There’s nothing like a poop story to get the juvenile juices flowing. Crowding a Twitter and RSS feed recently were numerous alerts to a diaper pail full of baby poop headlines: Kardashian-like catnip for the health-minded. A PubMed search (not all blogs had links) led to an interesting piece of research from Wake Forest School […]
Clinical Corner
Sloppy Reporting Undermines Claims of Probiotic Safety
First do no harm. Probiotics appear to be outside the purview of drastic side effects reported for many supplements. No warnings of possible death and dismemberment scroll probiotic labels. Among manufacturers, researchers and clinicians in the industry, probiotics are considered safe. Theoretical risks include systemic infections, deleterious metabolic activities, excessive immune stimulation in susceptible individuals, gene […]
Change in Fecal Microbes after a Month of Probiotics
Supplements have always had detractors. “Expensive urine” was what vitamin poppers were said to be making in the early days of mega doses nearly 50 years ago. With the cost of probiotic supplements, it is fair to ask: are we creating costly stool? Many millions of people take probiotic supplements trusting in a benefit to […]
Probiotics and Alzheimer’s Disease: Rich in Potential
Alzheimer’s disease is a thief. First it takes your car keys, friends’ names, ability to feed yourself, get dressed and then even recognition of beloved family faces until your brain is a blank slate. Your entire memory is wiped clean just when you want to revisit the best of your life. Faltering minds may have a new […]
As Fatty Liver Spreads, Probiotics Enter the Fray
With obesity off the charts, big pharma is racing to bring new drugs to market. Many of the newbie medications tackle the metabolic downsides of obesity: glucose intolerance, high cholesterol and fatty liver. While drugs may be somewhat effective, they can be costly (especially in the United States) and all come with some unhealthy side […]
Putting Probiotics to the Test in Arthritis
Our joints grow stiff and painful as birthdays mount up —no surprise there. But arthritis, while common, is not just one disease. Because it can be confusing, a brief primer may help, beginning with the type of arthritis that can strike at any age. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) This equal opportunity version of arthritis is autoimmune […]