Probiotics Reduce Pouchitis Relapses – (09-21-00)



Probiotics Reduce Pouchitis Relapses

More and more evidence on the benefits of probiotics appears every day. I truly believe that if all courses of antibiotics were followed up with a high quality probiotic, the incidence of many chronic diseases would drop.
Gastroenterology 2000;119:305-309,584-585 Highly concentrated oral bacteriotherapy (probiotics) prevents flare-ups of chronic pouchitis, which affects as many as 50% of patients who undergo surgery for ulcerative colitis. The study, conducted by Dr. Paolo Gionchetti and colleagues from the University of Bologna, Italy, included 40 patients with chronic pouchitis who were randomized to high-dose probiotics or placebo. The study medication, VSL#3, consisted of 3-g bags containing 300 billion viable lyophilized bacteria per gram of several bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus salivarius. Throughout the 9 months of treatment, 85% of the probiotic group remained symptom-free, the researchers report. In contrast, all 20 subjects in the placebo group relapsed within 4 months. Within 4 months of stopping treatment, all patients in the probiotic group also relapsed. The results of the study suggest that it is possible “to prevent relapses of chronic intestinal inflammation by manipulating the intestinal microflora,” Dr. Gionchetti told Reuters Health. “The positive results further support the role of intestinal microflora on the pathogenesis of irritable bowel disease,” he said. He also noted that the use of probiotics may help reduce the need for antibiotics.

James Bogash

For more than a decade, Dr. Bogash has stayed current with the medical literature as it relates to physiology, disease prevention and disease management. He uses his knowledge to educate patients, the community and cyberspace on the best way to avoid and / or manage chronic diseases using lifestyle and targeted supplementation.







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Category: Probiotic
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