Probiotics is a termed used to describe beneficial bacteria or fungi. Although this term is relatively new, humans have been culturing food into yogurt, cheese, and sauerkraut for thousands of years.

Lactobacillus salivarius ssp. salivarius has been shown to reduce inflammatory products including TNF, Leukotriene B4, and nitric oxide. PMID:16127750 (cache) In one study where mice were given an injection of foreign T-cells (to challenge their immune systems) and then a week of antibiotics, all mice developed severe gastrointestinal inflammatory disease (colitis). When mice were also administered probiotic Lactobacillus, the incidence of colitis was reduced by 71.5%. PMID:16116315 (cache)

Although H5N1 is generally a respiratory disease, some cases have been reported that featured vomitting and/or diarrhea, either with or without respiratory symptoms. PMID:15324560 (cache), 14985470 (cache). Based on animal models and limited data, one can theorize that gastrointestinal H5N1 is more likely when contaminated food is the route of infection, but that remains to be proven.

This article ( PMID:10030636 (cache)) demonstrates that different species or strains of bacteria can have very different effects on the immune system and cytokine production.

While there is not enough evidence to support the idea that probiotics would reduce the mortality rate from avian flu, there are numerous studies showing that the consumption of fermented foods is generally healthy. Eating yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, cheeses, and other fermented foods is not a bad general practice.

Disclaimer Topics Page Copyright