Probiotics

An area of interest in medical nutrition therapy that has been growing recently is the use of probiotics.  It has been suggested that alterations to the natural gut microbiome could contribute to several diseases such as diarrhea, constipation, food allergies, certain cancers, and even autoimmune issues such as inflammatory bowel disease. The idea of using probiotics to both treat and prevent these issues is not new. The link between gut health and yogurt consumption has been documented for almost 100 years. However, the supplementation of probiotics is an emerging field of MNT.

            Probiotics have been shown to be beneficial for antibiotic-associated, traveler’s, and infectious types of diarrhea. Gastroenteritis causes diarrhea that typically lasts for several days. Probiotics have been shown to shorten the duration and should be used in combination with oral rehydration therapy. Supplementation of L. plantarum in patients with irritable bowel syndrome have shown significant decreases in abdominal symptoms such as pain, bloating, and flatulence. The cause of inflammatory bowel disease is not clearly understood but one suspected cause is a disturbance in intestinal flora. Probiotic supplementation has been shown to reduce flares and even lowered the need for glucocorticoids in those with IBD.

            Probiotic supplementations has been shown to be beneficial in many disease states. More research is needed to understand the full impact that probiotics can have as a part of medical nutrition therapy.

SG 

Brown AC, Valiere A. Nutrition in clinical care: an official publication of Tufts University. Nutr    Clin Care. 2004;7(2):56-68. PMCID: PMC1482314.