Health News That's Easy to Digest: An Interview with International Probiotics Expert and Micobiologist, Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders

Welcome to the third edition of Probiotics, News You Can Use, a quarterly bulletin brought to you by the Dannon Probiotics Center.

Did you know that some probiotics can play an important role in digestive health? Concerning irregularity problems - one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the U.S. - research has shown that daily consumption of certain probiotic fermented dairy products may help improve regularity - good news for the 3 million Americans each year who have problems with regularity.¹

What other ways can probiotics impact digestive health? We caught up with Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., a renowned international probiotics expert and microbiologist, to learn more.

Is it true that probiotics may impact a wide range of digestive health issues?
Probiotics are live microbes that impart a health benefit. The term refers to a diversity of microbes that may function differently from each other. Some probiotics have been shown to deliver enzymes that can break down lactose so that people who can't digest lactose can consume dairy products more comfortably. Other probiotics seem to interact directly with immune cells in the gut (the gut has more immune cells than any other organ in the body!) to help decrease inflammation. Other probiotics seem to have an impact on symptoms of pain and bloating for people with irritable bowel syndrome.

I understand that taking antibiotics can cause diarrhea. Why does this happen, and how do probiotics help counteract the negative effects of antibiotics?
Diarrhea is a side effect in five to 25 percent of people taking antibiotics. Antibiotics can kill normal bacteria in the intestine along with the desired target bacteria, disrupting the stability and normally protective role of our native microflora. This can lead to diarrhea. Several studies have suggested that probiotics, taken along with and after completing antibiotic treatment, can help decrease the disruption to the normal flora caused by antibiotics and also impact antibiotic associated diarrhea. Probiotics may help counteract some of the negative effects of antibiotics by inhibiting opportunistic pathogen growth or attachment. Because the intestinal tract is a difficult environment to study, we don't always understand how these effects occur.

Should I only consume probiotics when I'm having digestive health issues?
Probiotics are not required components of your diet. In addition, many of the studies documenting effects of probiotics are fairly short-term studies (3 months or less). But keep in mind that the range of benefits from probiotics extend beyond digestive issues (for example, immune enhancement, improved oral flora, reduction of impact of pathogens in the stomach) and some of the benefits may be enhanced by long term consumption. This is one of the reasons I personally favor consumption of probiotics in conventional food form as part of a healthy diet. That way I get the advantage of the nutritional components of the food and also get an ongoing supply of beneficial bacteria. It's an easy thing to do on a regular basis.