Originally published August 20 2005
"Good" bacteria can help relieve pain from ulcerative colitis
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology finds treatment with probiotics -- made of live "good" bacteria -- may help ease the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, a bowel disorder that can cause fever, fatigue, intense stomach pain and bloody diarrhea.
A dose of "good" bacteria may help fight the bad bacteria and relieve a painful digestive disorder.
A new study shows that a mixture of eight bacteria reversed or eased the symptoms of ulcerative colitis in most people treated with the probiotic preparation.
Probiotics are made from living bacteria that are thought to affect the balance of other living organisms and bacteria in the gut and improve the health of the intestine.
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disorder that affects the large intestine and results in severe stomach pain, bloody diarrhea, fever, and fatigue.
Researchers say an unhealthy ratio of "bad" bacteria to "good" bacteria is thought to trigger inflammatory bowel diseases.
In the study, researchers evaluated the effects of six weeks of treatment with probiotics in 32 people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.
Patients who continued to have symptoms despite treatments were included.
Researchers found 53 percent of those treated with probiotics experienced a remission of their disease.
Twenty-four percent had a significant decrease in their symptoms without any significant side effects.
No response was seen in 9 percent of the probiotic patients, and another 9 percent worsened.
The probiotic mixture used in the study, VSL #3, contained eight types of bacteria, including species of lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, and streptococcus.
Increased bloating that was attributed to VSL #3 was seen in 29 percent of patients.
Bloating was not severe enough to require stopping the treatment.
Researchers say the results of this study suggest that probiotics may provide an alternative treatment for people with ulcerative colitis who don't respond to conventional treatments.
A clinical trial comparing the effects of probiotics to a placebo is under way to confirm the effects found in this study.
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