Culture Shock - Questioning the Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics

In certain medical conditions, probiotic supplements may actually make things worse.

Perhaps it would be safer and more effective to instead focus on fostering the growth of the good bacteria with have by feeding them prebiotics (fiber and resistant starch):

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

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[JosephNJ]

I've been taking probiotics for nearly 20 years and this is the first I've heard of any possible risks. Since it's a popular supplement, this video deserves a follow up.

[raystaar]

Once again, science tells us, 'eat your vegetables.' Will we listen, or will we continue trying to jam them into a pill?

[rhyothemisprinceps]

A few years ago I had a bout of what I thought was the beginnings of irritable bowel syndrome or something similar; the symptoms quickly changed and became a really bad case of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). The proton pump inhibitors the doctor prescribed only gave very temporary relief (an hour or so) and seemed to make things worse over time. I tried some different brands of probiotics and one seemed to help (none made it worse), but I did not want to keep taking it forever. To that point I had avoided eating raw produce since I was worried about foodborne illnesses - I had always lightly steamed my veggies. Then I read of the hygiene hypothesis and decided I didn't have anything to lose - my gut was messed up - so I started eating raw foods daily - mostly fresh leafy greens (lots of surface area for microbes to cling to) and frozen berries. I also increased my consumption of resistant starches (I try for a variety). I got better.

It is interesting to note that proton pump inhibitors have anti-bacterial activity - they interfere with the formation of biofilms.

[LuminousViewsGallery]

MORE stuff on probiotics!!! Local holistic doctor is diagnosing majority of patients with leaky gut and is prescribing probiotics. Your messages are the basis of life -THANK YOU.

[rachelAO]

I've tried a lot of things but salt free fermented plant foods and whole plant foods work for me better than any pill!

[Gkuljian]

If cooking kills those bacteria, then this might be an argument for eating raw.

[abcdeedcba]

Happy Birthday Dr. Greger! Hope you have a wonderful day!

[ernestm]

There is no one "magic bullet" that will fix human issues! It takes time for the body to heal, it takes time for recovery. Allow yourself time to improve.

[theoneofeight]

So much deception in every industry, sigh.

[eelkeaptroot]

Wouldn't be surprised if these naturally present bacteria on foods are the right type for the type of diet people consume and adding extra random colonies just results in more indigestion... Yet funny how rats do fine, whereas humans die like flies from the same intervention, so much for the usefulness of animal experiments. Also, suppose these people suffering from pancreatitis also had a leaky gut or even due to a leaky gut, feeding them any food might be bad for them. I think this type of disease might be one that's reversible with fasting. Too bad the only clinical data that might occur on this topic will likely come from fasting centres and is thus likely to be biased...

[kaitlynmyran]

Will you make an updated video on this topic.

[RozzBerry]

Dr. Greger, how do you feel about probiotic supplements for someone who had gastric weight loss surgery?

[sohc]

Consumer Labs looked at probiotics, mainly from the standpoint of whether they delivered the type and number of organisms they claimed. They also looked at several brands of kefir, the fermented milk beverage, somewhat similar to yogurt. They found that the kefir contained orders of magnitude more organisms than the supplements, in the trillions per serving. There are hundreds of studies in Pub Med on the benefits of kefir, including that made with soy milk. In one study the number of isoflavones doubled and total phenolic content increased 9-fold. I make my own following an extremely simple process I found on Youtube. I buy Trader Joe's organic soymilk in the sealed cartons. I pour out about three ounces into another container and replace it with three ounces of Trader Joe's plain milk kefir. I then replace the lid loosely and let it stand at room temperature for 3-4 days, shaking it periodically. The result is a creamy, tangy delicious drink that I either drink straight or pour over berries.

[miteshpatel]

How about coconut kefir? Is helpful for IBS and IBD?

[bpots]

Wow. I always had my suspicions about probiotics :)

[agriperma]

One of the problems I see here, is the term "pro-biotic" as if it is just one single organism, there are hundreds of different pro-biotic bacteria, that react with our bodies in different ways. and, we also must take each individuals own genetics and diet into account.

Imagine if we used the word, "food" the same way we generalize "pro-biotic" I could say food can kill you and is dangerous, and technically I would be correct. so would you agree that what specific foods and quantities is consumed is important?

L. acidophilus will affect someone different than say B. longum, and as many others have stated in the comments section, what a person likes to eat will have effect on what populations of pro-bacteria will flourish in our bodies.

As for the pro-biotics in food, I would think that most processed food is sterile, with the intention of the manufactures wish of increasing shelf life. nuked, heated, treated, anything to make that product not rot on the shelf.

I would go as far as to say that any bacteria on fresh produce, will not only vary by how its grown, ( Organic vs Non Organic ) but also in the location, and even the variety / cultivar of the veggie or fruit.

[kaidsin]

when I take 100 billion probiotic it always gets rid of my bloating and honestly helps. perhaps it is bad for some but I can noticeably tell an improvement :D

[aneeshsen]

I started a probiotic for histamine intolerance. I plan to stop it after 2 months. So far I feel like its helping me with me, but I dont think its good to take probiotics long term. 2 months should be enough time to colonize my probiotics as i take them with apple sauce + flax seed + walnuts.

[deepakhiranandani]

Good to know this. Thanks. I have a request: could you answer these queries? 1. If produce contains beneficial bacteria, I suppose those would be destroyed on cooking? So cooked vegetables are not a good source? 2. Washing by rubbing with fingers under a running tap then rinsing does, I have read, remove 50% of chemical residues. I suppose washing also removes the bacteria? 3. Washed and peeled fruit though eaten uncooked too would be a poor source of the bacteria? 4. May I assume that having plenty of a variety of fibrous prebiotic foods i could hope for the best, that the tiny amounts of bacteria still left in the washed fruit and cooked vegetables would multiply and flourish in my body and keep me healthy?

[LeadmareLibertad]

What about people that are taking antibiotics and want to avoid another problem such as c. Difficile?