Probiotics: READ THIS if you have abdominal complaints

[BinaryTaoist]

Hi Doc,

The way I learned about probiotics, is that they thrive in a slightly acidic environment, like the one that should occur naturally in our large intestines...

Given that information is correct, can oral supplementation of probiotics survive the alkalinity of the small intestine to reach the colon? Can probiotics even survive in the acidity of the stomach?

On a related topic... does the appendix play any role in harmonizing ph of the small & large intestines?


Thanks Dr. Steve

[Dr Steve]

Hi Doc,

The way I learned about probiotics, is that they thrive in a slightly acidic environment, like the one that should occur naturally in our large intestines...

Given that information is correct, can oral supplementation of probiotics survive the alkalinity of the small intestine to reach the colon? Can probiotics even survive in the acidity of the stomach?

On a related topic... does the appendix play any role in harmonizing ph of the small & large intestines?


Thanks Dr. Steve


It's a great question.

The stomach is acid as hell, secreting pure hydrochloric acid into its lumen through cells called "Parietal Cells" (pah-RYE-uh-tal). As food (destined eventually to become fecal matter) moves from the stomach into the small intestine, the gallbladder contracts spewing bile into the mix (to help digesting fat), and the pancreas spews digestive enzymes and alkaline juices to break down protein and neutralize some of the acid from the stomach.

Anyway, you might ask, how the hell can bacteria survive this journey? The answer lies in the magic of huge numbers.

If you dump 10 to the 9th power (1000000000) bacteria in to the stomach and kill 99 percent of them, you'd still have ten million live bacteria making it into the intestine. Doubling this number every hour would reconstitute the original billion bacteria in no time.

I used to think probiotics were bullshit, but I was stupid or at best uninformed. There are some outstanding studies out there showing that probiotics help digestive problems like bloating, gas, constipation, and chronic diarrhea/pain. The big one right now is this strain called Bifantis, which has been shown to be effective in double blind controlled studies (and it's over the counter).

Stupid bacteria...you can freeze dry the damn things and they come back to life when you hydrate them in your gullet. amazing.

anyway, some of us get a crowd of "bad" bacteria in the intestines that create a slime layer that is really dysfunctional for good digestion. Taking a probiotic overwhelms the shitty bacteria with good bacteria; problem is that it doesn't take permanently...you have to keep taking the probiotic most of the time. I'm not sure why that is, exactly, but I'll keep researching it.

On a personal level, I can attest that this stuff works...I suffered from chronic abdominal pain for TWO YEARS after taking antibiotics for diverticulitis. No one could figure out anything until I went to see a new gastro who put me on FloraQ-2. Now, I know as well as anyone that testimonial evidence isn't worth much, but the change was so dramatic that it really surprised me. I didn't think it was a placebo effect (at least not in the normal sense, I was sure it WOULDN'T work); for the first time in 24 months I was totally pain free. I got cocky and stopped taking it when I was on vacation and the symptoms returned in about a week. So it's not a "cure", but for certain people with certain digestive ailments, it can be a godsend.

http://www.aligngi.com/ is a website regarding the Probiotic ALIGN, which several of my patients have had great results with.

hope this helps!


your pal,


steve

[BinaryTaoist]

thanks Dr. Steve!

[Gvac]

Hey Doc.

Maybe you'd like to apologize to bigfatfuck.

CLICK HERE. (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=73431)

[Dr Steve]

Hey Doc.

Maybe you'd like to apologize to bigfatfuck.

CLICK HERE. (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=73431)

ha, damn you for holding my words up to me when I contradict myself. :-)

that was before I was aware of the bifidobacterium study, in my defense. The lactobacillus casei studies (that I quoted in that thread) showed mild effect only. these new studies were much more impressive.

anyway, thanks for keeping me honest. :-)

[sr71blackbird]

Wow, I got Align after reading this and it very quickly (2 days) has had a very good effect on my problems. My stool has been good, and usually I have very loose and urgently need to use the bathroom. I haven't been as gassy. I am amazed. I still take my psyllium fiber too. So, thanks Doc!

It seems to cost approx $29 for a box of 30, so its like a months supply, or a buck a day for one pill. I will look for a less expensive place to get it than Walmart.

[Dr Steve]

Wow, I got Align after reading this and it very quickly (2 days) has had a very good effect on my problems. My stool has been good, and usually I have very loose and urgently need to use the bathroom. I haven't been as gassy. I am amazed. I still take my psyllium fiber too. So, thanks Doc!

It seems to cost approx $29 for a box of 30, so its like a months supply, or a buck a day for one pill. I will look for a less expensive place to get it than Walmart.

yeah, the damn stuff actually works. Look for any food or supplement that has Bifidobacterium in it...some Kefir brands have it, some of the probiotic yogurts have it. You could try Amazon.com and see if it's cheaper there. At the very worst, is it worth $1 a day to not have to worry about your awful bowels? The stuff I take is FLORA Q-2...hell, it's $2.00 a day, but it works so well I can't bring myself to try anything else.

[~Katja~]

hmm, now I will feel so much better about finishing my new favorite ice cream

http://popsop.com/wp-content/uploads/yovation_van_pom_blue_lo.jpg

[sr71blackbird]

What is FLORA Q-2?

[britneypablo]

<font color="deeppink"> i didnt read anything but all i know is i give a big thumbs up to probiotics.....i got a fridge full of them....just about all thats in my refrigerator which is kinda sad...but they will keep me young and not sick FOREVER YAYAYYA...jus sayin

[Bigtchrist]

I had H-pyloric years ago and been on 60mg of prevacid for a couple years now. I been taking probiotics for a while now and the diaharia (sp? im drunk so..... ) and the cramps go away... right now im using Dr Ohhira's probotics 12 plus. after 1 day i feel alot better.

[sr71blackbird]

Is Flora Q 2 the same stuff as what's in Align? I am thinking of getting that too.

[Dr Steve]

Is Flora Q 2 the same stuff as what's in Align? I am thinking of getting that too.

Align is simply BIFANTIS, which is a patented (can you believe it?) probiotic bacterium. or if it isn't patented, it's trademarked. it's one or the other, anyway some company figures they own the darned thing.

Flora Q-2 has bifidobacterium in it, but also other probiotic bacterial species (mostly different forms of lactobacillus). Align didn't work for me, but FloraQ2 does...I'd just try the least expensive one (Align) and work your way up from there if the yogurts and probiotic drinks don't work.

You can get FloraQ2 here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P1QCQA?ie=UTF8&tag=docsteheafort-20).