Bifidobacteria and Their Therapeutic Effects.

Taken from Pharmacist Vol. 22 No. 11 November 2003

‘Almost all patients who present to a health practitioner will need some gastrointestinal support, whatever their condition.’

Bifidobacteria dominate the flora of the large intestine. They lower the pH of faeces and inhibit pathogenic strains of Escherica coli and infections produced by Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens.
The genus Bifidobacterium includes 29 closely related species. Mitsuoka has found that the species of bifidobacteria which are most prevalent in the colon of newborn infants are Bifidobacterium breve, B. parvulorum, B. bifidum, B. longum and B. adolescentis.6
Bifidobacteria are sensitive to wide spectrum antibiotics and to those which are potent against gram-positive bacteria.

However, they often limit their side effects, such as nausea and diarrhoea. In a wellcontrolled
experiment, Colombel and associates (1987), treated 10 volunteers with erythromycin administered orally and yoghurt containing B. longum. The stool weight and number, the presence of abdominal discomfort and the number of clostridium spores were noted. The
simultaneous intake of yoghurt containing B. longum with erythromycin reduced the frequency of gastrointestinal disorders and reduced the clostridial spore count.

The placebo yoghurt had no effect. Consequently, B. longum can re-establish the normal flora.7
Almost all patients who present to a health practitioner will need some gastrointestinal support, whatever their condition. Probiotics are an essential part of daily nutritional needs. Consuming foods that contain live acidophilus cultures such as yoghurt are certainly beneficial, but it is
unlikely the species in these are numerous enough or resilient enough to survive in the gastrointestinal system. Given that there are so many contributing factors to gut dysbiosis, regular intake of a high quality probiotic supplement with a proven track record is recommended. The recognition and detection of the underlying factors that contribute to ill
health and gut dysbiosis assists in the management of patients who require specific probiotics as a vital therapeutic tool in the maintenance of health and wellbeing, and the prevention of future illness and disability.

Dr Ian Brighthope is President of the
Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia
and President of the Australasian College of
Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.
He is also Managing Director of Nutrition Care
Pharmaceuticals, Nutrisearch Australia and
Biocentres (Australasia).

Mannatech provides a probiotic supplement which helps to promote friendly bacteria supporting healthy digestive flora.