(RxWiki News) Spanish researchers have identified a strain of probiotic bacteria that may be helpful in treating ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).
Probiotics, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, are live microorganisms that provide a "health benefit to the host" when administered in adequate amounts. Regular intake of some probiotics have been shown to prevent several gastrointestinal disorders, including diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease.
In this study, researchers treated mice with Bifidobacterium, a probiotic used in the prevention of gastrointestinal infection found in fermented dairy products and supplements. They tested strains of bifidobacteria isolated from the feces of breast-fed infants for anti-H. pylori activity and found one particular strain (Bifidobacterium bifidum CECT 7366) that inhibited ulcers.
After 21 days, mice treated with this strain of probiotic developed significantly fewer ulcers than a control group.
Gas and bloating are the two most common side effects of probiotics in humans.
