A cure-all for elderly digestive complaints?

 
Elderly people could ward off digestive problems with probiotics, said scientists at a briefing last week (NutraIngredients, 8th August 2006 ).

Friendly bacteria including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifido-bacterium bifidum, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are your body’s first line of defence against the potentially harmful micro-organisms that you inhale or ingest. ‘Probiotics’ is another term for these friendly bacteria that live and work in your gastrointestinal tract every day of your life. (Think of them as the ‘home guard’, a mighty bacterial army that defends your body against dangerous invaders.)
Having sufficient numbers of these friendly bacteria in residence can help prevent a wide range of health problems.

These comments about digestive health in the elderly population were made by Professor Glenn Gibson of the University of Reading as part of a briefing at the Science Media Centre, at which Dr Sandra McFarlene of Dundee University also presented on ulcerative colitis.

Dr McFarlane explained that people over the age of 60 years have around 1000-fold less of the so-called friendly bacteria in their guts. The balance is thus more heavily weighted towards ‘unfriendly' bacteria, which can make them more susceptible to gastrointestinal infections and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Within the industry and scientific communities the potential benefits of probiotics for the elderly are well known. Professor Jeremy Hamilton-Miller of the Royal Free and University College Medical School stated in the Postgraduate Medical Journal in 2004: “Review of the literature suggests that three problems common in the elderly, namely, undernutrition, constipation, and the decline in efficiency of the immune system leading to reduced capacity to resist infection, may all be beneficially affected by appropriate probiotic organisms. These are most conveniently taken either as yoghurts or as specific supplements.”
 

To assist with maintaining a healthy balance of probiotics, we have specifically designed a multi-probiotic formula containing: Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactbacillus Bulgaricus and Bifidus, all in a base of Colostrum ('Nature’s Superfood'). This product should be taken on an empty stomach in the morning and one hour before each meal thereafter.

 

© 2006 G&G FOOD SUPPLIES LIMITED
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