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Imagine you are at the doctor’s office for help with a specific health concern. After a full examination, your doctor pulls out a prescription pad to write you a script for – gasp – a probiotic strain.
The prescription is handed to you, and you take a look at it. Looking up in surprise, you ask the doctor if the recommendation is indeed for a probiotic rather than an antibiotic.
The doctor nods his/her head and explains that the particular strain recommended for your ailment has been found to have an 86% success rate as tested in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
You ask about side effects, and your doctor replies that there — ARE NONE.
You are (understandably) amazed. You take your prescription, fill it, take as directed, and your condition is taken care of…with minimal discomfort. You even experience other health issues clearing up — that you thought were completely unrelated.
Sound like a far-fetched scenario?
Depending on how up-to-date and open-minded your health provider is, this may already be a reality. And it may become more of a reality in mainstream medicine in the future.
The reason? Researchers are taking quite an interest in probiotic strains and their effects on human and animal health. In recent years there has been a surge in the study of probiotics, the human microbiota, and other related applications.
The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “live organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host”.
Some of the Ways Probiotics Keep Us Healthy
Probiotics have the ability to hinder or kill pathogens by strain-specific processes such as:
1. “Crowding Out” Pathogens
When probiotics are taken in sufficient and therapeutic amounts they can do the work of crowding out pathogens and using the nutrients and space that would otherwise be used by the pathogens.
2. Secreting Beneficial Chemicals
Probiotics produce and secrete molecules like bacteriocins (a protein produced by bacteria of one strain that is active against those of a closely related strain), hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics and more, that control the growth and survival of surrounding microorganisms.
3. Positive Stimulation of the Immune System
Probiotics “chat” with the immune system part of the gut (epithelial cells, Peyer’s patches M cells, and immune cells) encouraging them to have a response to pathogens and to contribute to the mucosal barrier, among other beneficial activities.
Specific Strains for Specific Issues
All this research has really exciting implications. Probiotics, rather than harmful prescription drugs with their many, dangerous, and even life-threatening side effects could become common and be used effectively by both mothers and health care practitioners alike. As consumers and patients let us be asking, no demanding, these kind of solutions for our family!
Below I have given 8 examples of specific conditions helped by specific probiotic strains (stay tuned for why the specific strain is important).
Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
A meta-analysis of 34 double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies that included 4,138 people, concluded that the probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, when given at the same time as antibiotics, had a greater than 60% reduced risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Probiotic strain tested to help:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
Which can be found in these brands:
- Culturelle – USA, UK, Canada
- Ethical Nutrients – Australia
[Source]
Below are further examples of common conditions — and the probiotic strains tested to be effective in treating them.
Anxiety
Yes! There are even probiotics for anxiety. Our digestive tract has a profound effect on our mood and anxiety is no exception.
Probiotic strains tested to help:
- Lactobacillus helveticus R0052
- Bifidobacterium longum R0175
Which can be found in these brands:
- Eagle CytoPro Balance (AU)
- Pure Encapsulations ProbioMood (USA)
[Source]
Colic
This all too common, “normal” condition is anything but normal and is a sign of distress and imbalance in baby. These probiotic strains have been found via research to help alleviate baby’s pain.
Probiotic strains tested to help:
- Bifidobacterium breve PXN 25
- Bifidobacterium infantis PXN 27
- Lactobacillus acidophilus PXN 35
- Lactobacillus casei PXN 37
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus PXN 39
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus PXN 54
- Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66PXN 37
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus PXN 39
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus PXN 54
- Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66
Which can be found in this brand:
[Source]
Constipation
Constipation has many causes, from the top — to the bottom. Brain function, poor chewing, poor bile flow from the gallbladder, insufficient dietary water causing the colon to re-absorb what little water there is, to name a few. Probiotics play a part in stimulating motility (movement), and secretions that help bowel movements proceed normally and regularly.
Probiotic strains tested to help constipation:
- Bifidobacterium breve PXN 25
- Bifidobacterium infantis PXN 27
- Lactobacillus acidophilus PXN 35
- Lactobacillus casei PXN 37
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus PXN 39
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus PXN 54
- Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66PXN 37
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus PXN 39
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus PXN 54
- Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66
Which can be found in this brand:
[Source]
Another probiotic strain tested to help constipation:
- Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12
Which can be found in these brands:
- Standard Process ProSynbiotic (USA)
- MediHerb Probiota (Australia)
[Source]
Dental Caries (Cavities)
Dental health is a hot topic in alternative health circles. Initial evidence strongly indicates that probiotics may play a role in healthy teeth.
Probiotic strain that helps prevent cavities and promote good ear, nose, throat (ENT) health:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (cavities)
- Lactobacillus salivarius (ENT health)
- Streptococcus salivarius (ENT health)
Which can be found in these brands:
- Culturelle – USA, UK, Canada
- Bio-Kult
- Life Extension Oral Lozenge
[Source]
Eczema (Treatment)
Eczema can be one of the trickiest skin conditions to treat. It is typically a multi-faceted approach (internal healing and external lifestyle changes combined) that often does the trick.
Probiotic strains tested to help:
- Bifidobacterium breve PXN 25
- Bifidobacterium infantis PXN 27
- Lactobacillus acidophilus PXN 35
- Lactobacillus casei PXN 37
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus PXN 39
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus PXN 54
- Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66PXN 37
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus PXN 39
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus PXN 54
- Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66
Which can be found in this brand:
[Source]
Infant Ger (Reflux)
Probiotic strains proven to help:
- Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis
Which can be found in these brands:
- Blackmores Digestive Bio Balance (AU)
- BioGaia Protectis baby drops or chewable tablets (Canada, USA, & worldwide)
[Source]
Mastitis (Breast Infection)
Ouch! Mastitis is painful, and usually comes when you are at your most vulnerable — breastfeeding a little one. Right now there are only a couple of probiotic strains tested for effective use against mastitis, and the one probiotic product that contains it is only available in Australia. I am hopeful that will change in the future.
Probiotic strains proven to help:
- Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716
Which can be found in this brand:
- PureMedica Qiara
Complete List of Ailments Matched to the Best Probiotic Strains
If you want to learn more about specific strains and conditions…and why the specific strain counts, OR if you need help with selecting a probiotic brand, matching up probiotics strains with your specific objectives, with tips on dosing for kids and adults, I recommend you pick up a copy of my ebook, the Mother’s Guide To Probiotics.
References
(1) Probiotics for Control of Parasites
(2) Probiotics and Antibiotics Associated Diarrhea
(3) Lactobacillus reuteri accelerates gastric emptying and improves regurgitation in infants
(4) Using Probiotics to control infant colic
(6) Assessment of Psychotropic-Like Properties of a Probiotic Formulation
(7) Effect of Synbiotic Mixture on Atopic Dermatitis in Children
More Information
Probiotics Protocol for Healthy Traveling
How to Repair Your Gut After a Round of Antibiotics
How to Choose the Best Probiotic for Your Family
How Prebiotics Benefit Gut Health
Taking Probiotics for Maximum Benefit
Great information! Eating cultured veggies is a great natural way to get pro-biotics. Are you aware of any studies of the different strains of pro-biotics in different cultured veggies?
So, which probiotic will you recommend to keep candida low? Which probiotic strains resist candida overgrowth and thus do not let candida to overgrow?
Kindly tell me what probiotic to get for candida
Bio-Kult Candea is specifically for Candidiasis.
Aside from inhibiting harmful bacterial growth, these microorganisms help in promoting good digestion, healthy intestinal activity, and colon regularity. When there’s a bacterial imbalance caused by stress, aging, and poor eating habits, you’ll become susceptible to infections. Probiotic-fortified supplements and food products are one the rise in markets to help replenish the good bacteria in your system.
You are missing the E.Coli probiotics (Mutaflor and Symbiofor-2) as well as Miyarisan, GeneralBiotics Equilibrium and Prescript Assist. As well as other non-bifibo, not-lacto probiotics..
The list was not intended to be all inclusive.
Ken,
It would be fab if you could work with Sara to add on to her article. I’d love to understand in more detail, now that Sarah has peaked my interest in the subject!
I use the doTerra PB Assist pro-biotic as its double encapsulated (survives till it reaches the intestine, where probiotics are needed), has chlorophyll and a sugar (foods for the bacteria to self-populate more successfully)…
Ken, haven’t seen you from the old crazy MP days. I’d personally like to see probx for Bartonella and protozoa since that’s what I’ve been treated for over the last year. At least 4 more months of abx to go.
What would be the best strain/brand for a probiotic enema? And how often is recommended/safe for doing one? I thought I read that Dr. Perlmutter said S Boulardi was best, but I can’t find the article now!
Great post! Thank you!
I also read a study on pubmed (sorry, don’t have the link handy) that indicated lactobacillus rhamnosus as having an effect on GABA levels and, therefore, being useful for anxiety and depression.
My adult daughter has been on the Autoimmune protocol and supplements (the current probiotic is sauerkraut juice)for five months with good results treating her autoimmune reactive condition and what was debilitating social anxiety. Today she has more energy, less joint pain, cleared a psoriasis outbreak and has lowered her anxiety by roughly 25%. A visit to a local functional medicine doctor suggests knocking out the bad bacteria (understanding that the good goes with it) with a series of antibiotics followed by heavy probiotics. She tells us that the gut is balanced in three months – a far cry from the two years on the very difficult AIP that my daughter is on now. CONFUSED. So now she is faced with two opposing functional medicine views. Can anyone offer research that supports or rejects the use of antibiotics to treat leaky gut and probiotics to balance the gut, continuing the nutritional management and supplements, healing the lining in three months? This doctor says she has been treating leaky gut successfully for six years using this treatment.
Please could you tell me if Mediherb Probiota is suitable for those of us following the GAPS protocol? I am already taking the therapeutic dose of Bio-Kult and am still suffering with constipation. I have been on GAPS for well over a year, with the addition of low carb. It seems for me that low carb = CONSTIPATION. I need to remain low carb and hope to find something that will mean I can stop depending on my trusty enema bucket for any movement.
Thanks, Sarah.
I see a big dangers in this specific strain therapeutics thing but guess it’s inevitable … There’s a huge contradiction in what’s coming through now in the research: on the hand, study after study after study is showing that greater health is associated with greater strain diversity: the more complex the ecosystem with the greater variety of strain, the healthier the host … And yet, for reasons of practicality and inevitably funding of course, what are the boffins all working on? Complex multi strain ecosystems as we know to be the hallmark of health? No!! Single strains! Why? Well because it’s just too complex and costly to do much else …. And of course the investment bankers are poised with their cheque books as novel strains can be patented … We’ll see the same exploitation of the microbial world as we have of larger flora on the planet (with the key difference hopefully being that the wee bugs can be farmed sustainably) .. So that’s it. Multiplicity of strain now understood to be key but all the cash is going into single strain work (No money in kefir and kraut!)
Who could disagree with that?
For me it is obvious that cultured food is much more beneficial until someone proves me wrong.
Good points, Conor, for sure! And the dangers I readily acknowledge. But perhaps it will be good to have both the particular evidence on each bug as studies are done and whatever experience is gained in whatever manner from a variety of strains. It seems like this conflict between specific chemical aspect vs. whole plant has had its pluses and minuses in herbs with regard to standardized substances vs. “natural” extracts. Both have advantages and give information. And can’t kefir and kraut both be infused with select bugs? Exciting times though!
Great information. Thanks.