Probiotics to treat C. difficile-associated diarrhea?

 Drs. Kennon Miller and Thomas Fraser from the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio tell us, “Overall, the evidence does not support using probiotics to treat Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.”

Here’s why.

• Few clinical studies have tested probiotics in C. difficile-associated diarrhea.
• 2 reviews did not find a clear benefit to adding probiotics to antibiotics to treat.
• Data from 6 studies included in a 2006 meta-analysis failed to find a benefit.
• Most of the data was derived from 2 studies of Saccharomyces boulardii.

Issues with yogurt as a probiotic dietary supplement.

• Unclear how many of the bacteria added in the manufacturing process are alive once on store shelves.
• Labeling of the products doesn’t reliably reflect what’s in the yogurt.
• There’s no testing by the FDA to guarantee manufacturing and labeling standards.

A more positive summary is here.

7/8/09 15:52 JR