Hi everybody,

I am new here and I would like to know where can I find a list of bacterial strains beneficial for humans except those mentioned in Jini s book.

Beside that does anybody have an experience with Lactobacillus sporongenes and/or Enterococcus faecium M74? Are these good bacteria? I would like to know if it is safe to use it for longer time period.

Wish all the best to everybody,

Maria

Hi Maria,

My brother Millan Patel who is a medical geneticist (Master's in Genetics, MD, and 5 year residency in medical genetics) tells me they've been attempting to identify all the different bacteria in the healthy/normal human gut - so far they're up to about 20 million. However, many of these they can't identify since they cannot culture them outside of the body.

This is why certain practitioners are using fecal infusions to treat gut disorders (where they take feces from a "normal" person and use an implant enema to put the feces inside the colon of someone with IBD). My opinion on this is very split: There's only one person I currently know of that I would consider healthy enough to want their feces - so how are they determining who's healthy enough to donate feces? Number two, I would be seriously concerned about transmitting infectious agents - that the donor may not be susceptible to, but you are! On the other hand, I do appreciate the logic behind this approach. So, as with all things: Listen to your gut!

The only way you can tell if a species or strain is beneficial is from clinical trials using that bacteria. So, the best way is to look up any bacteria you're interested in on the Internet and see if there have been any papers published by scientific sources.

take care,
Jini

Hi Jini

Its hard to get Natron brand in Sydney, is Inner Health Plus a good one to take?

Thanks
Betty

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with that brand of probiotic. However, I'm going to paste here the selection criteria for probiotics so that you can assess and find a good product on your own.

This text is from my free Healing Essentials Mini-Course, if you'd like to receive it, go to:

http://www.crohnsalternative.com

and then scroll through till you find the sign-up box.

Here's the info:

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However, all probiotics are NOT created equal! And in this email I'm going to tell you exactly what to look for to select a probiotic that will actually deliver therapeutic results.

In addition, studies have shown that someone with IBS or IBD must consume a minimum of 7-10 billion c.f.u. (colony forming units) per day to see positive results - so it's not just the probiotic itself that's important, you also have to take enough of it, every day, for it to have a therapeutic effect.


PROBIOTIC SELECTION CRITERIA

For a probiotic to have reliable, therapeutic results, it must fulfill ALL of the six criteria listed to below to ensure safety, potency and bioavailability:


1. Manufactured in a cGMP Facility and stored in dark, glass bottles only

Make sure the probiotic is manufactured in a facility that carries the cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) certification, otherwise you risk consuming a contaminated product. Contaminants could consist of lead, mercury (and other poisonous heavy metals), and undesirable bacteria. A 1990 independent laboratory study found that nine out of ten brands of popular Lactobacillus acidophilus probiotics actually contained no acidophilus at all. All nine contained contaminants and other species of lactobacilli instead. Probiotics are also sensitive to (and damaged by) light and moisture. Only a glass bottle will keep out all moisture - all plastic is permeable to varying degrees of moisture. In addition, the glass must be dark (or amber colored) to keep out light, which also damages bacteria.


2. Different species must not be touching each other

Different species of bacteria placed together will compete for space and try to dominate each other, resulting in competitive exclusion by the dominant species. In vitro studies have shown that when you place different species together, the dominant (strongest) species will usually produce bacteriocins that kill closely related species. Therefore, each species (eg. acidophilus, bifidum, bulgaricus) must be kept in its own bottle or in separate capsules. Refrigeration does not prevent this from happening either, since certain bacteriocins have proved stable at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celcius. I know most probiotic manufacturers sell regular capsules or powders with anywhere from 3 to 14 different species packaged together in one jar, or one capsule. Again, I'm absolutely mystified as to why they do this. However, check the bottle and you'll see that none of these manufacturers guarantees the number of live, viable bacteria in their product at the time of opening, or consumption. Nor do they guarantee how many of each species and strain remains alive and viable for effective colonization in the gut at time of consumption.


3. Probiotics must be kept refrigerated at all times

The bacteria need to be stored in a fridge at the store and they must also be shipped in refrigerated trucks to the store. Heat quickly kills bacteria and even at room temperature they will become active and soon live out their life cycle - think of what happens if you leave yoghurt on the counter. The best way to preserve bacterial potency is by keeping it cold at all times, until you're ready to ingest it. Freeze drying is the best method of preserving the bacteria and for this to be maintained, they must be kept very cold at all times until you're ready to ingest them. Of course, keep your probiotics refrigerated at home too.


4. Strain and number of bacteria per serving must be listed on the bottle

Only certain strains of bacteria are potent and effective (eg. L. bulgaricus DDS-14 is excellent, L. bulgaricus DDS-13 is useless - remember, 'bulgaricus' is the species, 'DDS-14' is the strain). If the manufacturer just lists 'acidophilus' for example, chances are they've used a cheap and ineffective strain of L. acidophilus. There are approximately 200 identified strains of L. acidophilus, of these, only 13 have good antibiotic (against bad bacteria) qualities, thus, the strain is indeed very important. They must also list the number of bacteria guaranteed per serving (and this should be between 2-5 billion colony forming units per serving) at the time of opening. This guarantee is key: If a manufacturer only guarantees the number of bacteria at the time of manufacture, this is meaningless. At manufacture, a bottle may contain 2 billion cfu (colony forming units) per serving - however, by the time that bottle gets to you, the bacteria may be mostly dead. Another trick to watch out for is that manufacturers will list (for example) two different strains of L. acidophilus, one of which is a good strain and the other a cheap useless one. Then they will list the total guaranteed bacteria per serving at 2 billion cfu. However, they haven't told you how much of that total count is the effective strain and how much is the ineffective one. It's also a good idea to use human strains (vs. bovine or porcine strains) for safety's sake.


5. Avoid centrifuged or filter-extracted bacteria

The cheapest way of extracting the bacteria from their growing culture is by centrifuge extraction. In centrifugal extraction, the bacteria (which are embedded/attached to their growth medium) are put in a centrifuge and whirled around with great force at high speed. This greatly damages the bacteria as they're hurled against the walls of the centrifuge and many of them are left ruptured and useless. However, the manufacturer can still put this damaged, ruptured bacteria in a bottle and include it in the guaranteed count per serving. Technically, you'll still be ingesting that amount of bacteria, it just won't do you any good. In ultrafiltration extraction methods, the bacteria are pressed through a filter that removes the larger molecules of their growth medium. However, when bacteria are growing in their culture, they form into chains as they multiply. Ultrafiltration results in the breakup of these chains, separates the bacteria from their beneficial growth medium (supernatant) and can also damage the bacteria themselves. The best method of preserving bacteria (and the most expensive) is to freeze dry it along with its growth medium. Many scientists maintain it's best to consume bacteria along with it's growth medium (also known as the substrate or supernatant) since this protects the bacteria from stomach acid and provides a ready food source for the bacteria to consume as they establish themselves in your gastrointestinal tract. Also, as the bacteria grow in the culture (of milk or vegetable matter), the growth and culturing process produces valuable substances such as vitamins, antioxidants, immune system factors, antimicrobial compounds and digestive enzymes that greatly benefit your body when ingested. Make sure your brand of bacteria states on the bottle that it doesn't use ultrafiltration or centrifugal extraction methods (if it doesn't say so, chances are it does use these methods) and ideally, purchase bacteria that is freeze dried along with its growth medium.


6. Avoid prebiotics

Some companies package their probiotics with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and/or inulin - indigestible substances referred to as prebiotics, which they claim feed the bacteria, thereby improving performance. Keep in mind though, that many bacteria (both good and bad) can feed on these substances. So if you have a predominantly bad bacterial flora (as most, if not all people with IBD do) consuming prebiotics may exacerbate your symptoms. Also, most FOS is manufactured via chemical synthesis and in many instances has been shown to cause abdominal pain, bloating and gas. I especially don't recommend it for people with IBS or IBD. Also avoid FOS and inulin in vitamin/mineral supplements, whey protein powders, etc. Be sure to read labels as it's become popular to add it to all kinds of products. For perfectly healthy people with an established good bacterial flora, prebiotics are probably okay, especially if they are not able to obtain these substances naturally through a good diet.

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INSIDER TIP:

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT - The Complete Natural Healing Program for IBS & IBD tells you exactly which probiotics on the market currently meet the Probiotic Selection Criteria outlined above. It also shows you exactly how to use probiotics, in the correct format and dosage, to heal all the varied aspects of your dis-ease:

http://www.ulcerativecolitisdiet.com
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WARNING:

I won't go into my reasons here (see LISTEN TO YOUR GUT for full details) but I also recommend people do NOT consume bacterial soil organisms (often called NSO's, HSO's, SBO's, SO's, etc.). I provide extensive research backing up this recommendation in the LISTEN TO YOUR GUT program. The research suggests that human consumption of these organisms is simply not proven to be safe in the long-term, and usage is highly experimental, with several worrying consequences.

Probiotics are one of the fastest growing segments of the healthcare industry and thereby attracting innumerable get-rich-quick artists. Even among otherwise reliable manufactures, there is so much misinformation around that inferior products exist simply as a result of ignorance. Know what to look for to ensure safety and potency and be sure to take enough each day to guarantee a therapeutic result.

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Hi Jini

Thanks for the info, but they all too technial for me, I don't quite understand. All I got from Inner Health Plus bottle is Each capsule contains:
25 Billion Good Bacteria
12.5 Billion Lactobacillus Acidophilus (NCFM) Organisms

12.5 Billion Bifidobacterium Lactis Organisms
67mg Colostrum Powder - bovine (or without if non-dairy)

So is this any good?

Betty

Hi Betty,

Well, they've mixed two different species of bacteria together in the same capsule - which is not good since they will compete and one one will end up dominating. However, you will still get the benefits from the dominant species.

So, if that's all you can find, then go ahead and give it a try. You'll know whether it's effective by whether your symptoms improve.

take care,
Jini