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Probiotics labelled 'quite useless' (AMP link)
A group of scientists in Israel claim foods that are packed with good bacteria - called probiotics - are almost useless.
[...] The team at the Weizmann Institute of Science made their own probiotic cocktail using 11 common good bacteria including strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. It was given to 25 healthy volunteers for a month. They were then sedated and samples were surgically taken from multiple places in the stomach and small and large intestines.
The researchers were looking to see where bacteria successfully colonised and whether they led to any changes in the activity of the gut. The results in the journal Cell [open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.08.041], showed in half of cases the good bacteria went in the mouth and straight out the other end. In the rest, they lingered briefly before being crowded out by our existing microbes.
[...] The research group also looked at the impact of probiotics after a course of antibiotics, which wipe out both good and bad bacteria. Their trial on 46 people, also in the journal Cell [open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.08.047], showed it led to delays in the normal healthy bacteria re-establishing themselves.
Dr Elinav added: "Contrary to the current dogma that probiotics are harmless and benefit everyone, these results reveal a new potential adverse side effect of probiotic use with antibiotics that might even bring long-term consequences."
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday September 08 2018, @07:16PM
Oh, that. Hadn't heard anything about an actual DNA test yet so thought you were referring to something new, but was reminded of the pedigree data, so out of my brain it came. :)
Yeah, most of the petfood market has become a giant scam. And the markup is insane, sometimes 5x or more by the time it hits the retail shelf. (Speaking as one who used to manufacture dog food, back when small lots were still doable, and who has seen the distributor docs for one of the extreme markup brands of little nutritional merit.)
My cats eat dry dog food and whatever they can catch, live to be ancient (up to 18 years) and lack major issues; also, notably, they keep all their teeth. So, yeah.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.