naturalnews.com printable article

Originally published July 24 2006

Probiotics Ease Gut Problems Caused by Long Term Stress (press release)

by NaturalNews

Probiotics may help to reduce gut symptoms caused by long term stress, indicates research published ahead of print in the journal Gut.

The researchers base their findings on analysis of gut tissue taken from rats subjected to either water avoidance stress, which involves placing the rat on a small platform surrounded by water, or sham stress for one hour a day for 10 consecutive days.

The stress sessions were designed to mimic psychological stress to produce the type of effects that would be seen in the human gut.

Half the rats were fed drinking water containing probiotic bacteria in the form of Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus for a period of seven days before and during the stress sessions.

Unlike sham stress, brief but repeated water deprivation made the gut �leaky� and boosted the adherence of harmful bacteria to the cells lining the gut wall.

Bacteria were also detected in the mesenteric lymph nodes, which drain fluid coming from the intestine, indicating that bacteria had entered the body and activated the immune system.

However, probiotic treatment minimised the changes in chemical signalling and prevented bacterial �stickiness� and movement to the mesenteric lymph nodes.

Chronic stress is known to be implicated in the development of irritable bowel syndrome and in the worsening of symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn�s disease and ulcerative colitis. It also sensitises the gut, producing allergies to certain foodstuffs.

The authors say that probiotics literally compete for space with harmful bacteria and dampen down inflammatory responses, and as such, offer a potentially promising approach to the management of intestinal problems caused by stress.






All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml