Wednesday 11 March 2020

What do you know about lactobacillus reuteri?

A gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri is found in ample quantity in milk and meat products. Apart from being found in the intestines of different mammals, this bacteria is one of the most common microbes that is present in human gut.

Today, this is a well-studied strain of probiotic bacteria and has been found to have a number of health benefits. Different strains of L. reuteri have reportedly showed different physiological effects. That being said, it should be always remembered that these reuteri supplements are yet to be approved by the FDA.


Are there any limitations in the research?

Yes, there is. Most of the research are conducted in animal cells (which are not human cells). Sparse clinical studies, that too with low quality, or potentially biased studies can lead to ambiguous study reports.




The major benefits of regularly taking the supplements with reuteri includes but not limited to –

•    Abdominal Pain

Clinical studies showed taking regular Lactobacillus reuteri for a month may help reduce the abdominal pain in children aged 6-15 years

•    Colic

Research has shown taking L. reuteri probiotic drops for a week can improve infantile colic.

•    Diarrhea from Antibiotics

There are proved evidences which suggest L. reuteri can significantly reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea and also help in treating functional constipation amongst all age group. In fact, studies have shown probiotic strain is also useful in preventing diarrhea in infants and children when consumed in the right quantity.

•    Constipation


Some studies suggest they also help in increasing the number of bowel movements, thus improving the constipated condition. Not just for the adults, infants also benefit from the increased bowel frequency when treated with a regulated dosage.




•    Eczema

Some evidence suggests, the supplementation can effectively help preventing the eczema in children as well as adults.

•    High Cholesterol


Limited clinical evidence has shown that L. reuteri is also beneficial as a complementary strategy for reducing the blood cholesterol levels. In fact, it has been studies that there are probiotics which when used in comparison to other cholesterol-lowering methods have provided better results. It works by lowering the absorption of bile.

•    IBS and Ulcerative Colitis


Yogurt containing Lactobacillus reuteri has been shown to increase the T regulatory cells in adults. This means, it helps curing the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS) and eventually works in reducing the inflammation.

There has been reports of reduced gut lining inflammation, specially amongst children diagnosed with active Ulcerative Colitis.

Scientists have come up with several hypotheses around why this probiotic might improve gut health.

Decreased levels of L. reuteri in human intestine can result in inflammatory diseases and even though there is lack of proper researches, Lactobacillus reuteri ingestion is believed to impact gut motility positively.

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