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Basic concepts / Probiotics
Probiotics
- Some strains of probiotics have demonstrate the ability to effectively participate in the digestive process by improving the digestibility of certain components found in our diet, by releasing various enzymes into the intestinal lumen and exerting potential synergistic effects on digestion and alleviating symptoms of intestinal malabsorption. For instance, beta-galactosidase (lactase), which is secreted by certain probiotics, aids in the hydrolysis of ingested lactose(12,13).
The health benefits depend on the strain of the probiotics, for example:
- Some strains of probiotics have demonstrated the ability to inhibit the reproduction of many harmful bacteria(10,11) Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria by producing organic compounds -such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid- that increase the acidity of the intestine. Probiotic bacteria also produce antimicrobial substances called bacteriocins, which act as natural inhibitor to kill undesirable microorganisms.
1. FAO/WHO Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food, 2002, Working Group on Drafting Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food. (section 5.3, Expert report, at ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/food/Reid.pdf
2. On a generic approach to the safety assessment of micro-organisms used in feed/food and feed/food production. A working paper from the European Commission, 2003.
3. Naidu A.S. , Bidlack W.R. , Clemens R.A . Probiotic spectra of lactic acid bacteria . Critical reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 1999; 39 (1): 13-126.
4. Wolf B.W. , Wheeler K.B. , Ataya D.G . Safety and tolerance of Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation to a population infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus . Food and Chemical Toxicology 1998; 36 (12): 1085-1094.
5. Aso Y., Akaza H. , Kotake T . Preventive effect of a Lactobacillus casei preparation on the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer in a double-blind trial. The BLP study group . European Urology 1995; 27 (2): 104-109.
6.Gionchetti P. , Rizzello F. , Venturi A . Oral bacteriotherapy as maintenance treatment in patients with chronic pouchitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial . Gastroenterology 2000; 119: 305-309.
7. Zhou J.S ., Shu Q., Rutherfurd K.J . Acute oral toxicity and bacterial translocation studies on potentially probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria . Food and Chemical Toxicology 2000; 38: 153-161.
8. Borriello et al . Safety of probiotics that contain Lactobacilli or bifidobacteria » Clin. Infect. Dis. 2003; 36:775-780
9. Scarpignato C., Rampal P . Prevention and treatment of traveler's diarrhea: a clinical pharmacological approach . Chemotherapy 1995; 41: 48-81.
10. Rasic J.L . The role of dairy foods containing bifido and acidophilus bacteria in nutrition and health. N Eur Dairy J 1983; 4: 80-88.
11. De Simone C ., Vesely R ., Bianchi S.B . The role of probiotics in modulation of the immune system in man and in animals. Int J Immunother 1993; 9: 23-28.
12. Hove H., Norgaard H., Mortensen P.B. Lactic acid bacteria and the human gastrointestinal tract . European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 53 (5): 339-350.
13. McDonough F.E., Hitchins A.D., Wong N.P . Modification of sweet acidophilus milk to improve utilization by lactose-intolerant persons . Am J Clin Nutr 1987; 45 (3): 570-574.
