In article <9500207906.AA790646094 at internetmail.pr.cyanamid.com
>Steven_Projan at INTERNETMAIL.PR.CYANAMID.COM writes:
>Ted Farnworth writes:
>"I would like to know if it is common practice for medical doctors to perscribe
>yogurt to patients that have undergone surgery or antibiotic treatment in order
>to assist in the restoration of GI microflora. It would be really helpful to get
>a reference (article or textbook) where this practice is recommended."
>Eating yoghurt is probably good nutrition whether or not you have taken
>antibiotics but the bacteria in yoghurt are not those commonly found in the GI
>tract nor would they expect to colonize the GI tract long term.
Steve, you pick up on a good point that seems to be perpetuated - yogurt
bacteria are not those found in the GI tract yet professionals seemingly
perpetuate the idea that yogurt bacteria helps restore the beneficial GI flora.
>Yoghurt cultures usually consist of a mixture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus
and >Streptococcus thermophilus (I think this is now called Lactococcus
>thermophilus).
Strept. thermophilus is still Strept. thermophilus; Streptococcus lactis and
Strept. cremoris were changed to Lactococcus lactis/cremoris based on DNA
hybridization data which showed they really didn't belong grouped with the
disease causing Streptococci; it was also felt that it would do these food
starter cultures a dis-service to maintain the name relationship to disease
causing strept's.
>Other LAB (lactic acid bacteria) can also be used.
Well, the standard of identity for yogurt (Code of Federal Regulations) calls
for product to be cultured with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus
bulgaricus (which has now been changed to Lactobacillus delbrueckii). Some
companies have added other bugs (Lactobacillus acidophilus) however.
>I have heard it suggested that women each yoghurt so that they may restore
>Lactobacilli to the vaginal cavity where they provide a protective effect
>(probably by keeping the pH low) but I am not sure how the dietary Lactobacilli
>are supposed to migrate from the colon to the vagina. There was an Israeli
>group that claimed positive results by direct vaginal application of yoghurt see
>Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1993 Vol:72:17-9.
That gets kind of messy; I believe lactic-containing suppositories are sold
(parafilm?) for application of lactics as vaginal suppositories (as told to me
by a friend who owns a culture company - makes more sense than using yogurt).
>I know this is an oft repeated repeated remedy for diarrhoae related to
>antibiotic use but the science is not there to back it up.
>Steve Projan
>Lederle Labs
You're correct; the milk/dairy organizations and all the related companies who
sell milk/dairy products would love to have hard data that would substantiate
strong advertising claims for consumption of these products.
-Peter Muriana
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