvement in the ability to scavenge and destroy this amyloid protein. It was noted that further studies would be needed to determine if by increasing blood levels of macrophages using an oral curcumin agent it could lead to clearing of amyloid plaque.
The remainder of the newsletter I'd like to discuss the topic of probiotics, otherwise known as friendly bacteria. There have been a number of interesting studies recently in the medical literature regarding their benefits. Probiotics are living microorganisms primarily in the colon that help destroy harmful organisms. Unfortunately, with the widespread use of antibiotics, these friendly bacteria are frequently destroyed, leading to diarrhea and other problems with immune function. In the September 2007 edition of the journal Pediatric Nephrology, 120 children who had poor urinary tract health from a malformation in the genital urinary system were provided for one year with antibiotic prophylaxis or probiotics3. It was found that both groups did equally well in reducing the incidence of poor urinary tract health. The authors concluded that probiotic prophylaxis was as effective as antibiotic prophylaxis in children with this condition.
There was another interesting study published in Current Sports Medicine Reports July 20074. They noted that two published articles suggested that probiotics may enhance immune response in fatigued athletes and could provide athletes with secondary health benefits which could positively af fect athletic performance through enhanced recovery from fatigue, improved immune response and maintenance of healthy gastrointestinal tract function.
There was an interesting study last November in the journal Vaccine5. Four hundred seventy nine healthy adults were supplemented daily with vitamins plus minerals, with and without probiotics. Although intake of probiotics had no effect of the incidence of common colds, people taking probiotics had significantly shortened duration of episodes by almost two days. This is felt to be secondary to increases in certain T-helper cell counts.
Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) several months ago introduced an extremely potent probiotic formula called Probiotic 15-35 with NutraFlora® FOS. This product contains fifteen different probiotic strains, delivering an incredible 35 billion colony forming units (CFU) in each two capsule serving. Along with this is FOS, known as a prebiotic, which can help to further increase growth of these friendly bacteria. This the most powerful and popular probiotic on the market and was recently independently lab tested with excellent results.
NSI® has expanded its probiotic selection dramatically recently and also offers a probiotic product called Probiotic 10-10, providing 10 billion CFUs with 10 different probiotic stains per capsule, or 20 billion per two-capsule serving. A new version of this product now includes 100 mg of natural, Japanese, pharmaceutical-grade CoQ10 per serving for immune system benefits. NSI® has also recently introduced a probiotic proven in studies to benefit the immune system called Immunobiotix®. For those who prefer an eight-strain, 5 billion per capsule version, the new 8-5 product will meet their needs for a great value.
NSI® probiotics contain new technology providing a shelf-stable product at room temperature and also provides for survivability of the organisms by resisting harsh stomach acids.
1. Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Jul;22(7):1072-9.
2. Fiala, M. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, July 16-20, 2007; online early edition.
3. Lee SJ, Shim YH, Cho SJ, Lee JW. Probiotics prophylaxis in children with persistent primary vesicoureteral reflux. Pediatr Nephrol. 2007 Sep;22(9):1315-20.
4. Nichols AW. Probiotics and athletic performance: a systematic review. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007 Jul;6(4):269-73.
5.de Vrese M, Winkler P, Rautenberg P, Harder T, Noah C, et al. Probiotic bacteria reduced duration and severity but not the incidence of common cold episodes in a double blind, randomized, controlled trial. Vaccine. 2006 Nov 10;24(44-46):6670-4.
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=338&csrc=EM-FYH20070719:main
Probiotics, also known as "friendly bacteria," are microorganisms that colonize in your digestive tract. They help break down the foods you eat, promoting proper absorption and utilization of vitamins and minerals. They also play a part in immune function, helping to keep pathogenic, or "bad" bacteria levels in check. For both digestive and immune health, I recommend taking a high-quality probiotics supplement daily.
Although I consider myself fairly knowledgeable in the area of nutrition, there are times I come across a particular nutrient with which I have very little experience.
There was a study published in the July 2007 Journal of Bone and Mineral Research regarding a flavonoid called epimedium, otherwise known as horny goat weed1. Epimedium has been touted as an aphrodisiac with many individuals reporting improved sexual health using it. In the study, researchers conducted a 24-month randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial using epimedium in regards to benefits for bone health. Eight five healthy post-menopausal women were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids (EPF) (60 mg icariin, 15 mg daidzein and 3 mg genistein) or placebo. All the women also took a 300 mg daily calcium supplement. It was found that after two years of supplementation women on the EPF regimen had improvement in bone mineral density compared to the placebo group, which had a decrease in bone mineral density.
There was another interesting study published in the July 16, 2007 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences2. Researchers throughout the world have been studying brains of patients with poor cognitive/brain health. There is a particular protein deposited in these brains called amyloid which has been felt by many to be the primary underlying cause of the memory loss. Researchers from the LA Veterans Affairs Medical Center took immune cells called macrophages from patients with poor cognitive health and tested them with the active ingredient called curcumin found in turmeric. It was discovered the cells treated with turmeric showed improvement in the ability to scavenge and destroy this amyloid protein. It was noted that further studies would be needed to determine if by increasing blood levels of macrophages using an oral curcumin agent it could lead to clearing of amyloid plaque.
The remainder of the newsletter I'd like to discuss the topic of probiotics, otherwise known as friendly bacteria. There have been a number of interesting studies recently in the medical literature regarding their benefits. Probiotics are living microorganisms primarily in the colon that help destroy harmful organisms. Unfortunately, with the widespread use of antibiotics, these friendly bacteria are frequently destroyed, leading to diarrhea and other problems with immune function. In the September 2007 edition of the journal Pediatric Nephrology, 120 children who had poor urinary tract health from a malformation in the genital urinary system were provided for one year with antibiotic prophylaxis or probiotics3. It was found that both groups did equally well in reducing the incidence of poor urinary tract health. The authors concluded that probiotic prophylaxis was as effective as antibiotic prophylaxis in children with this condition.
There was another interesting study published in Current Sports Medicine Reports July 20074. They noted that two published articles suggested that probiotics may enhance immune response in fatigued athletes and could provide athletes with secondary health benefits which could positively af fect athletic performance through enhanced recovery from fatigue, improved immune response and maintenance of healthy gastrointestinal tract function.
There was an interesting study last November in the journal Vaccine5. Four hundred seventy nine healthy adults were supplemented daily with vitamins plus minerals, with and without probiotics. Although intake of probiotics had no effect of the incidence of common colds, people taking probiotics had significantly shortened duration of episodes by almost two days. This is felt to be secondary to increases in certain T-helper cell counts.
Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) several months ago introduced an extremely potent probiotic formula called Probiotic 15-35 with NutraFlora® FOS. This product contains fifteen different probiotic strains, delivering an incredible 35 billion colony forming units (CFU) in each two capsule serving. Along with this is FOS, known as a prebiotic, which can help to further increase growth of these friendly bacteria. This the most powerful and popular probiotic on the market and was recently independently lab tested with excellent results.
NSI® has expanded its probiotic selection dramatically recently and also offers a probiotic product called Probiotic 10-10, providing 10 billion CFUs with 10 different probiotic stains per capsule, or 20 billion per two-capsule serving. A new version of this product now includes 100 mg of natural, Japanese, pharmaceutical-grade CoQ10 per serving for immune system benefits. NSI® has also recently introduced a probiotic proven in studies to benefit the immune system called Immunobiotix®. For those who prefer an eight-strain, 5 billion per capsule version, the new 8-5 product will meet their needs for a great value.
NSI® probiotics contain new technology providing a shelf-stable product at room temperature and also provides for survivability of the organisms by resisting harsh stomach acids.
1. Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Jul;22(7):1072-9.
2. Fiala, M. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, July 16-20, 2007; online early edition.
3. Lee SJ, Shim YH, Cho SJ, Lee JW. Probiotics prophylaxis in children with persistent primary vesicoureteral reflux. Pediatr Nephrol. 2007 Sep;22(9):1315-20.
4. Nichols AW. Probiotics and athletic performance: a systematic review. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007 Jul;6(4):269-73.
5.de Vrese M, Winkler P, Rautenberg P, Harder T, Noah C, et al. Probiotic bacteria reduced duration and severity but not the incidence of common cold episodes in a double blind, randomized, controlled trial. Vaccine. 2006 Nov 10;24(44-46):6670-4.
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=338&csrc=EM-FYH20070719:main