Gut Bacteria Cocktail May End Need for Fecal Transplants 183
sciencehabit writes "A tonic of gut microbes may be the secret recipe for treating a common hospital scourge. Researchers have pinpointed the exact mix of microbes required to cure mice of chronic infection by Clostridium difficile. The hard-to-treat bacterium infects alomst 336,000 in the US each year and causes bloating, pain, & diarrhea. A similar bacterial cocktail may be able to replace the current controversial treatment involving the intake of a healthy person's fecal matter to restore the right balance of microbes in the gut."
Re:Yogurt does the same thing (Score:5, Informative)
Kefir is even better, but hard to monetize so it's less common. Get some, keep a large jar and replenish with milk as required.
Not like any yogurt (Score:4, Informative)
This kind of treatment has been tested before and is an exciting possibility, but there have been failures in the past. Also, this is nothing like the yogurt cultures you know.
Insightful numbers (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Why is it controversial? (Score:5, Informative)
No Shit! (Score:2, Informative)
Come on, somebody had to say it!
Re:Why is it controversial? (Score:5, Informative)
but does your gut really get affected that much by your immune system?
Yes, a lot. The gut is the major organ involved with immunity. We are constantly sampling gut bacterial antigens, producing antibodies against the species that grow too much
Thyroïd problems impact gut immunity, and a low thyroid function is strongly associated with Candida Albicans proliferation, for instance
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Re: Warning: paranoia may cloud sensibilities (Score:4, Informative)
Yoghurt efficiency is not homeopathic lie.
From the "Québec Nationnalle health agency", an official document (PDF, French) [inspq.qc.ca], page 36.
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(Google traduction)"On primary prevention, in a recent double-blind presented American College of Gastroenterology where 44 patients who had a yogurt enriched lactobacilli were compared with 45 patients with placebo, the incidence of diarrhea was significantly lower in the group with probiotic (p = 0.01). However, in view specifically of diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile, the difference between the groups was less significant (1 patient in the probiotic group vs 7 in the placebo group had an episode of CDAD, p = 0.058)."
Re:Yogurt does the same thing (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Yogurt does the same thing (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Why is it controversial? (Score:4, Informative)