Prescribing Probiotics
Feb 14, 2025
Prescribing Probiotics: What is it and how does it work in the body?
Our intestines harbor trillions of organisms, in fact, they constitute 95% of the cells in our bodies. Metagenomics and DNA studies indicate that the human gut houses somewhere on the order of 30,000 to 40,000 different organisms, and with each passing year, new physiologic roles for these organ isms have been discovered.
Some investigators have gone so far as to refer to the enteric flora as "the forgotten organ of the body
Since the 1980s, tremendous interest has developed in ways the ecosystem of the gut may be altered, not only to decrease pathogen numbers but also to promote overall health.
Many different foods and supplements that contain microbes-namely, species of bacteria or yeasts are now available over the counter.
These products are widely known as probiotics, a hybrid word created by combining the Latin pro- ("for") with the Greek adjective biotic (life) For all the commercial and scientific attention these supplements currently receive, only in the 1990s did the word probiotic enter both medical and general lexicons on a regular basis.
The word was first put into play in 1965, but its very definition remained elusive for many years. Most experts would now agree that a probiotic is a preparation or product containing a defined single or mixed culture of live microbes that, when ingested in sufficient numbers, will exert beneficial effects on health beyond basic nutrition by altering the gastrointestinal microbiota.
Important points to consider
The most common probiotic species used are Lactobacilus and Bifidobacterium. Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast, has also shown promise for many indications.
Probiotics have multiple potential mechanisms of action. Different species have very different degrees of efficacy in clinical trials.
Common prebiotic foods include garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus, chicory, banana, wheat, oats, soybeans, and artichoke.
Positive effects on colonization of the gut with healthy flora can be listed as yet another clinically proven benefit of breast-feeding.
As a general rule, most good-quality probiotics are quite safe with few side effects, but use caution in patients with severe pancreatitis, immunocompromised people, and those with indwelling medical equipment.
Key Web Sources
http://www.isapp.net/
http//www.uprobiotics.org/
http://www.foodinsight.org/
http//www.fammed.wisc.edu/sites/default/files//web/m uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout probiotics patient.pdf
http://www.gutnorg/patient-center/diet-medications/probiotics
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