LACTOBACCILUS
Place in Therapy
Place in Therapy
Lactobacillus is a probiotic that has been used to treat symptoms of flatulence and abdominal pain. While the mechanism of action of this probiotic is largely unknown, it is thought to work by adjusting the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut microflora. Published sources have indicated that it is primarily used in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, because it is these patients that often have abnormalities in their gut microflora. For this reason, patients who do not have IBS, and are generally in good health, may not benefit from this treatment.1 It should be noted that Lactobacillus is a genus of bacteria with many different species.1 Therefore, the type of Lactobacillus that is used in one product might differ from another, and the same is true for the quantity of Lactobacillus found in the product (see the below table for examples of products). For this reason, while one product might not be effective for a patient, a different product may work, and it is important to keep this in mind.
Many recent clinical trials have tested the effects of different species of Lactobacillus on treating the symptoms of flatulence and abdominal pain in IBS patients. The results of these trials are often contradictory. While some studies indicate that there is benefit, other trials show that there is not. For this reason, the place in therapy is largely unclear. Patients with IBS may benefit from taking a Lactobacillus supplement on a trial basis to see if it helps their symptoms. It is clear that further studies still need to be done in order to determine the exact place in therapy.1
References
1. Keohane J, Ryan K, Shanahan F. Chapter 9: Lactobacillus in the gastrointestinal tract. In: Ljungh A, Wadstrom T, ed. Lactobacillus Molecular Biology: From Genomics to Probiotics. Norfolk, UK: Caister Academic Press; 2009.
2. Lexi-Comp. Lactobacillus. http://online.lexi.com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/lco/action/doc/retrieve/docid/patch_f/7145. Accessed 4 July 2012.
3. TuZen. http://www.tuzen.ca/. Accessed 4 July 2012.
.
Lactobacillus is a probiotic that has been used to treat symptoms of flatulence and abdominal pain. While the mechanism of action of this probiotic is largely unknown, it is thought to work by adjusting the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut microflora. Published sources have indicated that it is primarily used in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, because it is these patients that often have abnormalities in their gut microflora. For this reason, patients who do not have IBS, and are generally in good health, may not benefit from this treatment.1 It should be noted that Lactobacillus is a genus of bacteria with many different species.1 Therefore, the type of Lactobacillus that is used in one product might differ from another, and the same is true for the quantity of Lactobacillus found in the product (see the below table for examples of products). For this reason, while one product might not be effective for a patient, a different product may work, and it is important to keep this in mind.
Many recent clinical trials have tested the effects of different species of Lactobacillus on treating the symptoms of flatulence and abdominal pain in IBS patients. The results of these trials are often contradictory. While some studies indicate that there is benefit, other trials show that there is not. For this reason, the place in therapy is largely unclear. Patients with IBS may benefit from taking a Lactobacillus supplement on a trial basis to see if it helps their symptoms. It is clear that further studies still need to be done in order to determine the exact place in therapy.1
References
1. Keohane J, Ryan K, Shanahan F. Chapter 9: Lactobacillus in the gastrointestinal tract. In: Ljungh A, Wadstrom T, ed. Lactobacillus Molecular Biology: From Genomics to Probiotics. Norfolk, UK: Caister Academic Press; 2009.
2. Lexi-Comp. Lactobacillus. http://online.lexi.com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/lco/action/doc/retrieve/docid/patch_f/7145. Accessed 4 July 2012.
3. TuZen. http://www.tuzen.ca/. Accessed 4 July 2012.
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