DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent column in the Monterey County (Calif.) Herald, you suggested a woman try an array of products, including probiotics that might help her overcome flatulence. Would you be kind enough to write a column explaining the uses of probiotics, including the way in which a person would select the appropriate product?
The quantity and range of these products is dizzying and confusing, and the “expertise” is limited, at best. Doctors and other practitioners seldom (in my experience) specify what sort of probiotics to buy and merely suggest that we go to a good health-food store. That is not helpful.
When we go to a good health-food store, we find ourselves confronted with product names and ingredients that are completely unfamiliar. Worse, these products contain a range of ingredients that, presumably, are intended to treat a wide range of conditions. But the packages don’t give specific information. Also, probiotics may come in capsule form and be stable at room temperature, or they may come in powder form and require refrigeration and mixing just prior to use. How are we to know which is best?
My husband and I were desperate for a probiotic following courses of antibiotics to treat (of all things — we’re in our 70s!) whooping cough. We did find, with the help of a salesperson at our local health-food store, Jarro-Dophilus EPS, which comes in capsule form and can be taken up to four times a day. We began with the four and, after a couple of weeks, were able to cut the dosage down to one per day. It has been helpful, but I have no idea whether it would be the right dose in every case or not. And I have no idea whether this is something we should continue to take.
DEAR READER: Probiotics are live microorganisms, referred to as “good” bacteria, used to treat illness and support wellness. Good bacteria within the body are essential for proper development of the immune system, as they protect against harmful microorganisms that could cause disease. They aid digestion and help with the absorption of nutrients. Probiotics can balance the effects of skin; vaginal, respiratory and stomach infections; irritable bowel syndrome; may reduce the severity of a cold or flu; and are used to treat diarrhea brought on by the use of antibiotics.
They are available in specific foods and as dietary supplements in powder, tablet and capsule forms. Food items with good bacteria include yogurts, some juices, fermented and unfermented milk, soy beverages, soybeans and soybean paste popular for Asian cooking.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not regulate dietary supplements. Therefore, a probiotic can be marketed and sold with minimal or absolutely no research available on its safety or on how well it works. Therefore, it is critical that readers check with their personal physicians before beginning a regimen. Dietary supplements can cause side effects, may cause allergic reactions, and can interfere with other medications.
The safety of probiotics has not been studied long enough to make specific recommendations as to which type of ingestion is best, with consideration of age, dosing and treatment of individuals with compromised immune systems being factors. Labeling varies, and there are more than 25 different supplements from which to choose, each with its own guidelines for use — for boosting the immune system, not for specific problems! With some, the organisms are released into the stomach within 30 minutes of ingestion. Once you discontinue the probiotic, the cells clear the body within five to seven days. Beyond this, I cannot offer precise information for varied disorders. The field is simply too vague.