益生元與益生菌的區別

playboy · 發表于 2009-11-21 19:32:23

Adverse effects
There is no published evidence that probiotic supplements are able to completely replace the body’s natural flora when these have been killed off; indeed bacterial levels in feces disappear within days when supplementation ceases.[15] While the oral use of probiotics is considered safe and even recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) under specific guidelines,[1] in some specific situations (such as critically ill patients) they could be potentially harmful. In a therapeutic clinical trial conducted by M. Besselink and colleagues in The Netherlands, the consumption of a cocktail containing genetically modified strains of probiotic bacteria, increased the death rate of patients with acute pancreatitis[16]. Probiotics have been shown to be beneficial for other types of patients[17][18].

In a clinical trial conducted at the University of Western Australia, aimed at showing the effectiveness of probiotics in reducing childhood allergies, Dr Susan Prescott and her colleagues gave 178 children either a probiotic or a placebo for the first six months of their life, those given the good bacteria were more, not less, likely to develop a sensitivity to allergens.[19]

Some hospitals have reported treating lactobacillus septicaemia which is a potentially fatal disease caused by the consumption of probiotics by people with lowered immune systems or who are already very ill.[19][20]