1. What are probiotics?
Probiotics are those living microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) that when administered in an adequate amount and form confer a benefit to the health of the individual. The most used species are:
- Lactobacillus
- Bifidobacterium
- the yeast Saccharomyces Boulard
- some species of Escherichia coli and Bacilli
Probiotics can be incorporated into a wide range of products, both in foods and in medicines and dietary supplements. The most common forms for the administration of probiotics are dairy products and foods with added probiotics, but there are also on the market tablets, capsules and sachets containing microorganisms in lyophilized form.
Probiotic Synergy 100 Billion | 30 Acid Resistant DRCaps | Lactobacillus Acidophilus La-14, Lactobacillus Plantarum Lp-115, Bifidobacterium Longum Bl-05, HOWARU Bifido HN019 | Free eBook
2. How do probiotics work?
The defense system of the organism against foreign substances is known as the immune system. More than two thirds of the body's immune system is found in the intestine. In fact, the digestive tract (stomach, small and large intestine) is in contact with the outside through an extensive surface. Food can be a factor of aggression towards the intestine along with microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi).
The intestinal bacterial flora is formed by millions of bacteria that proliferate inside the large intestine and ferment different elements producing beneficial substances for health. These bacteria intervene in the normal development of the immune system and in the regulation of the body's response to pathogens (microorganisms harmful to health).
The intestinal flora participates in several physiological processes such as digestion and movements of the digestive tract as well as in the production of some vitamins.
The probiotics act at the level of the digestive tube stabilizing the composition of the bacterial flora and increasing the resistance of the organism against the pathogens, and improving and activating the defenses. Probiotics produce substances that help fight some potentially pathogenic bacteria, produce vitamins and digestive enzymes.
3. General recommendations on the use of probiotics
Probiotics produce beneficial effects on health, but these effects can only be attributed to the specific probiotics studied for a specific indication or situation. Therefore, not all probiotics can be administered for the same situation, nor all probiotics in all situations.
The doses of probiotics they recommend should be used, at lower or higher doses they may not be effective, or they could be harmful.
Severely immunocompromised patients, that is to say with the system of defense of the committed organism, should not take probiotics without the recommendation of a doctor, since in these circumstances the probiotic could get to behave like a pathogenic agent.
Strictly follow the rules of conservation of probiotic products, since many of them need a certain temperature to remain viable.
4. Practical utility of probiotics in health
The main usefulness of probiotics is the treatment and prevention of intestinal infections, although they have also been shown to play an important role in other non-infectious digestive diseases as well as in other organ conditions (allergies, eczema, vaginitis ...)
Currently, probiotics have proven to be useful and beneficial in:
- Treatment of acute infectious diarrhea in children and adults
- Prevention of diarrhea associated with antibiotics in children and adults
- Some intestinal inflammatory diseases (ulcerative colitis, pouchitis)
- Improvement of symptoms due to poor digestion of lactose
- Improvement of some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
- Prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm newborns
Other situations in which probiotics may be useful in the future, but where more studies are still needed to support their effectiveness, are:
- Decreased symptoms of asthma and other allergic-based diseases
- Prevention of urinary and genital tract infection, especially in women
- Prevention and reduction of the severity of infections in preterm infants
- Decrease in complications (especially infectious) in patients admitted to intensive care units
- Prevention of infections in patients with liver cirrhosis
- Improvement of symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory rheumatological diseases.
- Prevention of the appearance of tumors
- Decrease in cholesterol levels
On the other hand, in healthy people, the consumption of probiotics can help maintain health, for example in:
- Reduce crying in children with infant colic
- Reduce episodes of fever and diarrhea in children
- Reduce the duration of colds but not their frequency.
5. Are they safe?
The ingestion of a high number of viable microorganisms forces us to investigate their safety. From a theoretical point of view, being microorganisms that are normally part of our own flora, they could hardly cause infectious problems. Although an isolated case has been described of the passage of these germs in the blood in patients with compromised immune systems and in patients with diseases such as ulcerative colitis, the safety profile of the probiotics most used in the studies carried out related to the subject, It must be considered satisfactory.
Care must be taken in administering probiotics in severely immunosuppressed patients.
6. Products that contain probiotics
Pharmaceutical specialties with probiotics
Tradename Composition of probiotics Description Observations
Ultralevura ® Saccharomyces boulardii (1x109) Capsules Administer in cold liquids
Casenfilus ® Lactobacillus acidophillus (1x109) Envelopes EFP
Bifidobacterium bifidum (1x109)
Infloran ® Lactobacillus acidophillus (1x109) Bifidobacterium bifidum (1x106) Capsules EFP
Lacteol by Dr Bouchard ® Lactobacillus acidophillus (1x1010) Capsules or envelopes EFP
Lacteol by Dr Bouchard ® Lactobacillus acidophillus (6x106) Tablets EFP
Lactofilus ® Lactobacillus acidophillus (120x106) Powder EFP
Salvacolon ® Bacillus subtilis Liquid EFP
Food supplements with probiotics
Tradename Composition of probiotics Description Observations
Casenbiotic ® Lactobacillus reuteri (1x108) Chewable pills Store at <25ºC
Reuteri ® Lactobacillus reuteri (20x106) Liquid Store at 2-8ºC
Administer with liquids
Protransitus ® Lactobacillus plantarum (3x109) Capsules EFP
Rotargemine ® Lactobacillus acidophillus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus (3.5x109) Liquid Contains probiotics, vitamins and lactose
Enterum ® Bacillus coagulans (2x109) Liquid or tablets Contains prebiotics and lactoferrin
VSL # 3 ® Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophillus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium longu, Bifidobacterium brevis, Bifidobacterium infantis, Saccharomyces thermophilus (450x109) Tablets or envelopes Store at 2-8ºC. It contains lactose and soy.
Oral rehydration solutions with probiotics
Tradename Composition of probiotics Description Observations
Bioralsuero baby ® Lactobacillus reuteri (100x106) Envelopes Store at <25ºC
Bioralsuero ® Bioralsuero orange Lactobacillus reuteri (100x106) Bricks Store at <25ºC
Bioralsuerotravel ® Lactobacillus reuteri (100x106) Envelopes EFP
Other preparations
Tradename Composition of probiotics
Activia ® Lactobacterium animalis DN173010
Actimel ® Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001
LC1 ® Lactobacillus johnsonii LaI