Nov 9, 2009 12:47 pm US/Pacific
Good Germs May Fight Colds & Flu
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ―
With the H1N1 flu widespread in the Bay Area, and, vaccines still scarce, what's your backup plan? Some folks may wash their hands frequently, get plenty of sleep, and stay away anyone who is sneezing or coughing.
These are all great steps to keep healthy, but what about fighting bad germs with good germs?
The good germs are live active microorganisms called probiotics. They're similar to bacteria found in your gut and many believe probiotics are protective.
"They protect you because they optimize your immune system" said nutritionist Joe Ann Hattner. Heightener said over 70% of our immune response takes place in the gut.
Probiotics are found in a variety of fermented foods: miso soup, some soft cheeses, pickles, sauerkraut, and certain yogurts.
Now new evidence demonstrates how live active cultures found in these foods can ward off the cold and flue.
The study, published in the medical journal Pediatrics, found healthy children ages 3 to 5 who were fed probiotics had fewer cases of colds and flu, and when they did get sick, they were sick for fewer days.
"The kids who got the probiotics had reduced symptoms of their fever, their runny nose, their cough," said Hattner.
Hattner has written extensively about probiotics, most recently in her new book called Gut Insight.
But she advises if you add probiotic foods to your diet, you should add other foods, called prebiotics, as well.
"The prebiotics are in the plant foods," explained Hattner.
Prebiotics are indigestible carbohydrates found in plants foods like artichokes, onions, garlic, bananas, and whole wheat. These prebiotic foods help to fuel helpful probiotic bacteria.
"The bacteria munch on the prebiotics, that is really their nutrition, that's what causes them to replicate and grow and function," said Hattner.
As for probiotic supplements? Hattner says stick to whole food sources instead. And while these good germs are not a cure for colds, the seasonal flu or H1N1, these beneficial germs may help to keep you and your family's immune system healthy.
But when shopping for foods that contain probiotics, look for live and active cultures on the label; and look for strains that have been scientifically tested and confirmed as having probiotic effects such as Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG.
The most common probiotic bacteria include lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, lactobacillus reuteri, lactobacillus plantarum, lactobacillus rhamnosus, bifidobacterium animalis, bifidobacterium lactis, bifidobacterium infantis and bifidobacterium longum.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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