Probiotics: More Harmful Than Helpful

Posted March 6, 2008 at 04:00 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: In The News, His Health, Physical Health, His Nutrition, Supplements

You may want to think twice before using probiotics, a bacteria and yeast often used as a dietary supplement. A recent study found that not only is it not as helpful as once thought, it may even be deadly in some cases.

The study took 296 people with severe pancreatitis and treated them at random with either a probiotic or a placebo. There was no significant difference in illness among the group, but thirty one percent that were given the probiotic needed intensive care, compared to twenty four percent who were given the placebo. While ten percent using the placebo needed surgery, eighteen percent of patients treated with the probiotic also needed it. Twenty-four people using the probiotic died, which is more than twice as many people who died using a placebo.

This study was the largest randomized study of the effects of probiotics. While some smaller studies have found that probiotics are associated with fighting infection, this study has shown that in some cases, they can be more harmful than helpful, although it does not give a reason why. It may be best to substitute probiotics with a different dietary supplement until researchers learn more about the benefits and risks of using them.

Research sources and for more information: [NY Times]