Free Health Dissertations - Probiotics And Prebiotics: Are They Real Treatments For Gastro-intestinal
PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS:
ARE THEY REAL TREATMENTS FOR GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISORDERS,
OR ARE THEY JUST HYPE?
BACTERIA, ANYONE?
They're the latest health craze,
said to help everything from constipation to cholesterol.
The tone of attention-grabbing article titles such as this one, which recently appeared in London’s Daily Mail (Epstein 2005), suggest that beneficial bacteria in the form of probiotics and their growth-stimulating precursors, prebiotics, may be little more than hype. The reality is quite different. As will be demonstrated through the results of a literature review, a growing body of research indicates that probiotics and prebiotics are effective not only in the treatment but also in the prevention of gastro-intestinal disorders. And, although continuing research on probiotics and prebiotics is needed, the preponderance of current evidence suggests that claimed benefits represent more than hype.
A brief history will be presented first to show that the use of probiotics and prebiotics is not a new phenomenon and, further, that their use extends into antiquity. With the historical context established, the intestinal environment in which probiotics and prebiotics exist will be discussed and the terms probiotics and prebiotics will be defined. Based on this foundation, arguments will be presented for and against the use of probiotics and prebiotics, and conclusions will be drawn.
Historical Perspectives on Probiotics and Prebiotics
Many reports on probiotics and prebiotics would lead one to believe the use of the two has only recently been recommended a new age alternative treatment regimen of sorts. To the contrary, probiotics have been used for centuries (Duggan et al. 2002). Accounts of probiotic use appear in the Old Testament, specifically the health benefits of eating curds, a food substance rich in probiotic bacteria. For instance, Genesis 18.8 claims that Abraham lived a long life because he consumed sour [fermented] milk. (Trankina 2002) Roman historian Plinius, in 76 B.C., suggested that fermented milk should be administered to treat gastroenteritis (Bottazzi 1983). However, use of probiotics, which was common for much of the twentieth century, declined as the century progressed. The reduced consumption of probiotics and other factors such as the widespread use of antibiotics and other drugs, improved food sterilisation, hygienic improvements, and increased application of antibacterial products have combined to reduce the population of beneficial bacteria which normally serendipitously inoculates the intestinal tract. This has resulting in an increased prevalence of gastro-intestinal disorders. (Trankina 2002) D’Souza and colleagues (2002) contend that traditional probiotic treatments diminished with the introduction of antibiotics and suggest that, due to infections that are occurring because of the overuse of antibiotics, experts are being forced to reconsider the use of probiotics as alternatives to antibiotics.
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