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Study Finds Probiotics 'Not As Beneficial For Gut Health As Previously Thought' (theguardian.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: The gut microbiome is the sum total of all the micro-organisms living in a person's gut, and has been shown to play a huge role in human health. New research has found probiotics -- usually taken as supplements or in foods such as yoghurt, kimchi or kefir -- can hinder a patient's gut microbiome from returning to normal after a course of antibiotics, and that different people respond to probiotics in dramatically different ways. In the first of two papers published in the journal Cell, researchers performed endoscopies and colonoscopies to sample and study the gut microbiomes of people who took antibiotics before and after probiotic consumption. Another group were given samples of their own gut microbiomes collected before consuming antibiotics. The researchers found the microbiomes of those who had taken the probiotics had suffered a "very severe disturbance." "Once the probiotics had colonized the gut, they completely inhibited the return of the indigenous microbiome which was disrupted during antibiotic treatment," said Eran Elinav, an immunologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and lead author on the studies.
The scientists also compared the gut microbiomes of the gut intestinal tract of 25 volunteers with that of their stools. They found that stool bacteria only partially correlated with the microbiomes functioning inside their bodies. "So the fact that we all almost exclusively rely on stool in our microbiome research may not be a reliable way of studying gut microbiome health," said Elinav. In the second paper, the researchers examined the colonization and impact of probiotics on 15 people by sampling within their gastrointestinal tract. They divided the individuals into two groups: one were given a preparation made of 11 strains of very commonly used probiotics and the other were given a placebo. Of those who were given probiotics, he said, "We could group the individuals into two distinct groups: one which resisted the colonisation of the probiotics, and one in which the probiotics colonized the gut and modified the composition of the gut microbiome and the genes of the host individual."
The scientists also compared the gut microbiomes of the gut intestinal tract of 25 volunteers with that of their stools. They found that stool bacteria only partially correlated with the microbiomes functioning inside their bodies. "So the fact that we all almost exclusively rely on stool in our microbiome research may not be a reliable way of studying gut microbiome health," said Elinav. In the second paper, the researchers examined the colonization and impact of probiotics on 15 people by sampling within their gastrointestinal tract. They divided the individuals into two groups: one were given a preparation made of 11 strains of very commonly used probiotics and the other were given a placebo. Of those who were given probiotics, he said, "We could group the individuals into two distinct groups: one which resisted the colonisation of the probiotics, and one in which the probiotics colonized the gut and modified the composition of the gut microbiome and the genes of the host individual."
Been saying this for years. I get some people have IBS but the reliance on things like yogurt is crazy.
Fun little tip for a stomach ache - saliva. Let it build in your mouth (without water) and swallow in one gulp. Not only does it give your mouth a natural way to break down any bateria / sugar, but helps to calm your gut. Mouthwash is the nuclear option.
So much of how your body functions comes down to diet. It's interesting they do not go into what foods were consumed.
They likely contain a lot more biodiversity vs. a monoculture or handful of strains in probiotic supplements. And they would still probably be ineffectual most of the time, except after antibiotic use. This study doesn't cover any of that. Of course if you're trying to feed the microbiome you already have, eating unfermented vegetables makes more sense as they still have the complex sugars like oligosaccharides, fructans and so on that would feed it. That depends on whether you are repopulating after antibiotics or not.
Because on the high probability that this new "study" actually gets overturned by future research, I want people to know they can eat delicious healthy food.
Remember when fats were bad? And coffee? And wine was good for you? And eggs were bad for you? And low-fat diets were good for losing weight?
And chocolate was bad for you? Do you need me to go on? When a "study" comes out saying something is either good for you or not, you can almost set your clock another study coming around the corner saying the opposite. So eat what's good. If your grandparents ate something and lived to be 90, it probably won't be bad for you. Just don't waste money on some gelatin capsule with "live bacteria" in it when there are delicious alternatives.
Remember the Nutrition Pyramid? The Four Food Groups? Member? Huh?
You are welcome on my lawn.
The amount of bacteria in many fermented foods exceeds probiotics dosages. They might not be very beneficial, but they're probably not very harmful either. They certainly have an effect on the gut biome. In some cases certain strains have been shown to be beneficial, through immune system modulation, for certain conditions, such as in the natural treatment of eczma - there are efforts ongoing to commercialize on this.
I actually heard about the probiotic stuff on NPR where they were talking to a researcher. He said the exact opposite - that fermented foods were superior to many probiotic preparations such as pills because they didn't have as much bacteria, and were mixed with other materials that would help with digestion and ensuring that the consumed bacteria didn't overwhelm where they weren't supposed to.
I don't read AC A human right
I once made sourdough bread myself and added more of the starter culture to the dough than you normally would, since I just had too much. It turned out to be pretty sour. But what was really interesting: when the bread got older it never grew mould as it normally does. Instead it just got even more sour over time. The environment of the dough did not permit mould to grow, even after the initial organisms were killed by baking.
I've had a complete failure of my gut three times in my life. The first took months to recover naturally. The other two, I recognized and bought a bottle of "yellow" and "purple" gut bacteria, and contrary to the labels simply took one of each capsule type (they wanted you to take one daily). I recovered within 48 hours after taking the pills on those two occasions.
So for me- it worked very well on two occasions.
I do not consume pro-biotics on a regular basis tho I do eat yogurt about 30 days a year just for the flavor, not for the health benefits.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.