New research on the benefits of
probiotics in children and seniors was presented at The American College of
Nutrition (ACN) Annual Meeting in a symposium, "Practical Applications of
Probiotics in Health and Disease." Scientific experts in the fields of
pediatrics, aging, and nutrition discussed the potential uses for
probiotics in children as well as the elderly, and for health conditions
such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Probiotics are used worldwide and in the US they are one of the most
rapidly growing categories of functional food. Probiotics are living
"friendly" bacteria, like those in certain active-culture dairy drinks that
can provide health benefits. Evidence is showing that specific strains of
probiotics can improve digestive health and enhance immune function when
consumed regularly.
Dr. Allan Walker, Professor of Nutrition and Pediatrics at Harvard
Medical School, led a world class panel of speakers in summarizing the role
of probiotics in pediatrics. "Infants don't have all of their gut bacteria
at birth as they acquire it up until about 2 years of age. Probiotics are
'good' bacteria, which can promote healthy colonization of bacteria in the
gut during this time, leading to enhanced immunity," said Walker.
Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, a consultant specializing in probiotics,
provided an overview of the studies showing the benefits of probiotics and
health. She said, "compelling new studies are showing how probiotics can
help keep healthy people healthy. One study showed a decreased incidence of
common infectious diseases among kids in day care." She stressed the fact
that each individual strain of probiotic can act differently, so a
probiotic that helps with digestion may be different from one that supports
the immune system.
Dr. Stefano Guandalini, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the
University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center shared the newest research on
probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. "Inflammatory bowel disease is a
condition that affects approximately 1 million adults and 150,000 children
in the US. Emerging studies are showing promise in children and will
continue to help determine how we can be using probiotics practically for
such serious conditions."
About 70 percent of our body's immune system is located in the
digestive tract and as we age, our immune function weakens. Dr. Simin
Meydani, Associate Director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research
Center on Aging at Tufts University presented cutting-edge data, which
helps in answering the question, could probiotics help the elderly? "The
idea is that taking in certain probiotics on a regular basis might
positively change the bacterial populations in the gut in older people,"
she said.
Under normal circumstances in our gastrointestinal systems, there are
many more "friendly" bacteria than "bad" bacteria. If this balance shifts,
however, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract may be affected.
Research suggests that adding probiotics to the diet can help optimize the
functioning of the intestinal lining, as well as, the immune system. The
role of probiotics in health may be greater than what we once thought.
A Webcast of the symposium will be made available at
nutrition.med.harvard.edu, usprobiotics, and
americancollegeofnutrition.
Dannon and Yakult Continue to Advocate and Lead Probiotic Research and
Education
In March 2004, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. and Groupe Danone, the parent
company of The Dannon Company, jointly established the Global Probiotics
Council. The role of the GPC is to promote and advance probiotics in the
world by raising public awareness through education, communicating the
latest knowledge to relevant interest groups, and supporting collaborative
research in the areas of probiotics and intestinal flora.
The Dannon Company is America's founding national yogurt company and
continually leverages its expertise to develop and market innovative
cultured fresh dairy products in the United States. Headquartered in White
Plains, NY, Dannon has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, and West
Jordan, UT. The company produces and sells approximately 100 different
types of flavors, styles and sizes of cultured fresh dairy products. Dannon
is owned by Groupe Danone, one of the world's leading producers of packaged
foods and beverages, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt products
worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone. With a strong commitment
to high-quality, wholesome, nutritious and innovative products, The Dannon
Company is committed to encouraging healthy eating and living. This
commitment is also illustrated through The Dannon Company's support of the
Dannon Institute, an independent, non-profit foundation dedicated to
promoting research, education, and communication about the links between
nutrition, diet and health. For more information, please visit
dannon.
For more information on probiotics, visit probioticscenter.
Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is the world's
pioneer in probiotics by introducing the first single shot probiotics
drink, Yakult(R), in 1935. Founded by microbiologist Dr. Minoru Shirota,
Yakult(R) contains high amounts of its signature strain, Lactobacillus
casei Shirota. Yakult is committed to researching the endless applications
for probiotics and the use of intestinal bacteria in human health around
the world. The company has established two science institutes to support
its efforts; one in Japan (Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological
Research) and one in Europe (Yakult Honsha European Research Center for
Microbiology ESV). Since developing its overseas network in 1964, Yakult
has expanded its business to 31 countries and territories. In addition to
producing the internationally recognized probiotic beverage, Yakult is also
accredited in the pharmaceutical field for its development of Campto
Injection (Camptosar), the first-line drug for colorectal cancer in the
U.S. Yakult U.S.A. Inc., the subsidiary of Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., is
stationed in Torrance, CA. For more information, please visit
yakult.jp /english, yakult.jp/institute, yakultusa.
The Dannon Company
dannon
View drug information on Camptosar.