13 replies to this topic

[health_nutty]

For those that take probiotics or prebiotics, why do you take it? For general gastro health, longevity? Any relevant studies?

[eternaltraveler]

I take probiotics whenever I take antibiotics (which is very infrequently). They may have some benefits otherwise but that is a time where it is particularly critical to be taking them as you are wiping out your gut flora which is a great time for something opportunistic to take over.

[health_nutty]

I take the same approach as you, but I notice that many members who seem to be up on the latest research take them. Wondering if I'm missing something critical.

[eternaltraveler]

do you have any gastro-intestinal problems currently? Family history of colon cancer?

[mike250]

I might start to take one because of gastro issues. waking up every morning looking like an 8-months old pregnant lady and getting bloated after every meal is not something I look forward too.

[health_nutty]

do you have any gastro-intestinal problems currently?  Family history of colon cancer?

No (unless I eat beans ) and no.

[Shepard]

Here is one little article:

http://www.mindandmu...25&artID=999308

[health_nutty]

Here is one little article:

http://www.mindandmu...25&artID=999308

Thanks shep, that was the kind of info I was looking for.

[health_nutty]

What did you notice after taking FOS (I assume you take it)?

[mike250]

interesting article. I think i might go for garden of life probiotic.

[Shepard]

What did you notice after taking FOS (I assume you take it)?

I can't really pinpoint any one thing to it or inulin. I've never really had any kind of GI problems, so there wasn't really anything to fix. I can say that I don't have any of the troubles most people take for granted.

[Shepard]

Thinking about this, one of my most successful dieting experiences had me eating like 3 cups of yogurt daily. The sweetened kind, too. Around 4 of those 'fruit at the bottom' Stonyfield Farms 6 oz. servings. I was monitoring my intake, but fat loss was accelerated enough for other people to notice a significant change from one weekend to the next. I don't remember my exact weight loss or caloric intake. It obviously wasn't a low-carb diet, though. It was fun, not quite as good as my "all junk food" diet, though. That one was awesome.

[health_nutty]

It looks like FOS doesn't just feed the healthy bacteria. Here is an abstract for salmonella, but there are also e. coli and others.

Salmonella:
http://www.ncbi.nlm....9&dopt=Abstract
Dietary fructo-oligosaccharides dose-dependently increase translocation of salmonella in rats.

* Ten Bruggencate SJ,
* Bovee-Oudenhoven IM,
* Lettink-Wissink ML,
* Van der Meer R.

Nutrition and Health Program, Wageningen Center for Food Sciences/NIZO Food Research, Ede, The Netherlands.

Prebiotics, such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), stimulate the protective gut microflora, resulting in an increased production of organic acids. This may result in increased luminal killing of acid-sensitive pathogens. However, host defense against invasive pathogens, like salmonella, also depends on the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa. Rapid fermentation of prebiotics leading to high concentrations of organic acids may impair the barrier function. Therefore, we determined the dose-dependent effect of dietary FOS on the resistance of rats to Salmonella enteritidis. Male Wistar rats were fed restricted quantities of a "humanized" purified diet supplemented with 0, 3 or 6 g/100 g of FOS (n = 7 in the 6% FOS group and n = 8 in the other diet groups). After an adaptation period of 2 wk, rats were orally infected with 1.7 x 10(10) colony-forming units of S. enteritidis. Supplement-induced changes in the intestinal microflora and fecal cation excretion were determined before and after infection. Cytotoxicity of fecal water was determined with an in vitro bioassay, and fecal mucins were quantified fluorimetrically. Colonization of S. enteritidis was determined by quantification of salmonella in cecal contents and mucosa. Translocation of S. enteritidis was quantified by analysis of urinary nitric oxide metabolites in time. Before infection, FOS decreased cecal and fecal pH, increased fecal lactic acid concentration and increased bifidobacteria and enterobacteria. FOS also increased cytotoxicity of fecal water and fecal mucin excretion, indicating mucosal irritation. Remarkably, FOS dose-dependently increased salmonella numbers in cecal contents and mucosa and caused a major increase in infection-induced diarrhea. In addition, FOS enhanced translocation of salmonella. Thus, in contrast to most expectations, FOS dose-dependently impairs the resistance to salmonella infection in rats. These results await verification by other controlled animal and human studies.

[Shepard]

Yeah, there are some potential issues. I believe FunkOdyssey also posted something about preferring inulin over FOS. Although, inulin isn't innocent in this regard, either. Some of the researchers in the above study did theorize that it might not have the same effect in humans:

Links

Comment in:
J Nutr. 2006 Aug;136(8):2269; author reply 2270-1.

Dietary fructooligosaccharides affect intestinal barrier function in healthy men.

* Ten Bruggencate SJ,
* Bovee-Oudenhoven IM,
* Lettink-Wissink ML,
* Katan MB,
* van der Meer R.

Nutrition and Health Program, Wageningen Center for Food Sciences, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

In contrast to most expectations, we showed previously that dietary fructooligosaccharides (FOS) stimulate intestinal colonization and translocation of invasive Salmonella enteritidis in rats. Even before infection, FOS increased the cytotoxicity of fecal water, mucin excretion, and intestinal permeability. In the present study, we tested whether FOS has these effects in humans. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of 2 x 2 wk, with a washout period of 2 wk, was performed with 34 healthy men. Each day, subjects consumed lemonade containing either 20 g FOS or placebo and the intestinal permeability marker chromium EDTA (CrEDTA). On the last 2 d of each supplement period, subjects scored their gastrointestinal complaints on a visual analog scale and collected feces and urine for 24 h. Fecal lactic acid was measured using a colorimetric enzymatic kit. The cytotoxicity of fecal water was determined with an in vitro bioassay, fecal mucins were quantified fluorimetrically, and intestinal permeability was determined by measuring urinary CrEDTA excretion. In agreement with our animal studies, FOS fermentation increased fecal wet weight, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and lactic acid. Consumption of FOS increased flatulence and intestinal bloating. In addition, FOS consumption doubled fecal mucin excretion, indicating mucosal irritation. However, FOS did not affect the cytotoxicity of fecal water and intestinal permeability. The FOS-induced increase in mucin excretion in our human study suggests mucosal irritation in humans, but the overall effects are more moderate than those in rats.

PMID: 16365061 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]