Another question about probiotics
#331335 - 06/20/08 06:47 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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Ok, this might be a dumb question, and I apologize if it is.
I went back to my doctor yesterday because I'm just so incredibly frustrated with the bloating and the pain. He asked me if I was taking probiotics and I told him that I actually found one (Udo's Choice Super Bifido Plus) that I believe is offering me a little bit of relief.
He told me to discontinue that one and start taking Align, because it is more potent.
I went home and looked - Align has 1 billion viable bacteria, Udo's has 7 billion.
I realize that Align and VSL#3 are the only probiotics that have research to back them up, which is presumably why he recommended the Align. However, the research is looking (to me)like probiotics are beneficial in general. The Udo's has like 4 or 5 different strains of Bifidobacterium, which from my understanding is what's helpful for bloating and gas.
What do you guys think? I'm totally at my wit's end here...
Another question, for anyone who has taken Udo's - it's recommended to take 3/day in the beginning to "restore healthy flora" then 1/day for maintenance. I've never taken 3/day because I've been taking probiotics for years. Has anyone found relief taking 3/day? (I don't even care about the cost at this point!) And how do you know when you're ready to drop down to 1/day??
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IBS-C
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I'm certainly not an expert on these things, and I'm unfamiliar with UDO, but I was under the impression that Align is the only product out there than contains Bifidobacterium Infantis, or Bifantis as it is commonly called, and that is the strain that the docs think is so helpful to our cause. It's touted to do its thing as a one-a-day. That's my understanding.
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The number of bacteria is not an effective measure of the potency of a probiotic. The proper measure is colony forming units [CFU]. In the research publications the number of bacteria in Align is given in CFUs.
Not all Bifidobacterium are beneficial for IBS. In fact, some probiotics might even make the IBS symptoms worse. In Align the the Bifidobacterium bacteria species infantis has been shown to be effective for IBS. In fact only the specific strain Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has been clinically tested for IBS. However, I have been have been using Bifidobacterium infantis NLS found in the product Life Start from Natren with reasonable success. It has not been clinically tested. UDO's choice has not been clinically tested for IBS and its effectiveness is unknown.
There are other Bifidobacterium in VLS#3 which have not been shown to be individually effective. Generally speaking the over all results for VSL#3 for IBS has not been shown to be as effective as Align. It quite possible that the bacteria other than Bifidobacterium infantis in VSL#3 are not effective for IBS.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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Thanks, that was helpful. I figured you'd chime in!
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IBS-C
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The role of probiotics in IBS is a bit complicated and the story is still emerging.
I forgot to mention one other thing. More bacteria in a probiotic does not mean it is more potent. For example, 1 billion cells of one bacteria may be effective while 10 billion of another bacteria may have little or no effect.
Keep us posted about your Align experience. Good luck 
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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I will! I know Aly posted her experience awhile back, but I was thinking of doing another Align chronicle for newer members who might be considering Align. If anyone's interested...
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IBS-C
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