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Probiotics May Prevent Pneumonia

-November 6, 2008

A recent study conducted at the University Hospital in Lund, Sweden has found that probiotics may be effective at preventing pneumonia in seriously ill individuals.

What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a severe lung infection that causes fever, chills and impaired breathing. While this condition can range from being mild to fatal, it tends to have the most severe consequences in the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Each year, pneumonia kills over 60,000 Americans.

Current Treatments
Currently, to protect those at risk of pneumonia, doctors administer traditional antiseptics, chemicals that kill pneumonia-causing bacteria. However, because such antiseptics can cause side effects, finding a more natural solution to preventing pneumonia – such as by using probiotics instead of antiseptics – is a critical issue facing the medical community.

Similarly, since pneumonia-causing bacteria have the potential to develop a resistance to antiseptics (as the bacteria mutates into newer strains), it's crucial that an effective alternative for preventing pneumonia be found.

What are Probiotics?
Probiotics, a term that literally translates to "pro life" (as in promoting life), are a type of beneficial bacteria that line the intestines and balance out a person's digestive microbial balance. Having the right balance of such intestinal bacteria is key to proper digestion and nutrient absorption.

If the intestinal microbes become imbalanced, people typically suffer from yeast infections and/or gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping. Some of the factors that can upset the intestines' proper microbial balance include:

• antibiotics
• birth control
• stress
• unhealthy eating habits

While probiotics naturally reside in saliva, they are also present in pickled substances, such as in sauerkraut and pickles.

Details of the Study
The recent findings regarding probiotics came to light in a comparative study on 50 seriously ill patients. During this study, researchers administered probiotics to half of the participants and antiseptic to the other half (Administering probiotics and/or antiseptic involves swabbing the substance inside a person's mouth).

Ultimately, the results indicated that:
• Probiotics were just as effective as antiseptics at preventing pneumonia.

• Probiotics had longer lasting effects than antiseptics, as probiotics don't wear off after a few hours like antiseptics do (Instead, probiotics will continue working for days).

While such findings are promising, further, more in-depth studies are needed to reveal whether probiotics are effective in more general cases and whether this treatment will be affordable.

(Source: BBC Health News)

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