Probiotics, live microbes that can lead to more balanced stomach bacteria levels (e.g. yogurt, aged uncooked chesses and miso), may help reduce diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, a study published in the May 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association says.
According to the study's researchers, diarrhea episodes were reduced by 42 percent in antibiotic users who took a probiotic supplement.
"Antibiotics in doing their work actually kill off a lot of the normal flora that are supposed to exist in our gut, so things kind of go haywire," said Sydne Newberry from the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, who worked on the study.
Researchers admitted they have not isolated which probiotic microorganisms are beneficial and which are not. Global sales of probiotic foods and supplements reached $21 billion for 2010 and may reach $31 billion by 2015.
by RTT Staff Writer
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