Greenlife Health Advisor

Probiotics

Also indexed as:Intestinal Flora, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus, Acidophilus

Side Effects

There are at least nine case reports of severe, invasive (internal) fungal infections developing in people treated with the yeast organism Saccharomyces boulardii. All of these people were debilitated or had impaired immune function prior to receiving Saccharomyces boulardii.¹⁴⁶⁸^{, 1469} No such adverse reactions have been reported with other probiotic supplements or in people with normal immune systems.

In one study, treatment of infants with a product containing probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve Bb99, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subs. shermanii JS) plus a prebiotic (a galacto-oligosaccharide) resulted in a decrease in haemoglobin levels at six months of age. The authors of this report suggested that this effect may have been due to intestinal inflammation.¹⁴⁷⁰ This adverse effect has not been reported in older people, and it is not known whether other probiotics would have the same effect in infants.

References

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The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2013.