PROBIOTICS

What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microbial organisms that are naturally present in the digestive tract. They are considered beneficial and are sometimes referred to as "friendly" or "beneficial" bacteria. They help to suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, improve immune function, enhance the protective barrier of the digestive tract, and help to produce vitamin K.

Why Take Probiotics?
Many chronic diseases start with an unhealthy digestive system. Probiotics are beneficial because they help restore the proper balance of organisms in the gut. A number of factors are believed to disturb the balance of the gut. The imbalance between good bacteria and bad bacteria is called dysbiosis. Some factors include:
  • Inadequate dietary fiber
  • Oral antibiotic therapy
  • Diet high in processed foods and sugars
  • Infant formula feeding
  • Ingestion of environmental toxins

Note:
  • If your child is being treated for yeast and/or bacterial overgrowth it is important to re-colonize the gut with beneficial bacteria. 
  • Recent research has shown that the gut flora is directly linked to the development of allergies to both food and airborne allergens and that improving gut flora could potentially reduce the number and severity of allergies.

Types of Probiotic Bacteria:
There are over 400 species of microorganisms in the human digestive tract, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The most numerous probiotic bacteria normally inhabiting the small intestine are species of Lactobacilli. In the colon the majority are mainly Bifidobacteria. Most probiotic products consist of one or more species of bacteria from one or both of these types. 

General Benefits of Lactobacilli:
  • Prevent overgrowth of disease-causing microbes: Candida species, E. coli, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and salmonella.
  • Prevent and treat antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
  • Aid digestion of lactose and dairy products.
  • Improve nutrient absorption.
  • Maintain integrity of intestinal tract and protect against macromolecules entering bloodstream and causing antigenic response.
  • Lessen intestinal stress from food poisoning.
  • Acidify intestinal tract. Low pH provides a hostile environment for pathogens and yeast.
  • Helps prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections.
The most common species of Lactobacilli are:

Lactobacillus acidophilus
L. acidophilus performs many critical functions including inhibiting pathogenic organisms and preventing them from multiplying and colonizing. It is well documented that L. acidophilus produces natural antibiotics like lactocidin, acidophilin, etc., which enhances resistance or immunity. L. acidophilus has known antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, E.coli and Candida albicans.

Lactobacillus brevis
Lactobacillus brevis is a lactic acid producing organism important in the synthesis of vitamins D and K.

Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Lactobacillus bulgaricus is used extensively in the commercial fermentation of yogurt. Production of lactic acid by the bacterium provides a favorable environment for the growth of other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria residing in the intestine. Studies indicate that certain strains of L. bulgaricus stimulate production of interferon and tumor necrosis factor, thus establishing a potential role in modulating the immune system.

Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus casei has several health-promoting effects provided through the production of bacteriocins, compounds that inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the small intestine. 

Lactobacillus GG 
Lactobacillus GG  is resistant to stomach acid and bile, allowing it to survive its passage through the digestive tract and reach the large intestine intact. Once there it shows an exceptional ability to adhere to the intestinal mucosa and proliferate. Lactobacillus GG is very target specific for clostridia bacteria. Culturelle is a probiotic supplement that contains Lactobacillus GG.

Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum secretes the naturally occurring antibiotic lactolin, and is also known to have the ability to synthesize the amino acid L-lysine, which has beneficial anti-viral activities.It is also effective in eliminating nitrate while producing nitric oxide. This probiotic can preserve key nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, eliminate toxic components from food, and eradicate pathogens such as S. aureus from fermented food. 

Lactobacillus rhamnosus (casei)
Lactobacillus rhamnosus is primarily found in the small bowel and vaginal tract and is beneficial in inhibiting those bacteria involved in vaginal and urinary tract infections. L. rhamnosus protects the intestinal tract against the invasion of harmful microorganisms (inhibits streptococci and clostridia). Additionally, this organism favorably affects lactose intolerance. This probiotic bacteria may down-regulate hypersensitivity reactions and intestinal inflammation in patients with atopic eczema and food allergies. 

Lactobacillus salivarius
Lactobacillus salivarius is important in normalizing the gut flora of those dealing with chronic bowel conditions and shows potential as an effective inhibitor of H. pylori, an organism associated with the occurrence of ulcers.

Lactobacillus sporogenes
L.sporogenes was found to be effective in reducing the number of episodes and duration of diarrhea following antibiotic treatment in children. L.sporogenes has been used in the treatment of gut dysbiosis, vaginitis and aphthous stomatitis.

General Benefits of Bifidobacteria:
  • Prevent colonization of the intestine by pathogenic bacteria and yeasts by protecting the integrity of the intestinal lining.
  • Produce acids that keep the pH balance in the intestine. This acid environment prevents disease-producing microbes from getting a foothold.
  • Decrease the side-effects of antibiotic therapy.
  • Primary bacteria in infants, which help them grow.
  • Inhibit growth of bacteria that produce nitrates in the bowel. Nitrates are bowel toxic and can cause cancer.
  • Help prevent production and absorption of toxins produced by disease-causing bacteria, which reduces the toxic load on the liver.
  • Manufacture B-complex vitamins.
  • Help regulate peristalsis and bowel movements.
  • Prevent and treat antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
The most common species of  Bifidobacteria are:

Bifidobacterium bifidum (lactis)
B. bifidum prevents the colonization of invading pathogenic bacteria by attaching to the intestinal wall, crowding out and taking nutrients from these unfriendly bacteria and yeast. B. bifidum produces lactic and acetic acids, which lower the intestinal pH and further inhibit the undesirable bacteria from growing. Research on Bifidobacteria has established that these organisms enhance the assimilation of minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.

Bifidobacterium infantis
Bifidobacterium infantis is an important organism shown to stimulate production of immunomodulating agents such as cytokines. Bacteriocidal activity is also observed against such pathogens as Clostridia, Salmonella, and Shigella.

Bifidobacterium longum
It plays a role in preventing the colonization of invading pathogenic bacteria by attaching to the intestinal wall and crowding out unfriendly bacteria and yeast. Along with other microorganisms, it produces lactic and acetic acids that lower the intestinal pH and further inhibit the undesirable bacteria. It has been found to reduce the frequency of gastrointestinal issues during antibiotic use.

Other probiotic bacteria:

Enterococcus faecium
E. faecium has been shown to be important in the nutritional support of diarrheal diseases, especially in cases where pathogenic microbes, such as rotavirus, invade the bowel. This particular organism only transiently colonizes the GI tract. This species shows strong activity against a variety of pathogenic organisms. In several studies it has proven resistant to a wide variety of antibiotics and, in one study, proved more effective than L. acidophilus in shortening the duration of diarrheal episodes. E. faecium is a natural resident of the human intestinal tract.

Homeostatic Soil Organisms (HSO's)
These are organisms that live naturally in the soil and used to be ingested regularly by humans before intensive farming methods removed them from the food supply. Most of the organisms found in HSO supplements are transient bacteria meaning they don't colonize the intestines but pass through, providing a number of benefits to us as they do so. Some of these benefits include aggressively killing pathogens, producing specific antigens that act to stimulate the immune system, create superoxide dismutase (SOD) a powerful antioxidant enzyme and help the body to metabolize proteins and eliminate toxins. Some of the benefits over traditional probiotic supplements that HSO's are said to have are there superior ability to survive stomach acid, ability to survive in any intestinal pH and their powerful ability to fight off infections in the GI tract. 

Streptococcus thermophilus
Streptococcus thermophilus, in combination with L. bulgaricus, is used commercially to produce yogurt. This organism is known to be efficient in breaking down lactose by producing the enzyme lactase. Those who are lactose-intolerant may be greatly helped by supplementation with this particular strain. Cytokine production is stimulated in tissue cultured cells by this bacterium.
* Some parents have reported PANDAS flares from using probiotics or yogurts containing S. thermophilus. 

.The following are some of the probiotics discussed most often by the autism community:


Sources: http://www.ei-resource.org/treatment-options/treatment-information/probiotics-and-prebiotics/
http://www.enzymestuff.com/probiotics.htm#2
http://www.usprobiotics.org/