Feb 10, 2009 10:57 pm US/Eastern
Hot Health Trend Focuses On 'Good Bacteria'
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
When we think of bacteria, we usually think of something bad that can make us sick. But one of the hottest health trends today focuses on "good" bacteria called probiotics. There are now hundreds of products with probiotic supplements promising to improve your health. But do they work?
"Yes", says Lena Goodwin, a Newton mother of three, who takes probiotic capsules every day, and gives them to her three young children as well. "When my children started getting the stomach bug which was going around the schools, we noticed that their bugs last a much shorter period of time and their stomachs feel better within an hour."
Probiotics – or good bacteria – live naturally in our digestive system to balance the affects of bugs that can cause illness.
The yogurt, Activia, touted on television by Jamie Lee Curtis contains a probiotic. Activia claims that by eating a serving a day you can regulate your digestive system in two weeks.
Foods and pills containing probiotic bacteria have claimed to not only maintain regularity, but to boost immunity, help prevent diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics and even prevent cavities. That's why more than 230 new products with probiotics have hit store shelves last year including yogurt, cheese, cereal, and granola bars.
But probiotic products can be costly. For example, for the price of an organic probiotic yogurt, you can buy six containers of traditional yogurt.
And do they really help? WBZ asked Mass. General Hospital gastroenterologist Josh Korzenik, "Probiotics is the general term. It's like saying is medication good for you? It depends on the medication."
There are hundreds of different probiotic bacteria each with a specific purpose. "So when you go to your health food store or supermarket, and you see something that has probiotic in it, it really depends on the subtleties of what's the dose, what's the preparation, and why are you taking it," says Dr. Korzenik.
But even if you choose the right one for your situation, the jury is out on how much it will really help, "The studies so far have definitely shown a benefit in some situations, but the benefit for the most part is very mild."
So if you're a healthy person, and you really don't have any complaints, do you need add probiotics to your diet? "Will this prevent you from getting a winter cold, or will it make you feel any better than you already do? It's unlikely," according to Korzenik.
More research is needed to determine just how probiotics may help. The good news about "good" bacteria, is that taking them can't hurt you. And doctors say a good diet is more important to your overall health than taking any particular probiotic.
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