On the Coast – Over 55 Issue 28 I March/April 2019 | Page 16

Probiotics and our health
by Diana Arundell
I
t’s estimated around 38 trillion
bacteria cohabitate in and
on our body and most of these
make up the gut microbiota – a
populated ecosystem that exists
in our digestive system.
Naturopaths have understood the
importance of our microbiome for
decades and now finally mainstream
medicine has jumped on board to support
what we have always known to be an
integral part of our health and wellness.
Due to more interest in the microbiome,
many pharmaceutical and nutraceutical
companies have met the market demand
with loads of ‘products’ and when it
comes to probiotics it’s important to
understand what you’re buying and why.
As with all supplements it’s important
to take evidence based products that
have been clinically trialled, preferably
on humans. For example the probiotic
strain LGG has over 1000 scientific papers
researching it’s use and this includes
over 300 human studies. The study of
probiotics is a complex area because just
as siblings and cousins can technically
belong to one family, their personalities
and inner qualities can be extremely
different and probiotics can be viewed
the same way, as different strains exert
different physiological actions.
Probiotics are usually sold either as
single strain or multi-strain which means
various strains are combined in the one
capsule. It’s much easier to research single
strains that target individual symptoms
rather than multi-strain varieties, as there
are specific strengths required of each
probiotic to exert an effect and it’s also
important to ensure that the strains
within a multi-stain capsule don’t compete
or interact adversely with each other.
Some probiotic strains have specific
manufacturing requirements and growth
conditions to ensure the end product is
effectively absorbed. Product stability is
a real issue and very few companies have
the correct technology to guarantee a
non-refrigerated, shelf stable probiotic.
As with most things, you get what you
pay for and when it comes to probiotics,
a well researched practitioner only
prescribed supplement is likely to have
been more thoroughly researched and
formulated.
16
S E N I O R S O N T H E C OAS T
There are specific strains of probiotics
that are formulated to target individual
symptoms eg gastrointestinal, immune
and inflammation. Probiotic strains such
as LGG and BB-12 have a broader action
such as supporting the growth of
beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM offers
more specific activity such as binding to
opioid receptors in the gut and thereby
modulating abdominal pain. S.Boulardii
has been shown to reduce the incidence
of traveller’s diarrhoea and its something
I always prescribe for patients travelling
to destinations such as India, Indonesia
and other places where gastrointestinal
infection for visitors is common. Specific
strains of probiotics taken during
pregnancy and infancy have been shown
to reduce the incidence of behavioural
complaints in childhood and LGG may
reduce the incidence of atopic allergies
such as eczema, asthma and hay fever in
children when taken by the mother
during pregnancy.
Specific probiotic strains have been
shown to be protective against certain
viruses, bacteria, parasitic, worm
infestation and fungal infections of the
gut. If a current infection is present,
antimicrobial work needs to be carried out
prior to supplementing with probiotics for
the best, long term outcome. Blastocystis
hominis is one such infection that
responds well to a comprehensive
naturopathic approach involving
antimicrobial and probiotic protocol. Due
to antibiotic resistance issues, many
chronic infections are no longer
responding as effectively to usual
antibiotic therapy. Probiotics can be taken
at the same time as a course of antibiotics
however it’s recommended to separate the
antibiotic and probiotic dose by 2 hours.
Prebiotics are different to probiotics and
are considered more of a fuel to support
the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut
and can help motility which can improve
bowel function and stool regularity. High
fibre containing foods usually contain
good amounts of prebiotics which travel
undigested to the colon and are utilised by
the gut flora living there.
Fermented foods have had a lot of
attention recently and they are an
important part of a well balanced diet to
provide natural food sourced probiotics
to our digestive systems. Examples of
fermented foods include yoghurt, kefir,
sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, kombucha and
tempeh. These foods are only required in
regular, small amounts and are better
tolerated when introduced slowly to the
diet.
Diana Arundell is a university-qualified naturopath and consults from her Avoca Naturopath clinic. She has
a special interest in fertility and pregnancy health, digestive health, immune function and family wellness
programs. She was a nutrition lecturer at Macquarie University for 10 years, and is an accredited Journey
Practitioner. For further information please contact Diana Arundell at Avoca Naturopath on 0410 465 900.