Good bacteria may help against travelers' diarrhea

[agriadam]

Good bacteria may help against travelers' diarrhe</span>
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Australian researchers have modified probiotic microbes -- "good" bacteria -- that may be useful in preventing or treating travelers' diarrhea, an all too common problem during trips to certain countries.

The microbes work against a type of E. coli bacteria that causes diarrhea by producing a chemical that is toxic to intestinal cells. The probiotic microbes carry a molecule that looks a lot like the toxin receptor found on intestinal cells. This mimicry causes the toxin to bind to the microbes instead of the intestinal cells.

Dr. James C. Paton, from the University of Adelaide and colleagues created the toxin-binding probiotic organisms.

Lab tests showed that these organisms could bind and neutralize a significant amount of enterotoxin, according to the report in the medical journal Gastroenterology. Moreover, treatment with these agents conferred significant intestinal protection in rabbits exposed to the toxin.

The results suggest that these probiotics could be a useful treatment for traveler's diarrhea caused by E. coli, the researchers state.

"Significant safety issues will need to be addressed, but recombinant probiotics may afford sophisticated, novel biological therapies for a wide range of conditions in the years to come," Dr. Claribel P. Taylor and Dr. J. Thomas LaMont, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, note in a related editorial.

<span style=\'color:gray\'>SOURCE: Gastroenterology, May 2005.

[omisan]

Hrmmm.. there may be some credence to this. I eat a lot of yogurt as it is, especially the stuff w/ live cultures and probiotics. Well, I found some of the drinkable at a grocery store in Costa Rica and chugged a couple bottles of it - after that I found that the local water, ice, and ceviche had no ill effects on my system. (Whereas on my 3rd n ight of the trip, I was stricken by an acute case of Montezuma's Revenge.)

So hey, maybe it's true! Eat your probiotic yogurt, people.

[space virgin]

That Kefir yogurty drink is loaded with probiotics.

[kingcrazylegs]

:greenguy:

[Joker]

There is most definitely truth to this accorrding to my doc last year...

Little different, but here's the short version: had strep throat that turned into acute tonsilitis. Tonsils abcessed 3 times over a month+, nearly killing me twice (nearly cut off air thru my throat). Until the infections settled down, I was on 2000 mg of antibiotics a day, for that entire time, and for a while after my surgery as well.

The doc advised that I eat as much yogurt as I could get my hands on because the antibiotics kill the good bacteria in your stomach that aid in digestion and removing the nutrients from your food. Granted, I couldn't get anything of substance beyond soup noodles and jello down because of soreness and swelling (percocets and lortab are your friends, gang!), I drank Dannon Frusions yogurt smoothies constantly.

Come to find out, the ENT tells me that its what assisted in my quick recovery (surgery and back to work in exactly one week. They expected 2-3 minimum) because there was enough bacteria in there, and get this:

Tells me that if I ever go on antibiotics for something again or better yet, go to a country thats water/food is questionable, eat tons of yogurt because it increases those cultures and helps to prevent the Montezuma's Revenge. Said he learned that as an Army medic!!

Must be true, too crazy not to be!

[omisan]

Yeah, my old roomie would go on pro-biotics whenever she was on antibiotics to ensure she didn't get, uh, "girl problems."

(Good bacteria apparently keep the yeast population down...)

[space virgin]

Originally posted by Joker@May 26 2005, 05:24 AM
Little different, but here's the short version: had strep throat that turned into acute tonsilitis. Tonsils abcessed 3 times over a month+, nearly killing me twice (nearly cut off air thru my throat). Until the infections settled down, I was on 2000 mg of antibiotics a day, for that entire time, and for a while after my surgery as well.

holy crap, Joker, I had the same thing happen to me. Including the peritonsillar abscess. :greenguy: At least they're gone!!! I too was on antibiotics 4 or 5 times one summer-- a different kind each time-- and ate yogurt daily to keep things as normal as possible. Must have worked because I didn't have any side effects except for a pain in my chest when I got the anesthesiologist's bill.

[Joker]

SV-

Tell me about it. I'll threadjack this one!

I went to a clinic bc my doc's office was closed and i was running a 103+F fever... i was passing out in the waiting room, couldn't talk, swallow any fluids, and felt like i was dying! after an hour of that, i finally got in to see the doc. She starts to examine me and yells "Holy Shit! You have to get to the ER NOW!"

Needless to say, i went directly there!

Doc at the ER tells me if i had let it go overnite it'd likely suffocated me in my sleep, since it was blocking 80% of my throat!

[space virgin]

Originally posted by Joker@May 27 2005, 05:18 AM
Doc at the ER tells me if i had let it go overnite it'd likely suffocated me in my sleep, since it was blocking 80% of my throat!

Dude, that's pretty much what happened to me!! I haven't ever known anyone else who knew what the fuck that type of abscess was. God that sucked. The shot of lidocaine on the back of my throat trickled down and made me projectile vomit (which the nurse was expecting since she calmly stepped out of the way til I finished), and then when it came time to get rid of the offending abscess... You know what I'm talking about, I think maybe I'll spare the rest of the poor unsuspecting Tpunk population the horrifying image, lol. I also won't describe what a wretched, living nightmare it is to recover from a tonsillectomy when you're over 25.

But: HOORAY for no more goddamn tonsils!!!

[Joker]

They loaded my mouth so full of novocaine/lidocaine and painkillers thru the IV the first time at the hospital i didn't feel much (yeah right.... thats what they said. You have something inside of you sucked thru a needle that doesn't wanna leave!), and the other two times were at the ENT's office.

Pain? Yeah. Like nothing I've ever wanna experience again, thanks!

But like i said, the weird thing, and the docs didn't even believe this: I was operated on and back to work in exactly one week. Yeah, I was sore from surgery, and that took a couple week to get beyond. Doc said he expected that I would have needed 2-3 to recover...


Anyway, Threadjack tally-ho! :D

[MeTurk]

I love Yop, have you ever come across it, tis great tack altogether. Drinkible yogurt.

The only problem with yogurt is you can't get enough of it.

[tumblezweedz]

I've always heard that it's better to eat the locally made yogurts (as opposed to the generic store bought ones) because they're better for countering the particular bugs in the local water, etc. Anyone have any input on this? I don't usually get sick, but one of my kids has a tender tummy, and this is the kind of info a mum who does the laundry likes to know!

[Canadian Bacon]

WOW, great INFO, great thread guys.

Cuz me likes the street meat

[Tack]

Another good Probiotic food is Oligosaccharides which are in beans and legumes. A down side to this one, the good bacteria produce methane to thank you for feeding them and not the bad ones. i dont suggest that before you go out on the town.