Urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal bugs

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Urinary tract Infections, Gastrointestinal bugs and Probioticsby Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN With the cold and infections season upon us, want some extra protection? My advice is to wash your hands often and have a yogurt a day. That’s because the probiotics (beneficial cultures) in yogurt have been shown to help protect against urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal infections. Stonyfield Farm yogurt is especially good because unlike other brands, it contains Lactobacillus reuteri. Urinary Tract Infections Urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for more than 6 million office and hospital visits a year. Kids and adults get them. Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium normally found in the digestive tract is the organism most often responsible for UTIs. Other bacteria can also be

involved, but E. coli is by far the most prevalent cause of UTIs (over 80%). The significance of the beneficial bacteria in UTIs has been reported in several studies. The Lactobacilli family of probiotics is the dominant source of healthy bacterial life in the urinary tract. Studies have shown that as "bacteriocins" or antibiotic-like substances, probiotics are powerful enough to neutralize E. coli bacteria. Research shows that the presence and dominance of Lactobacillus in the gut and vagina are associated with a reduced risk of UTIs. Apparently a higher level of "friendly" bacteria inhibits the growth of unwanted pathogenic bacteria like E. coli. Lactobacillus reuteri, which is a culture only in Stonyfield Farm yogurt, is especially renowned for its ability to inhibit the growth and activity of harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Gastrointestinal Illness: The L. reuteri and inulin benefitIf the intestinal bug

is going around, you can reduce your risk by eating a diet high in probiotics. Probiotics help prevent pathogenic bacteria from getting across your intestinal membrane. L. reuteri is especially good at this. Studies show that L. reuteri inhibits the growth of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, and parasites by secreting reuterin. Reuterin is an anti-microbial agent that prevents the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in the gut while not affecting other normal bacteria in a healthy person. In a recent study, 181 adult subjects in Sweden were given L. reuteri or a placebo daily. After 12 weeks, there was a significant decrease in work absences from gastrointestinal illness and colds. Another recent study done in Israel showed that daycare children who received L. reuteri in an infant cereal had fewer episodes of gastrointestinal episodes and fever. Similarly, in a study from s Hopkins 123 infants were fed

an infant cereal supplemented with inulin or a placebo for 6 months. The children consuming the cereal with inulin showed reduced incidence of fever, less antibiotic use and fewer daycare absences. Antibiotic associated Diarrhea What happens if you catch what’s going around and it’s a really nasty bacterium? When your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, you take it AND take extra probiotics to counteract the side effect of diarrhea. The six live active cultures in Stonyfield Farm yogurt: Lactobacillus acidophilus, L casei, L bulgaricus, bifidobacteria bifidus, streptococcus thermophilus in addition to L. reuteri all have been shown to help with diarrhea. L. reuteri has the most studies to substantiate its preventive and therapeutic effect on both bacterial and viral diarrhea. It’s best to take probiotics, whether yogurt or a supplement in-between antibiotic doses and for several days after. Having a

healthy gastrointestinal tract helps prevent the onslaught of pathogenic bacteria that make us sick. While good infection control practices like washing your hands are important deterrents, eating probiotic-rich foods can help prevent getting sick by way of your gut.

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