Scientists conducted a placebo-controlled trial of 70 IBS patients for their results. Half of the participants received St. John’s wort and half received a placebo for a period of three months. They found that after the test period, the placebo group actually had fewer IBS symptoms including stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating than the group that received the herbal supplement.

It’s believed that as many as one out of five Americans has IBS symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. Among some of the alternative treatments believed to be helpful in treating the symptoms of IBS include acupuncture, hypnosis, yoga, meditation and regular exercise, as well as herbal supplements containing peppermint and taking probiotics.

St. John’s wort has been shown to be helpful in several medical conditions such as depression and other pain syndromes. Research has shown it to be as effective as conventional, prescription anti-depressants in treating mild to moderate depression.

The researchers tested various types of diets of blueberry husks, rye bran and oat bran with or without a mixture of probiotic bacteria. The results showed that the protective effect of blueberries was reinforced if they were eaten together with probiotics.

"The probiotics proved to have a protective effect on the liver, an organ that is often negatively impacted by intestinal inflammations," said researcher Asa Hakansson.

They also found that when the berries were eaten together with probiotics, the content of butyric acid and propionic acid increased in the blood. These substances have previously been shown to be important energy sources for intestinal cells and to have a favorable impact on immune defense.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and polyphenols, which have an antimicrobial and antioxidative effect. The combination of blueberries and probiotics reduced inflammation-inducing bacteria in the intestine at the same time as the number of health-promoting lactobacilla increased.

The study in the Journal of Microbiologyhas identified butyric acid as the most promising therapy for treating the disease.

Researchers say butyric acid has well-known anti-inflammatory effects and is able to strengthen intestinal wall cells. In addition, they say that bacterial strains such as F. prausnitzii and B.pullicaecorum secrete other anti-inflammatory compounds that may enhance the therapeutic effect.

"Conventional drug therapy has limited effectiveness and considerable side effects," said medical microbiologist Filip Van Immerseel. "Probiotics are live bacterial supplements or food ingredients, which when taken in sufficient numbers confer health benefits to the host. Recent trials focusing on butyric acid-producing bacterial strains have been extremely promising and could lead to a new treatment for IBD."

Van Immerseel says that finding the most effective strain to treat the disease will be difficult.

"As butyric acid-producing bacteria are naturally depleted in IBD patients, we will need to identify strains that are able to colonize the gut without being outcompeted," he said.

It’s estimated that as many as 1.5 million Americans suffer from some form of IBD, which is an inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tract that causes severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. The most common manifestations of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The study also found that the colon tissue of the treated mice had greater angiogenesis, a process that is necessary for wounds to heal.

Colitis is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in which the inner tissue of the colon becomes inflamed and damaged and can result in painful sores. It’s estimated that as many as 3.3 million Americans suffer from the disease.

Healthcare practitioners have recommended probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, as an alternative treatment for the disease. Researchers involved with this study say further studies are necessary before it is known whether these results can be applied to humans.

According to the Mayo Clinic, other alternative therapies believed to help treat colitis include prebiotics, acupuncture and nutritional supplements containing fish oil and aloe vera. Reducing stress and avoiding foods that trigger symptoms from the diet is also believed to be beneficial.

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine included probiotics as part of a regimen for patients who had recently undergone gastric bypass surgery.

They found that patients who used the "good bacteria" were more likely to lose weight than study subjects in the control group, and were also able to limit vitamin B12 deficiencies associated with the procedure.

Dr. John Morton, the study’s co-author, says that the research was initiated in response to obese patients who complained that it was difficult to eat properly after surgery because of the effects on the digestive tract.

"A lot of people aren’t aware that we all carry around a lot of bacteria in our intestines and that they’re extremely helpful in aiding digestion," he added. "And I thought, ‘Well, if we give these patients probiotics, then maybe we can improve these symptoms."

According to Reuters, a study published in the journal Allergy finds that giving expectant moms with a history of allergies a select strain of probiotics during the last six weeks of pregnancy helped avoid the common skin condition in the infants.

Researchers followed about 100 children whose moms either took a mixture of three probiotic bacteria or a placebo before they were born. The children were also given the same treatment for a year. They found just six out of the 50 infants whose mothers had taken the healthy bacteria had eczema, compared to 15 out of 52 who received the placebo.

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition thought to be related to allergies.

In addition, the probiotic group saw a benefit for up to two years.
According to WebMD, probiotics are mostly used to treat stomach and intestinal problems, like diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease.

A new study out of the Stanford University School of Medicine finds gastric bypass surgery patients who received a probiotic supplement everyday for three months following their procedure had a significantly higher weight loss, an average of 47.6 percent, than those who got a placebo pill, an average of 38.5 percent.

In addition, the group that was given the probiotics was able to avoid a vitamin B12 deficiency, which is a common side effect of gastric bypass surgery.

Almost two-thirds, or 66 percent, of adult Americans are overweight. Gastric bypass is the most
common weight loss surgery because it is associated with fewer complications than other weight loss procedures.

Vitamin B12 is a critical vitamin important for metabolism, the formation of red blood cells, and maintenance of the central nervous system.

Probiotics are available in supplement form. They can also be found in foods like yogurt and other cultured milk products, miso, tempeh, and some juices and soy beverages.

Products like juices and ice creams have recently been introduced to provide alternative ways of increasing the level of helpful bactaria in the gut, and one company says that it’s new line of probiotic-based iced teas offer a summertime drink that can help.

The designers of the teas say that the new strain is more stable than older lactobacillus variants, which could improve benefits as it travels through acidic portions of the mouth and stomach.

Researchers at University Hospital in Lund, Sweden say that probiotics have also shown promise in reducing the likelihood of developing diseases in congested areas like hospitals.

They gave patients on ventilators a probiotic supplement swabbed inside of their mouth instead of using antiseptics commonly administered in hospitals.

The probiotic swabbing was as effective as the antiseptic in reducing cases of pneumonia, and the scientists say it came without the side effects of allergic reactions and tooth discoloration often found in current hospital practices.

Doctors there reviewed clinical data and say that while the mechanism of the bacteria is not clear yet, the effects on treating and perhaps preventing infections like diarrhea are.

Supplementation, either through products that contained increased amounts of probiotics or other means, could benefit Americans looking to limit the risk for vaginal or bladder conditions, with initial research that has shown initial promise for the use of the bacteria in treating those infections.

It has been suggested that probiotics may be able to calm the immune system by limiting flare-ups caused by diseases, the scientists noted.

Patients who may be taking antibiotics could take probiotics to enhance compliance with the prescription drug, according to research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

The data supports the idea that patients given the supplement are less likely to develop stomach irritability or other side effects of prescription antibiotics, which may help them finish the full course of drugs prescribed by a doctor.

While frozen yogurts contain probiotics like l. acidophilus as part of the fermentation process, YoCream says that its new high culture line of treats that incorporate more of the "good bacteria."

"Studies began on this strain [of bacteria] in the early 1970’s, so there are many years of proven safety and efficacy," said Peggy Steele, Danisco Global Business Director.

Incorporating probiotics into different food products has also found support by Chinese researchers who used them as part of a fruit beverage that they say is safe for diabetics.

They used the bacteria to reduce the glucose content in the fruits and vegetables they included, and then added a sugar-substitute called xylitol to improve the taste.

"The process significantly removes sugar but retains the nutritional content of the juice’s raw materials," said co-author Professor Xiuqi Liu.