The supplement industry is still the wild west.  You can't always be confident in what you're getting in a bottle.  Check out this NY Times piece about some brands found in some well known stores and you'll be shocked at what they find or don't find.

This can often be the reason why some patients will tell me "I've tried that herb or supplement but it doesn't work."  It just might be that they haven't really been using the correct product &/or the correct dosage/concentration.  I've had patients tell me that the  D-Mannose they received from me works better than the ones they've bought from the store or that their probiotics don't seem to have the same effect as the ones they got from me.  It could be the quality or just that the strains of probiotics they've been taking aren't appropriate for their specific health concerns.  Science has found that there are specific strains that help for specific conditions, be it gastrointestinal conditions to urinary tract infections to even prevention of colds & flu.  Be sure that you have the right strains for your concern.

Again, read the NY Times article to get an idea of what I'm talking about.  Clearly the quality of your products matter.

 

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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Activia Yogurt: Healthy profits from false advertising? What you should know about probiotics.

Many people know about the benefits of probiotics - the healthy bacteria found in your gastrointestinal tract as well as in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, fermented soy products and of course yogurt. In fact, Danone - the makers of popular brands such as Activia and DanActive was the first the tout the benefits of it probiotic yogurt. It was advertised as helping to keep you regular and good for the immune system.

A lawsuit filed back in January 2008 alleged that Danone's own studies failed to support its own advertised claims. And this month, Danone has agreed to set aside a $35 million dollar fund to reimburse customers in an out of court settlement and denies any wrongdoing. Danone has agreed to make changes to how it advertises its yogurt line.

Does this mean that probiotics don't work? No! As my patients already know, I'm a big fan of probiotics especially for certain digestive & immune related conditions. But what people don't know is that the therapeutic dose required to treat diseases vary and that it matters what strain of probiotics you're taking. Certain strains have been shown to be effective at combating MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which is found in a number of hospitals. Recently, the journal Pediatrics published a study showing that a combination of two specific strains of probiotics was more much more effective at preventing the FLU vs. a single strain of probiotics and even more effective than no probiotics (ie. placebo). The key to probiotic therapy is to know how to effectively dose the probiotics and with which strains. Naturopathic doctors are certainly adept at this and have access to these different strains. I currently have many of my patients & myself on the exact strains published in the journal of Pediatrics for those of us who wish to reduce the risk of catching the flu. Also, I'm hoping that it decreases the risk of catching H1N1 should that get out of hand. Let's hope for the best though.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"

C-Section deliveries increase risk of allergies & asthma

In the past few years, the number of caesarean section deliveries have been increasing. It has become fashionable to do so with the media reporting a number of celebrities asking for this procedure. Unfortunately a recent study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California at San Francisco presented their negative findings to the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto recently. They stated that babies born by C-Section have weaker immune systems than those born vaginally, which may explain the increased risk of developing allergies and asthma.

A few month ago, I attended a two day lecture on the benefits of probiotic therapy in children and it relates to the recent news announced by these California researchers. Probiotics are the good bacteria that populate our gastrointestinal tract. Please see my previous post on the benefits of probiotics: http://naturopathicessentials.blogspot.com/search?q=probiotics

Babies born vaginally are exposed to the flora/bacteria from the mother's vaginal tract which is usually good. C-section babies are first exposed to bacteria from the environment by a baby or mother touching objects and putting their finger into the infant's mouth. This set of bacteria are different from the ones that the infant would have received from a vaginal birth.

A large scale clinical trial is being conducted into the UK into whether probiotic therapy with newborns will help to decrease the risks of developing atopic conditions like eczema, allergies & asthma. This research looks promising!

So given a choice between a C-Section or a vaginal birth, I recommend the latter.

Probiotics and Prebiotics....What is it? And why do we Need it?

Have you swallowed any beneficial bacteria today? This is the latest health fad sweeping the food industry. You see it everywhere - bread containing “prebiotics” and yogurt with “live active probiotic cultures”.

Until a few decades ago, our diet provided good bacteria for the healthy functioning of our gut. We used to eat lots of fermented products because that was the way we preserved our food and we also ate far more root vegetables and plant based foods that contained prebiotics – indigestible foods like chicory root, whole grains and fermented cabbage that stimulates the growth of good bacteria. Unfortunately, food processing has changed all of that and combined with the rampant misuse of antibiotics (from doctor over-prescription and in the animals we eat), the beneficial bacteria and the flora in our gut has been disrupted.

Scientists estimate that there is 2 lbs of bacteria and over 1500 types of bacteria in the human colon. Most of these are beneficial or harmless bacteria that outnumber our cells 10 to 1. What’s interesting is that when we defecate, half of what comes out is bacteria so it is important to replenish and feed that supply.

Here are the proven benefits of probiotic therapy:

•Good bacteria can aid digestion and helps maintain a strong immune system especially during the cold and flu season.

•It impacts the well-being of some tissues and organs like the brain, skin & vagina.

•Significant anti-inflammatory benefits have been seen in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases like crohns and ulcerative colitis.

•Probiotics help resolve diarrhea, flatulence and nausea. It is especially useful in HIV positive individuals who suffer these symptoms.

•Combined with antibiotic/antifungal therapy (be it pharmaceutical or natural antibiotics), women with bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections have a greater chance of being cured than those taking antibiotics alone.

•Probiotics bring into harmony an overactive immune system in people suffering with allergies.

•Lab studies in rats have shown their cholesterol drops by 8-10% without side effects

When it comes to buying probiotics in supplements form, it is "caveat emptor - buyer beware." Not all probiotics are created equal. Do your research and ask a knowledgeable health care provider or your naturopath about which companies/brands have a good reputations for having live bacteria that can withstand the acidic environment of the stomach.

TIP: It's best to take your probiotics with meals as the food will dampen the acidity of the environment and will allow more of the good bacteria to reach your small intestines where they will start to work their magic.