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Taste for Life, Carol Ferguson July 1, 2009

Antibiotics are useful pharmaceuticals for certain infections, including Lyme disease. But today the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calls bacterial resistance to these drugs “one of the world’s most pressing health problems.” When medicine fails to work because of resistant bacteria, patients require more expensive and toxic drugs, plus more doctor visits or extended hospital stays. And some antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to death.


GROWING RESISTANCE

The CDC discourages taking antibiotics for colds or flu, sore throat that’s not caused by strep, and most coughs or bronchitis. The Journal of the American Medical Association predicts that resistance to oseltamivir, an antibiotic used for influenza A (H1N1) during the 2007—08 flu season, will be prevalent in this year’s flu season as welt.
   
For decades, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria have been wreaking havoc in hospitals, gyms, and school locker rooms. Low levels of pharmaceuticals have also been detected in drinking, ground, and surface water worldwide, making it crucial to complete any antibiotic regimen and to never put unused drugs down the sink or toilet.
   
The spread of resistant bacteria isn’t just limited to the overuse of meds, though. Antibiotics are routinely used in non-organic livestock production, and since approximately 75 percent of these drugs are not absorbed by animals, they end up in the environment One new study finds that bacterial resistance spread by airborne pollutants from large commercial feedlots increased one year from 14 percent in the spring to 54 percent in the fall.

FRIENDLY BACTERIA TO THE RESCUE

“Ideally, beneficial probiotic bacteria make up about 85 percent of the bacteria in your GI tract,” explains nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS. “The other 15 percent of harmful bacteria usually don’t present a problem?’ If that balance tips, however, the bad bacteria can overgrow and cause health problems. Dr. Gittleman estimates that many Americans today have friendly bacteria counts as low as five per milliliter, although five billion is needed. “That’s not just a drop—that’s a probiotic meltdown,” she says.
   
To support the growth of friendly bacteria, regularly consume yogurt and kefir with live, active cultures, as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut and tempeh that feed and sustain probiotics in the digestive tract. Whenever possible, eat organic meat and poultry that’s produced without antibiotic drugs. Dr. Gittleman also advises avoiding alcohol, chlorinated drinking water, oral contraceptives, steroids, and sugar, which can alter the balance of beneficial bacteria.
   
Also consider supplements. Hyla Cass, MD, recommends taking probiotics containing one billion live bacteria daily. Anyone taking antibiotics needs supplements two hours before or after taking these drugs.

OVERALL BENEFITS

Besides fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria, some friendly flora strains help control bacterial and viral respiratory infections in preschoolers. “Certain probiotics have been shown to decrease airway hyper-responsiveness and inflammation by inducing regulatory mechanisms,” find UC Davis investigators. That may be because friendly bacteria enhance T-cell and other healthy immune responses.

Probiotics are also extremely supportive of women’s health, fighting urogenital tract infections brought on by yeast as well as bacteria. Overall, friendly flora are most useful for digestive disorders, ranging from constipation and diarrhea (even from hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile) to irritable bowel syndrome.

WHEN ANTIS BEAT OUT THE PROS

As probiotics dwindle in the digestive tract, health suffers, warns Ann Louise Gittleman. PhD, CNS. “When the good bacteria disappear, bad ones rush into take their place on the walls of the colon,” she says. “Once that happens, all sorts of pathogens can gain a foothold in your gut and spread their toxins into the entire body.”
   
Detrimental micro—organisms like C. difficile (antibiotic-associated diarrhea), E. coli, H. pylori, MRSA infections, and salmonella can start to overrun friendly flora. “Many surprising conditions, such as asthma, sinusitis, and kidney stones, can be traced back to imbalances of the beneficial and harmful bacteria in your GI tract,” Dr. Gittleman says. “E. coli, for example, can disrupt the way insulin controls your blood sugar and make you more vulnerable to diabetes. The lack of beneficial bacteria and the expansion of ‘superbugs’ can also lead to the accumulation of endotoxins, biologically active substances that can cause great damage in the body. In hospitals, experts estimate, about 50,000 people die every year from endotoxin-induced shock. In the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of endotoxins can exacerbate pancreatitis while leading to skin problems like psoriasis or autoimmune disorders like lupus.”
   
Because probiotics normally partner with immune cells to fight off pathogens, ‘dwindling numbers of beneficial bacteria can trigger your system to become consistently overstimulated. This results in localized inflammation, which then produces a rippling effect throughout the entire body. Inflammation can severely aggravate arthritis and can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, Dr. Gittleman says, Digestion is also impeded, “allowing partially broken down protein fragments to be absorbed into the bloodstream,” she adds. These fragments can intensify nervous system problems, increase eczema, and raise your susceptibility to a host of allergies.