Probiotics and Antioxidants?

Today, we talked a lot about probiotics and antioxidants at the hospital. According to the dieticians, physicians in South Africa are wary of the use of probiotics, and so I thought I would go in to a little more research to see how much they are used in the US. But first, with the help of Wikipedia.org, here’s a little background on what antioxidants and probiotics are:

Antioxidants

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. This means that they help to reduce the production of free radicals in the body, which can lead to cell damage or death. Antioxidants stop the free radicals from starting chain reactions by removing the free radical intermediates, which inhibits other oxidation reactions. In order to do this, they must be oxidized themselves, and so antioxidants are often reducing agents such as thiols, ascorbic acid, or polyphenols.

Antioxidants are widely used in dietary supplements and have been investigated for the prevention of diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease, and even altitude sickness. Antioxidants also have many industrial uses, such as preservatives in food and cosmetics and to prevent the degradation of rubber and gasoline.

Probiotics

Probiotic organisms are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism. Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be used. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures (such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements).

At the start of the 20^th century, probiotics were thought to beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, thus inhibiting pathogens and toxin producing bacteria. Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, prevention and treatment of pathogen-induce diarrhea, urogenital infections, and atopic diseases.

So there you have it in a nutshell.

As of 2008, a review article published by Vanderhoof and Young showed that there is a validated indication for the use of some probiotics in the US. However, they have discovered that there is a need to clarify the regulatory and safety issues. So perhaps South Africa and the United States can figure out the benefits and consequences together. All I know is that I will have to keep an eye out for more knowledge on probiotics upon my return home.

As for antioxidants…I know that they are all the rage in the US. For example…why do you think so many people drink a glass of red wine a day? Oh right…antioxidants.

In addition to these riveting topics, we also talked about how your diet can affect arthritis pain, so I decided to do a little more research on that too. Here’s what I came up with:

Researchers have found that the Mediterranean diet had the greatest effect at reducing arthritis pain. The Mediterranean diet emphases foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and olive oil, while limiting the amount of red meat. In a study done, in 12 weeks, people on the diet reported 15% less pain, but no improvements in physical function or morning stiffness. A vegetarian diet that allowed eggs and dairy products had a similar effect.

On the other hand, some foods like potatoes and tomatoes have long been said to contribute to arthritis pain. Some researchers have speculated that a group of compounds in the vegetables called alkaloids might worsen inflammation in sensitive people. But so far, no solid studies have confirmed this.

Interestingly, the dietician I was working with today suggested that her patient try to increase the amount of omega 3 fatty acids that she was consuming each week. Omega 3’s are found in fish (salmon, tuna, and halibut), some plants, and nut oils. Omega 3’s have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body and may help to reduce the swelling of arthritis patients. She also suggested a diet high in green, leafy vegetables.

Needless to say, I think that this might be an interesting field of study upon my return.