Probiotics may prevent diarrhea in antibiotic-takers

Probiotics, live microbes that can lead to more balanced stomach bacteria levels (e.g. yogurt, aged uncooked cheeses and miso), may help reduce diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, says a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. For the study, researchers at the non-profit RAND Corporation analyzed 63 previously published studies involving antibiotic- associated diarrhea and probiotics including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/ or Bacillus. The researchers found people who took probiotics were 42 percent less likely to develop diarrhea during treatment compared with people not taking them. The researchers said since they looked across several studies with different criteria, there's no way to determine whether a certain type of person, antibiotic or probiotic could contribute to this effect. "We found a clear beneficial effect of probiotics in preventing or treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea," said study co-author Sydne Newberry, a nutritional scientist and researcher at RAND, in a news release. "However, more work is needed to determine which types of probiotics work best, which patients are most likely to benefit from probiotics and whether there are any risks in using them." Other studies have shown that probiotics were tied to treatment benefits for yeast infections, irritable bowel syndrome, eczema in children, and reduces the severity of colds and flu.