Fight Superbugs with Probiotics

Worse than MRSA, Hospital Acquired C.difficile is Becoming Endemic

Sep 26, 2009

Broad spectrum antibiotic use has created a superbug that causes serious intestinal damage and is resistant to treatment. Large doses of probiotics are the best defense.

An organism normally found in the bowel, Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) doesn't cause any disease symptoms when it lives with other yeasts and bacterium that compete for space and nutrients. Problems occur when antibiotic use wipes out other organisms and leaves C. difficile to thrive on its own, giving rise to spores that attach to the wall of the intestine. Severe diarrhea and serious illness results. Treatment consists of more antibiotics, to which C. dificille are becoming resistant. Over 60% of those treated will have the infection return (Lactobaccillus and bifidobacteria combinations, a strategy to reduce C. difficille incidence and mortality, Graul,T., Clinical Study, 2008).

Worse than MRSA

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a superbug feared in hospitals and institutions. C. difficile, however, can live longer on surfaces outside the body and is not killed by disinfectant solutions and routine cleaning (Graul, 2008). Clostridium difficille-associated disease (CDAD) is linked to cases requiring intensive care.

A Three Month Study

At Valley Lutheran Medical Center in Arizona, a protocol for probiotic prescription was followed for patients who were on antibiotic therapy to see if rates of CDAD would be reduced during the 90 day trial. Probiotic supplements were selected for purity and potency and contained a balanced combination of 5 billion Lactobaccillus acidophollus, 4 billion Bifidobacterium bifidum and 1 billion Bifidobacterium longum per capsule. Capsules were administered three times a day between meals to reduce the chance of stomach acids killing the bacteria before it reached the bowel. The data was compared to the two preceding years. There were 66% fewer incidences of CDAD while the probiotic protocol was followed (Graul, 2008).

More than Yogurt

Combinations, rather than single probiotic strains, are needed to inhibit the actions of C.difficille. Potent probiotic supplements beyond what dietary sources such as yogurt can provide are necessary to bring a problem under control. R.Polton in his American Druggist article "Dispensing Friendly Fire" (1997), stated that10 to 20 billion probiotic bacteria per day are required to replace organisms in the bowel following antibiotic use; 1 billion bacteria per day afterward is adequate to maintain healthy balance.

Frequency and Consistency

Dietary sources of probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and fermented foods all serve to colonize the bowel with healthy organisms. To achieve the most benefit they should be taken on an empty stomach when digestion will be rapid, and they should be taken frequently. Far better to eat several small meals of probiotic-rich foods than one large helping a day. Healthy flora in the bowel contribute to a healthy immune system, the best defense against superbugs.

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