Eat Your Germs

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http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1703763_1703764,00.html

Eat Your Germs

By SANJAY GUPTA, M.D.

Illustration by Plunkert for TIME

No doubt you have heard that yogurt is teeming with bacteria—and no

doubt you try not to think about that as you dig into a cup of the

stuff. Yes, they're supposed to be good bacteria, ones that not only

don't make you sick but actually improve your health. Still, a spoonful

of critters with unlovely names like Lactobacillus reuteri,

Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidus regularis will never sound like a

palate pleaser to even the most dedicated health nut.Whether

or not you've ever developed a taste—or even a tolerance—for living

things in your lunch, more are on the way. Food companies have been

coming to the conclusion that if a few of these superstar bacteria are

good for you, then more will be even better. This is giving rise to a

small but growing product line called probiotics, in which the bacteria

population is boosted, sometimes considerably. For consumers, of

course, the question is, Do these products work?Probiotics have

been around for a long time, mostly in the form of dietary supplements.

They're also found naturally in foods like yogurt, buttermilk,

sauerkraut and tofu. Recently, however, the Dannon Co. has been making

a marketing splash with a yogurt line named Activia, which is fortified

with extra bacteria. So far, this bet seems to be paying off, with more

than $100 million in sales in the product's first year in the U.S.

alone. Other companies are coming forward with probiotic yogurt drinks

and fortified beverages, which are also finding a market. There is a

fair body of science suggesting that some consumers are spending their

dollars wisely."The superstar bacteria stick around in your

intestines a lot longer," says Dr. Huffnagle, a professor of

internal medicine at the University of Michigan and co-author of The

Probiotics Revolution. In the digestive tract, the bacteria help

regulate and restore peristalsis, the rhythmic motion of the intestine

that pushes digested food through. There's a reason one of the bugs has

the word regularis as its second name, and this intestinal toning is

it. "Doesn't matter if you are constipated or the opposite," Huffnagle

says. "These bacteria can help make you, um, regular."Huffnagle's

research also suggests that the bacteria can battle numerous kinds of

allergies—and not just food allergies. This is a somewhat harder

scientific case to make, but Huffnagle's belief is that since anything

you breathe you may also swallow in at least some quantity, the good

bacteria in your gut could help control allergens.Not everyone

is sold on probiotics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is

relatively neutral, using the growing popularity of the products as an

opportunity to caution manufacturers not to pitch the foods as some

sort of panacea for any specific disease. More important, some people

should avoid the products altogether. Those with weakened immune

systems or who are critically ill would be well advised to stay away

from eating live bacteria. Certainly anyone in the hospital would also

count. Furthermore, the products can take a little getting used to,

even for the otherwise healthy. If you are new to the world of

probiotics and you suddenly start eating a lot, there is a good chance

you could experience uncomfortable bloating."You have just

started a civil war in your intestines between good bacteria and bad

bacteria," Huffnagle says. Fortunately, the war is usually over in one

or two weeks, and, stresses Huffnagle, "the good guys win."Expect to see lots of those good guys on store

shelves soon. At least five companies in the U.S. either are in the

probiotic game or are planning to enter. Plain yogurt remains the best

product for added bacteria because it has three things the bugs

absolutely love: lactose (or naturally occurring sugar), fat and water.

Another food out there with both sugar and fat is chocolate, and—you

guessed it—the company Attune already has a probiotic chocolate bar.

That's something that may prompt me to give the superstar bacteria a

try after all.