Dr. Sharon Orrange
Primary Care Physician
Dr. Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
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LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA, USA
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AFFILIATIONS:
  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Geriatric, Hospital and General Internal Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
YEARS IN PRACTICE: 15
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Probiotics, the 'Good Bacteria' - Should You Be Taking Them?
11
Posted in Irritable Bowel... by Dr. Sharon Orrange on Dec 09, 2010
Probiotics are receiving quite a bit of attention. Probiotics are organisms that have beneficial properties for the host (that’s us), and are an important way we can alter intestinal bacterial flora. Probiotics are derived from food sources like cultured milk products and include names like Lactobacillus, Clostridium butyricum, Steptococcus salvarius, and a yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii.

Most benefit from probiotics seems to be with the gastrointestinal illnesses. Several studies have shown that probiotics can be effective for many gastrointestinal illnesses like Crohns, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and antibiotic associated diarrhea. While not consistently found to be helpful, there may be a role in using probiotics for allergy, eczema, bacterial vaginosis and chronic vaginal yeast infections.

Probiotics work in the gut in some interesting ways: they suppress the binding and invasion of harmful bacteria in the gut; they improve intestinal barrier function, and change the gut’s immune system by stimulating protective cytokines and suppressing harmful ones.

An easy option for adding probiotics in your diet is through fermented milk products. These include Kefir (liquid yogurt drinks), sour cream, and some plain Turkish yogurts, all of which are dairy products that have been cultured with lactic acid bacteria. Although I commonly recommend yogurt, it’s important to know that not all live cultures contained in yogurt survive well in an acidic environment nor do they colonize the microflora efficiently. Look for yogurt that says “live and active cultures” on the label since some yogurt preparations in the United States are pasteurized, thereby killing the bacteria. Also, for those who are lactose intolerant, the residual lactose contained in yogurt can increase symptoms. There are many probiotic capsules and powders available on the internet, but the best evidence is for the active cultures listed above.

If you are struggling with abdominal bloating, gas, and chronic nausea it is also worth giving probiotics a try, in addition to going to see your doctor.

Dr O.


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Displaying comments 11-1 of 11
11
Dr. Orrange: My mother has ovarian cancer, and her oncologist put her on probiotics at the onset of her treatment. She has had no problem whatsoever with her stomach and also her diarrhea went away completely. There is a new probiotic on the market called ALIGN that a gastroenterologist recommended. It can be found at drug stores, and costs about $30 a bottle for a month supply. I know it sure has helped my mother, so we would recommend it.
By susanwales  Dec 13, 2010
10
Dr O this is good advice. Thanks for the post.
By JulieAnne999  Dec 12, 2010
9
Dr O Thanks so much for commenting. I have read about the 'stool transfers' and agree this is so much more natural and it's working. Remember our discussions about the tumor's from Mazabraud Syndrome I have and were rock hard? Well seems they have shrunk so much and I believe from research I've done on oxalate's attaching to muscle and tissue, that since I've been on the Bio-K+ they are shrinking and not rock hard and able to move them around. All doctors here don't get the connection but I see it. If you have a opinion.......would appreciate it. Thanks JudyL
By JudyL  Dec 12, 2010
8
Hey JudyL! I dont know anything about that specific product but it for sure makes sense to treat C-diff (esp chronic C-diff) infection with probiotics +/- antibiotics. In fact, this may sound gross but they are doing "stool transfers" from relatives to patients with chronic c-diff infection as a way of getting the "normal bacteria flora" back in to the colon. Probiotics are a less intense way of doing that...sounds great and keep with it!
By DrOrrange  Dec 11, 2010
7
Sharon. Wrote a couple of times to you about this topic. I had recurrent C-diff and GI sent me to a Infectious disease specialist who took me off Vanco ( 3rd round) and put me on human Bio-K+ 50 billion probiotic and c-Diff test stool came back negative. 'D' stopped in 2 days.
Can you please tell me what you think of this product as it has worked a miracle for me? ID dr told me to stay on for 3 months and I have and GI says since it's working keep taking it. Would so apprecaite your opinion.
Thanks JudyL
By JudyL  Dec 11, 2010
6
Sugar encourages candida overgrowth, Dr O. THAT is a fact! Many of us take probiotics such as Culturelle ONLY to overcome candida. I take morphine and it slow the GI tract way down. That + sugar, bread, white rice, pasta, etc... = candida. It is very hard to completely eliminate all white foods, though I do minimize them. (With morphine there is little appetite anyway.) Culturelle gets rid of the candida induced by these "white" foods + morphine. I also take Candida Clear by Now and Alka-balance by Source Naturals. It works for me! I am not on the pay roll of any of these companies and there are probably other products that work as well.
By ChronicIL  Dec 10, 2010
5
I would look for the probiotics that contain human strain bacteria which are better for our bodies.
By mmztcass  Dec 10, 2010
4
mporlando: It is not true that the best way to get probiotics is from a vitamin store and it is inaccurate for somebody to tell you that. Sugar also does not affect delivery of the probiotic (though I like the plain yogurts for my patients anyway)

USProbiotics.org has good/objective information on Probiotics. As they point out, dairy products may provide a desirable "probiotic delivery vehicle" for several reasons. Dairy foods can protect the probiotic bacteria. Traveling through the human digestive tract can be a challenge for bacteria. High acid levels in the stomach and exposure to pancreatic secretions such as digestive enzymes and bile in the small intestine can lead to the injury and death of a percentage of orally administered probiotics. Although some bacteria are more resistant than others to this stress, consumption of probiotics with food, including milk, yogurt and other dairy products, buffers stomach acid and can increase the chance that the bacteria will survive into the intestine.

Dr O.
By DrOrrange  Dec 10, 2010
3
You need to buy probiotics from a vitamin store. The kind that are kept in the refrigirator, acidolphilis or multidolphilis. If not kept cold it dies even in pill form. Some yogurts have them, but they often die in the yogurt. Also, sugar feeds the bad bacteria and suggar is in yogurt. So with yogurt that has it it's defeating the purpose because the sugar is offsetting the good effects. I learned all of this from a holistic Dr.
By mporlando  Dec 10, 2010
2
All I know is whenever I have to take an antibiotic, because the antibiotic is not a pic and choose "bug" killer I always eat a thing of yogurt a day to put all the good bugs back! that is something that I have always done with good results!
By juliecrawford  Dec 10, 2010
1
Thank you! I was just thinking about this the other day and wanted to know more about it.
By mysa  Dec 09, 2010
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