Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

See also : Probiotics
Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a probiotic or beneficial type of bacteria. This form of bacteria may be obtained by increasing dietary intake of certain fermented foods, such as plain yogurt. When probiotic bacteria are broken down in your body, they release certain chemicals that create a toxic environment, which makes it difficult for the harmful bacteria, which cause infection and disease, to survive. According to Barry Goldin of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, lactobacillus rhamnosus is the form of probiotic bacteria with the greatest health benefits.

Special Precautions of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

The use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for probiotic therapy has been linked with very rare cases of sepsis in certain risk groups, primarily those immunocompromised or infants. Ingestion of L. rhamnosus GG is, nevertheless, considered to be safe, and data from Finland show a significant growth in the consumption of L. rhamnosus GG at the population level has not led to an increase in the number of Lactobacillus bacteraemia cases.

Benefits and uses of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus are

• Reduces Diarrhea : The most common benefit that results from increasing intake of lactobacillus rhamnosus is that it can reduce the frequency and duration of diarrhea. A study performed by the Department of Pediatrics at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in India suggests that ingestion of high doses of lactobacillus rhamnosus dramatically reduced the frequency and duration of watery diarrhea in Indian children. This study also revealed that the requirement for intravenous therapy and length of hospital stay was also reduced in conjunction with the treatment of high doses of lactobacillus rhamnosus.
• Overall Immunity : Research suggests that increasing dietary intake of lactobacillus rhamnosus may provide an overall boost to your immune system. A study performed at the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Massey University in New Zealand revealed that consumption of lactobacillus rhamnosus in milk products provided a boost in phagocytic activity of blood and peritoneal cells. This finding does confirm that consumption of lactobacillus rhamnosus can increase the overall function of your immune system.
• Urinary Tract Health : Research studies vary in regard to the overall benefit of lactobacillus rhamnosus in the urinary tract. Lactobacillus rhamnosus cannot adhere to the lining of the urinary tract as it can to the intestinal tract, so the ability to rid bacteria from the urinary tract is not as great as in the intestinal tract. However, a study performed by Michael Hsieh at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston suggests that the presence of lactobacillus rhamnosus may not reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the urine, but it may reduce the incidence of febrile urinary tract infections associated with the bacteria in the urine.
• Respiratory Tract Infections : L. rhamnosus GG has also been associated with a reduction in the risk of respiratory tract infections in children.
• Atopic Dermatitis : Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG has also shown potential in treatment and primary prevention of atopic dermatitis, but the results of intervention trials have been mixed. A clinical trial with seven-year follow-up shows L. rhamnosus GG is useful in the prevention of atopic dermatitis in children at high risk of allergy.
• Gastrointestinal Carriage of VRE : In 2005, L. rhamnosus GG was first successfully used to treat gastrointestinal carriage of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) in renal patients.
• Anxiety : Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on August 29, 2011 reported this bacterium may have an effect on GABA neurotransmitter receptors. Mice that were fed L. rhamnosus had less anxiety and had different levels of a brain-chemical sensor and stress hormones.