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- PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS: POTENTIAL POWERFUL TOOLS IN MEDICINE ============== - HOW OUR HEALTH HANGS IN THE BALANCE OF THE GUT'S MICROFLORA Some of the most exciting recent medical discoveries have emerged in the field of nutrition and gut microbiology. Writing in the prestigious British Journal of Medicine, two senior British scientists review the recent literature on promising treatment strategies utilizing probiotics and prebiotics, which promote optimal health by encouraging proper balance in the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. "The colonic microflora normally presents a barrier to invading organisms," the scientists write, "but pathogens often become established when the integrity of the microbiota is impaired through stress, illness, antibiotic treatment, changes in diet, or physiological alteration in the gut." To improve the barrier function of the gut, probiotics directly colonize the GI tract with beneficial microbes, such as lactobacilli or bifidobacteria, through the ingestion of foodstuffs such as yogurt. Prebiotics utilize non-digestible substances such as oligosaccharides and their derivatives (found in garlic, beans, Jerusalem artichokes, etc.) which encourage the growth and activity of the beneficial microbes already inside the GI tract. This two-pronged approach represents an important strategy for treating gastrointestinal disorders, preventing cancer, and boosting immune function. Studies show that many beneficial bacteria and yeast can effectively eradicate nasty gut pathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium difficile, and E. coli, relieving symptoms of diarrhea in conditions such as colitis and enteritis. They can also act as powerful preventatives against gut infection, reducing incidence of diarrhea from 71% to 43% in tourists traveling abroad. Research reveals strong cancer-fighting properties as well. Certain species of bifidobacteria bind and inactivate mutagens created during high temperature cooking, break down carcinogens such as N-nitrosamines, and reduce the number of pre-neoplastic markers in the intestine. These "good" gut microbes can also stimulate destruction of tumor-growing cells and reduce toxic metabolites in the body. Besides stimulating anti-carcinogenic effects, probiotics can also modulate central mechanisms of immune function and the inflammatory response, according to recent evidence. Clinical study shows that lactobacillus helps to alleviate allergic reactions and atopic eczema, for example, by improving the ability of the gut mucosal barrier to eliminate antigens. The authors stress the importance of further delineating the specific mechanisms and strains of microbes involved in the effective use of prebiotics and probiotics. "The ability to target specific organisms in the large intestine for defined, health promoting purposes will clearly be of great value and needs to be developed," they urge. |