You can check out the newspaper or any medical paper and you’re sure to find out that more and more research and studies are being made concerning probiotics. However, not all of these ongoing researches are worthwhile. Matter of fact, Dr. Robert Martindale – a very enthusiastic supporter of probiotics who is known worldwide, stated flat out that there is no doubt that an overwhelming percentage of these works is outright quackery. Many of these researches are done without taking strict scientific protocols into account.

Despite that, Mr. Martindale felt and reveals that there is solid evidence that probiotics can be used in various areas of medicine. Let’s see one particular example – using probiotics in cutting the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia (also known as VAP). This condition occurs in patients who are using respirators. Just in case you don’t know, this disease has a whopping mortality rate of 20%! Another promising study (which accords to scientific protocols) shows that probiotics could be taken advantage of in prevention of HIV – reducing the adverse impact of IBD and even the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (also known as MRSA). The latter, by the way, is an antibiotic resistant bacterium that is very commonly found in hospitals as well as other health care facilities.

And that’s just to name a few! Here are more examples – the researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center is looking at how Lactobacillus reuteri could work when it comes to slowing down the growth and development of certain cancerous tumors (which as we all know is very rapid). This study at the Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center documented the molecular mechanisms of the probiotics and how it affects in human myeloid leukemia-derived cells – how it regulates the multiplication of cancer cells as well as how it promotes cancer cell death. The conclusion of this study can result to a better understanding of probiotics…which in turn could result to probiotics-based supplement to prevent cancer and conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.

Here’s another study – the researchers and scientists at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Ohio State University checked at whether Lactobacillus acidophilus – probiotics which are commonly found in yogurt and other dairy and fermented products, could enhance the immune-strengthening potential of vaccine against the human rotavirus – this virus is the most common cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea which is responsible for death of infants and children around the globe.

This study uses and tests newborn pigs – and as a result, they found that by giving both vaccine and probiotics (specifically Lactobacillus acidophilus) gave the newborn pigs a better immune response than those who are given vaccine alone. In concluding this study, the researchers were convinced that probtiocs can offer a safe yet very effective way to increase the effectiveness and immune-strengthening potential of rotavirus vaccine in humans.

Although there is a lot of quackery going on concerning the studies related to probiotics worldwide, one can comfortably conclude that these healthy and friendly micro organisms can help greatly when it comes to improving our health…all thanks to studies like these!