Probiotics Could Help Fight Off Colds: Study

Probiotics, the healthy bacteria in yogurt and supplements, could do more than help your digestive system -- a new review of studies show they could also help to stave off colds.

Chinese researchers analyzed 10 studies that gave probiotics, a placebo or no treatment for more than a week to a combined total of 3,451 study participants whose ages ranged from infancy to adulthood (40s). They found that taking probiotics could help reduce the number of upper respiratory tract infections by 12 percent.

"This indicates that probiotics may be more beneficial than placebo for preventing acute URTIs," researchers wrote in The Cochrane Library review. "However, the results have some limitations and there were no data for older people."

MedPage Today reported a possible reason why probiotics could help against colds:

Probiotics, which most commonly include lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, may exert their immune-boosting effect by bolstering gut wall integrity and amping up activity of phagocytes, Dong's group explained.

Past studies have shown that probiotics could help relieve the symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome, though more research needs to be done on what kind of how many doses of probiotics are needed for a sustained benefit (since IBS is a chronic condition).

A Cochrane review also shows that probiotics could help to reduce the length of time people suffer from acute infectious diarrhea. But just as in the other study, more research is needed to find the right kind of probiotic to be used as a treatment.

Probiotics have also shown some promise for treating bad breath, reported HuffPost blogger Dr. Harold Katz.

Last year, a Pediatrics study showed that probiotics could also help stave off diarrhea in kids when they are taking antibiotics that can cause diarrhea as a side effect. However, there were many caveats to the study; for one, kids whose immune systems are compromised or who are using intravenous catheters shouldn't use probiotics because they could risk a serious infection, the Associated Press reported.

A recent animal study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has also shown that probiotics in dairy could aid in treating anxiety and depression, the Daily Mail reported.

Comments

[raybia]

03:26 PM on 09/22/2011

I know this is not the subject of the article but with antibiotic usage running rampant, using probiotics to replenish good bacteria would be an essential practice for most people.



www.goodhealthjourney.com

[raybia]

11:55 PM on 09/21/2011

I have been using Probiotics for off and on for a few years now and I definitely swear by them. It really hasn't entered the mainstream yet but they have numerous benefits with first and foremost helping a person maintain a health gut (digestive system) which the majority of our immune system is with the gut.

http://goodhealthjourney.com/

[Dr Bob]

02:59 PM on 09/21/2011

A view from my window

This study is meaningless. I has no control, it is not randomized and therefore one cannot make any cause and effect conclusion. In addition, there was no "washout" period to exclude those patients who were incubating the cold virus but didn't have any symptoms upon entry. Furthermore, the time period of study is strikingly inadequate.

Whether or not probiotics work to prevent the common cold is unknown and this study does NOTHING to answer that question.

[Nick Livermore]

11:37 AM on 09/20/2011

I work with a company called Vidazorb, and I think they are a great choice for anyone looking for a probiotic supplement. What makes them the best is the quality strains they use in non-refrigerated, calorie-, lactose- and gluten-free tablets!

[alone ranger]

06:52 AM on 09/19/2011

I tottaly agree

[peterghansonmd]

03:48 PM on 09/18/2011

Good article. As a family doctor we are seeing lots of recurring colds, especially in children and in adults who deal with the public. While throat swabs and appropriate antibiotic use can help, one should be mindful of the great help that comes from the humble acidophilus bacteria. My patients are enjoying more info at http://www.stressworksinc.com/blog/?tag=/probiotics.