LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Probiotic

PROBIOTICS IN INFANCY INDUCE PROTECTIVE IMMUNE PROFILES – (11-17-08)

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Probiotics in infancy induce protective immune profiles that are characteristic for chronic low-grade inflammation

Again and again and again and again we see studies on how important beneficial bacteria are in our systems. This importance is highlight during the first few years of life, at a time when pediatricians appear to remain largely ignorant of their importance or the long term ramifications of destruction of this flora. We still see very high myringotomy tube use. Recently, I had a patient who had made lifestyle changes for her daughter who was very prone to ear infections and whose pediatrician was suggesting tubes.

Needless to say, the ear infections went away, but she was told by her daughter’s daycare that she was only one of 2 kids that didn’t have tubes. This is unacceptable given the current level of knowledge. The rest of the children in this class will likely be at increased risk of many chronic diseases due to destruction of normal flora.

Read entire article here

INCREASING IMMUNE FACTORS IN CORD BLOOD AND BREAST MILK – (09-01-09)

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Supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus or Bifidobacterium lactis probiotics in pregnancy increases immune factors in cord blood and breast milk.

Just in case the previous article didn’t convince you…let’s add this one.

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EFFECTIVENESS OF FLU VACCINES – (09-01-09)

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Flu Vaccine Effectiveness Among Children 6 to 59 Months of Age During 2 Influenza Seasons

Medicine’s blind devotion to the flu vaccine never ceases to amaze me. I remember one year an elderly woman was trampled to death in the hysteria to get vaccinated. Despite this, the flu vaccine’s effectiveness is very questionable.

This particular study was unable to find any effectiveness over the course of two years in children under 5. Think of the costs associated with the march to the pediatrician’s office, parents’ time off of work, and side effects of the vaccination on the child, not the mention the profits going to the vaccine manufacturer.

Compare this with studies showing absurdly high protection against the flu (up to 70% reduction in incidence) with the use of probiotics in children. With this in mind, it’s highly likely that antibiotics ADD to the flu incidence!!! Talk about making money on top of money.

Read entire article here

ORAL PROBIOTICS PREVENT NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (08-24-09)

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Oral Probiotics Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants

Not to beat a dead horse, but if giving probiotics to a preterm infant can positively impact their risk of survival, than why are we taking so long to recognize their benefits in infants and toddlers? I recently had a patient that presented for help with chronic ear infections. As in 35 YEARS of ear infections which of course included untold courses of antibiotics and multiple myringotomy tubes.

Never once, with all the specialists she had seen over the decades, had a single one ever mentioned the importance of normal flora. So much so that she did not even know what probiotics were! How, with all the research out there, is this even possible? (sorry..I feel much better now…)

Read entire article here

INCIDENCE OF ALLERGIC MANIFESTATIONS AND INFECTIONS (02-23-09)

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Early Dietary Intervention with a Mixture of Prebiotic Oligosaccharides Reduces the Incidence of Allergic Manifestations and Infections during the First Two Years of Life

It should come as no surprise that I continue to be amazed at the complete lack of reverence in the pediatric practice for normal bacterial flora. And we could even go as far as to include to OBs as well, since mom needs a healthy flora during delivery and nursing. The amount of research suggesting that these bacteria are absolutely essential for normal immune system development is staggering, and the near ubitquitous inappropriate use of antibiotics without follow up with probiotics is inexcusable. Any physician charged with the care of their patients health has an absolute responsibility to stay current with the medical literature. This is not happening in medicine, with particular blame on the pediatricians.

Now that my rant is over, I’d like to point out that this is yet another study linking healthy bacterial flora (the oligosacchardides used in this study are given to support the growth of healthy bacterial flora) and protection against both infections and allergies.

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IMPACT OF MATERNAL ATOPY AND PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION – (05-18-09)

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Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization

A few comments here, beginning with my decade long frustration about medicine’s refusal to accept normal, protective flora as being important. We destroy it only in infancy with antibiotics, with never a thought as to the physiological ramifications of this approach.

In this study, the authors used probiotics in mothers who were allergy-prone (which meant that their infant, as well, would be allergy prone) and nursing to lower the risk in the infants for developing allergies. This likely occurs through 2 mechanisms–one with the modulation of the mom’s own immune status, and two, but direct translocation of the bacteria from the gut into breast milk. Couple this with findings of greatly reduced allergies and asthma in infants whose mothers took in higher levels of EFAs and we would see a drastic reduction in the prevalence of this chronic condition.

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CESAREAN DELIVERY MAY AFFECT THE EARLY BIODIVERSITY OF INTESTINAL BACTERIA (5-11-09)

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Cesarean Delivery May Affect the Early Biodiversity of Intestinal Bacteria

Regular readers of Updates will confirm how much I rant and rave about the critical importance of normal, healthy bacterial flora in our newborns, infants and toddlers. Words alone are inadequate at explaining just how important this is to healthy, balanced development of our immune system and gut ecology.

Because of this, importance of the pregnant mom’s vaginal flora (has she ever been on antibiotics?), the route of delivery (C-section or vaginal) and has the child ever received antibiotics without replacing the normal flora w/ probiotics? This study again confirms that birth by C-section alters the normal flora that is supposed to be present.

Read entire article here

WANT YOUR CHILD TO SURVIVE A HOSPITAL STAY?

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WANT YOUR CHILD TO SURVIVE A HOSPITAL STAY?  You’ve all heard me tout the benefits of probiotics, and the research has been around for well over a decade.  But pediatricians STILL are not recommending (and when they do, it seems to be for S. boulardi, which does NOT restore normal flora) the use of probiotics and still overuse antibiotics.  It’s frustrating, especially when we see studies like this.  Hospitals are dangerous places.  The chance of picking up an infection in the hospital is high (called nosocomial).

Probiotic supplementation decimated the risks for most types of infections (diarrhea reduced by 76%!!).  This obviously means that we should make sure all of our children have the right bacteria in their gut (vaginal birth, nursing w/ mom NOT having had antibiotics, antibiotics ONLY when absolutely necessary) and supplement to make sure they have a healthy GI flora.