Healthnotes Newswire (February 15, 2001)—Lactobacillus supplements quell the side effects of antibiotics used to treat Helicobacter pylori, according to a report in the current issue of the medical journal Digestion.¹

Years ago, scientists proved that people with ulcers or gastritis (stomach inflammation) frequently suffer from an infection caused by the bacterium H. pylori. These infections can be treated successfully by using combinations of antibiotics. Eradicating H. pylori often cures gastritis patients and ulcer patients who had been infected by the bacterium. But use of these drugs often leads to gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, bloating, diarrhea, taste disturbances, and loss of appetite. These problems occur because antibiotics also kill friendly bacteria needed for normal function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Drug-induced side effects often lead patients to abandon drug therapy—what doctors call poor patient compliance. Poor compliance translates into treatment failure; medicines only work when people take them. Reducing drug side effects, therefore, not only helps patients suffer fewer side effects, but would also potentially improve compliance, thereby increasing the chance of successful treatment.

In this new study, 120 people with H. pylori infections were given antibiotics with or without Lactobacillus GG for one week, and then given both during the week of antibiotic therapy and the week following cessation of drug treatment. Lactobacillus GG is a subspecies of Lactobacillus casei, a relative of the Lactobacillus acidophilus found in supplements and some cultured milk products. People given antibiotics and the Lactobacillus supplement experienced a 60% lower risk of bloating and a 70% lower risk of diarrhea or taste disturbances, compared with people who received only antibiotic treatment. Unlike those not receiving Lactobacilli, a majority of those receiving the friendly bacteria suffered no side effects whatever. All of these differences were statistically significant.

Many people associate the word Lactobacillus with yogurt, because some yogurts contain these friendly bacteria. Lactobacilli are also available as supplements. Lactobacilli live for only a short time in the human gut. Therefore, any successful attempt to maintain high levels of these friendly “bugs” within the gut—for example, during antibiotic therapy—requires daily administration. The Lactobacillus GG supplement used in this experiment contains a subspecies of Lactobacillus casei and is the frequent choice of researchers. Lactobacillus GG is available as a supplement, but typically only from suppliers who sell supplements to doctors rather than to health food stores. While it is likely that other strains of Lactobacilli may have similar effects, the current study does not answer the question: are Lactobacillus acidophilus supplements an effective treatment for H. pylori infections?

Twelve billion Lactobacilli divided into two daily doses were given to the subjects of this trial. This may sound like an inconceivably high amount, and it is much higher than the level found in a portion of yogurt. However, high potency Lactobacillus supplements can supply such a daily dose. Quality Lactobacillus supplements list the number of viable bacteria in each pill on the label of the bottle. The number listed however, means different things to different companies. For example, some supplement companies list the number of bacteria in each pill at the time the supplement is formulated, while others list the number of bacteria likely to be present after the bottle has been sitting on the shelf for a significant period of time. Lactobacillus GG strain will be listed as such on the label. Most Lactobacillus supplements require refrigeration, and this includes time spent in the store—not just time between purchase and consumption.

Two of the three drugs used in the trial, pantoprazole and tinidazole, are not available in the United States. Instead, U.S. physicians prescribe related drugs to treat H. pylori infections. The positive results reported from authors of the new trial might extend to using Lactobacillus GG in combination with other anti-H. pylori drugs; however, further research is needed to prove that these bacteria are equally effective when given to Americans suffering from H. pylori infections.