A clinical study released by Academy of Pediatrics shows that children may benefit from probiotics especially while taking antibiotics or in treating viral diarrhea.
What are Probiotics?
According to Wikipedia, probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.[1] Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.
About the Study
The complete study can be downloaded in pdf form: “Clinical Report—Probiotics and Prebiotics in Pediatrics“
In summary, the report found that:
1. Human milk, a natural prebiotic,is preferred for infants through 6 months of age. The oligosaccharide content of human milk is substantial and is part of the prebiotic components of the human milk. Breastfed infants typically have a preponderance of naturally occurring probiotic bacteria in their digestive systems. There may be some naturally occurring probiotic bacteria contained in human milk.
2. There is some evidence in otherwise healthy infants and young children to support the use of probiotics early in the course of diarrhea from acute viral gastroenteritis and that use of probiotics reduces its duration by 1 day. However, the available evidence does not support the routine use of probiotics to prevent infectious diarrhea unless there are special circumstances. There is some evidence to support the use of probiotics to prevent antibiotic associated diarrhea but no evi- dence that it is beneficial for treatment.
3. Although the results of some studies support the prophylactic use of probiotics during pregnancy and lactation and during the first 6 months of life in infants who are at risk of atopic disorders, further confirmatory evidence is necessary before a recommendation for routine use can be made.
4. There is some evidence to support the use of probiotics to prevent NEC in preterm infants with a birth weight of 1000 g or higher. However, the amount and specificity of which probiotic or mixture of probiotics to use is problematic, given the many unanswered questions from a review of the available literature. Furthermore, many of the probiotics used and cited in the literature for treatment in preterm infants are not readily available.
5. At the present time, the sustained or longterm benefit of using probiotics for treating disorders such as Crohn disease, IBS, constipation, and extraintestinal infections requires further RCTs and cannot be recommended in children. There may benefit for treating H pylori infections, CUC, and infantile colic with probiotics in childhood, but further studies are necessary.
6. Long-term health benefits of probiotics in the prevention of cancer, allergy, or other diseases or providing sustained beneficial results on the developing immune system beyond early infancy remain to be proven.
7. Addition of probiotics to powdered infant formulas has not been demonstrated to be harmful to healthy term infants. On the other hand, evidence of clinical efficacy for their addition is insufficient to recommend the routine use of these formulas. No RCTs have directly compared the health benefits of feeding human milk versus infant formula supplemented with probiotics.
BioVeda now offers SEVEN, a high quality, natural probiotic supplement that can help restore 80% of your immune system!
What can SEVEN, Natural Probiotic, do for you?
- Maintain your ideal “good” to “bad” bacteria ration by providing the optimal environment for the growth of good bacteria*
- Support production of B vitamins, especially folic acid, biotin and Vitamin K*
- Promote mineral absorption*
- Aid metabolism and the breakdown of toxins*
- Support immune system function*
- Produce lactic acid for your support of digestive processes and colon pH balance*
- Help maintain serum lipid and blood pressure levels in the healthy range*
Order your two-month supply (60 capsules) of SEVEN, Natural Probiotic Today!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Reference
1. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Evaluation of Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food Including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria (October 2001). “Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
Recent Comments