Probiotics

What Are "Star" Ratings?

a7_3star Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

a7_2star Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

a7_1star For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support.

Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.

For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Amount	Why
Colic	Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner	In one study, feeding infants probiotics in a milk-based formula significantly reduced the frequency of colic.
Colic Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner In a double-blind study of infants, supplementation of a standard milk-based formula with probiotic organisms (Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus) significantly reduced the frequency of colic, compared with the same formula without the probiotics.⁸ In another study, another probiotic preparation (Lactobacillus reuteri) taken once a day was significantly more effective than simethicone, a drug frequently used to treat colic.⁹ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Allergies and Sensitivities and Food Allergies	2.6 billion organisms per day for infants	Probiotics such as Lactobacillus GG may improve digestion in people with food allergies, helping the intestinal tract control allergen absorption and changing immune system responses to foods.
Allergies and Sensitivities and Food Allergies 2.6 billion organisms per day for infants Probiotics may be important in the control of food allergies because of their ability to improve digestion, by helping the intestinal tract control the absorption of food allergens and/or by changing immune system responses to foods.¹⁰^{, 11}^{, 12} One group of researchers has reported using probiotics to successfully treat infants with food allergies in two trials: a double-blind trial using Lactobacillus GG bacteria in infant formula, and a preliminary trial giving the same bacteria to nursing mothers.¹³ Probiotics may also be important in non-allergy types of food intolerance caused by imbalances in the normal intestinal flora.¹⁴

Used for	Amount	Why
Canker Sores	Apply powdered culture topically several times daily and orally take 1.5 billion colony-forming units two times daily	Topical and/or oral use of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus may help people with recurrent canker sores.
Canker Sores Apply powdered culture topically several times daily and orally take 1.5 billion colony-forming units two times daily According to preliminary reports, some people with recurrent canker sores may respond to topical and/or oral use of Lactobacillus acidophilus¹⁵ and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. ¹⁶ However, a double-blind study found no effect of acidophilus bacteria on the healing time of canker sores.¹⁷ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Crohn’s Disease	At least 250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii taken three times per day	In double-blind research, diarrhea caused by Crohn’s disease has partially responded to supplementation with the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii.
Crohn’s Disease At least 250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii taken three times per day In double-blind research, diarrhea caused by Crohn’s disease has partially responded to supplementation with the beneficial bacterium Saccharomyces boulardii.¹⁸ Although the amount used in this trial, 250 mg taken three times per day, was helpful, as much as 500 mg taken four times per day has been administered in research successfully using Saccharomyces boulardii as a supplement with people suffering from other forms of diarrhea.¹⁹ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Eczema	10 billion colony-forming units daily of lactobacillus-type bacteria	Pregnant women and newborns who take probiotic supplements may reduce risk of eczema in early life.
Eczema 10 billion colony-forming units daily of lactobacillus-type bacteria A double-blind trial reported that use of a hypoallergenic infant formula plus probiotics (500 million organisms of Lactobacillus GG bacteria per gram of formula, taken for one month) initially led to improvement in eczema symptoms in infants with suspected allergy to cow's milk.²⁰ However, by the end of two months, both the group receiving Lactobacillus GG and the placebo group had improved approximately the same amount. In the same report, a preliminary trial giving 20 billion lactobacilli twice per day to breast-feeding mothers led to significant improvement of their allergic infants’ eczema after one month. However, another double-blind trial found that Lactobacillus GG was no more effective than a placebo in infants with mild to moderate eczema.²¹ In another double-blind trial, a different probiotic preparation (1 billion organisms of Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-033 PCC taken twice a day) reduced the severity of eczema in a group of young children with moderate or severe eczema.²² Probiotics may reduce allergic reactions by improving digestion, by helping the intestinal tract control the absorption of food allergens, and/or by changing immune system responses. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Hay Fever	Refer to label instructions	In one trial, supplementing with Bifidobacterium longum strain BB536 during the pollen season significantly decreased symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal blockage.
Hay Fever In a double-blind trial, supplementation with a specific probiotic strain (Bifidobacterium longum strain BB536) during the pollen season significantly decreased symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal blockage, compared with a placebo.²³ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Immune Function	10 billion colony-forming units a day of acidophilus or bifidobacteria-only for intestinal infections	Probiotics help stimulate the intestine’s immune system and slow the growth of infectious organisms.
Immune Function 10 billion colony-forming units a day of acidophilus or bifidobacteria-only for intestinal infections Supplements of probiotics (friendly bacteria) such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, or the growth factors that encourage their development in the gastrointestinal tract may help protect the body from harmful organisms in the intestine that cause local or systemic infection according to published research,²⁴ ^{, 25} including controlled²⁶ trials. The effective amount of probiotics depends on the strain used, as well as the number of viable organisms. Infectious diarrhea in children has been successfully reduced with supplements of friendly bacteria in several trials, some of which were double-blind.²⁷ ^{, 28} Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Infection	Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner	Lactobacillus acidophilus produces acids that kill invading bacteria. These and other probiotics inhibit the growth of potentially infectious organisms and have been shown to be effective against some infections.
Infection Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner Lactobacillus acidophilus (the friendly bacteria found in yogurt) produces acids that kill invading bacteria.²⁹ The effective amount of acidophilus depends on the strain used, as well as the concentration of viable organisms. These and other friendly bacteria known as probiotics inhibit the growth of potentially infectious organisms (pathogens) by producing acids, hydrogen peroxide, and natural antibiotics called bacteriocins and microcins, by utilizing nutrients needed by pathogens, by occupying attachment sites on the gut wall that would otherwise be available to pathogens, and by stimulating immune attacks on pathogens. Infections that have been successfully prevented or treated with friendly bacteria include infectious diarrhea, vaginitis, and urinary tract infections.³⁰ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Irritable Bowel Syndrome	Refer to label instructions	A daily drink containing probiotics significantly reduced IBS symptoms in one study.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome In a double-blind trial, daily consumption of 4 ounces of a drink containing probiotics for five months was significantly more effective than a placebo drink at relieving IBS symptoms. The probiotic drink contained Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus Lc705, Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb12.³¹ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Ulcerative Colitis	10 to 600 billion colony-forming units per day of probiotic bacteria, or 250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii three times daily	Supplementing with probiotics has been shown to help people with ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative Colitis 10 to 600 billion colony-forming units per day of probiotic bacteria, or 250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii three times daily In preliminary³² and double-blind³³ trials, a probiotic supplement (in this case, a non-disease-causing strain of Escherichia coli) was effective at maintaining remission in people with UC. In a double-blind trial, a combination probiotic supplement containing Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and a beneficial strain of Streptococcus has been shown to prevent pouchitis, a common complication of surgery for UC.³⁴ People with chronic relapsing pouchitis received either 3 grams per day of the supplement or placebo for nine months. Eighty-five percent of those who took the supplement had no further episodes of pouchitis during the nine-month trial, whereas 100% of those receiving placebo had relapses within four months. Preliminary evidence suggests that combination probiotic supplements may be effective at preventing UC relapses as well.³⁵ In a preliminary trial, people with UC significantly improved on a sugar-free, low-allergen diet with additional nutritional supplementation that included a multivitamin-mineral supplement (2–6 tablets per day); a fish oil supplement (400 mg per day); borage oil (400 mg per day); flaxseed oil (400 mg per day); and a probiotic formula containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and other species of beneficial bacteria.³⁶ Some participants received slight variations of this regimen. Since so many different supplements were given and since the trial was not controlled, it is not possible to say which, if any, of the nutrients was responsible for the improvement observed by the researchers. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Chronic Candidiasis	Refer to label instructions	Lactobacillus acidophilus is a type of probiotic that appears to help re-establish proper intestinal flora and prevent yeast overgrowth.
Chronic Candidiasis Lactobacillus acidophilus products are often used by people with candidiasis in an attempt to re-establish proper intestinal flora. Acidophilus produces natural factors that prevent the overgrowth of the yeast.³⁷^{, 38} Although there are no human trials, supplementation of acidophilus to immune-deficient mice infected with C. albicans produced positive effects on immune function and reduced the number of Candida colonies.³⁹ The typical amount of acidophilus taken as a supplement is 1–10 billion live bacteria daily. Amounts exceeding this may induce mild gastrointestinal disturbances, while smaller amounts may not be able to sufficiently colonize the gastrointestinal tract. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Stress	Refer to label instructions	Probiotic supplements may help counteract stress’s detrimental effect on the balance of intestinal bacteria.
Stress Stress is understood to have a detrimental effect on the balance of intestinal bacteria,⁴⁰ ^{, 41} but whether probiotic supplements improve the ability to handle stress is unknown. In a six-month preliminary trial, a multivitamin-mineral (MVM) supplement that also contained a blend of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum was effective for improving scores on a stress questionnaire.⁴² However, this improvement could have been a placebo effect or could have been due to the MVM component. Controlled research comparing MVM supplements with and without added probiotics is necessary to determine whether probiotics are helpful for treating stress. Learn More

Also indexed as:

acidophilus,
intestinal bacteria,
intestinal flora,
intestinal microflora,
lactobacillus,
lactobacillus acidophilus,
lactobacillus organisms,
probiotics

About this treatment

How to Use It

The amount of probiotics necessary to replenish the intestine varies according to the extent of microbial depletion and the presence of harmful bacteria. One to two billion colony forming units (CFUs) per day of acidophilus is considered to be the minimum amount for the healthy maintenance of intestinal microflora. Some Saccharomyces boulardii research has used 500 mg taken four times per day.

Where to Find It

Beneficial bacteria present in fermented dairy foods—namely live culture yogurt—have been used as a folk remedy for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Yogurt is the traditional source of beneficial bacteria. However, different brands of yogurt can vary greatly in their bacteria strain and potency. Some (particularly frozen) yogurts do not contain any live bacteria. Supplements in powder, liquid extract, capsule, or tablet form containing beneficial bacteria are other sources of probiotics.

Possible Deficiencies

People using antibiotics, eating a poor diet, or suffering from diarrhea are more likely to have depleted colonies of friendly bacteria.

Interactions

Last Review: 05-11-2011

Learn more about Aisle7, the company.

The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

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