[Jed]: This whole issue of probiotics...
[Rhonda]: Yes.
That was going to be my next question.
That would be interesting to view.
[Jed]: Well, it's fascinating.
You know, in Europe, there is a lot, I think the regulatory climate in Europe for probiotics
is a bit more receptive than in the U.S.
You probably know more about it than I do.
But I know that the use of probiotics seems to be increasing in the U.S., and studies
by those who are expert in the field of probiotics are mixed.
[Rhonda]: Well, it's the same case as the glucoraphanin sulforaphane supplements.
A lot of the probiotics in the market, there is a lot of dead bacteria in them...
[Jed]: A lot of garbage, yeah.
[Rhonda]: ...a lot of garbage.
I mean, this is ubiquitous in all supplement.
You know, I think there was even a study showing something like 70% of, like, a lot of these
supplements on the market are not actually what they say they are, they don't have the
concentrations they say.
But, yeah, I think that there is a lot of mixed data and that comes down to not having
quality probiotics and also the numbers.
That's another problem, too low numbers of.... [Jed]: Right, 10 billion per...
[Rhonda]: Yeah, that's nothing.
You know, it's like a drop in the pool.
It's not going to even move the needle.
But there is a probiotic out there that I've seen at least two dozen publications including
clinical trials in humans and then there's more mechanistic studies in animals using
VSL number three.
It's called, they're sachets and they have 450 billion probiotics per sachet and they
have a mixture of lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and some other ones but showing efficacy in
treating IBS, Crohn's.
You know, so I think you can find quality probiotics, but it's just, again, it's the
same thing that you've seen in your field, is finding the right one.
[Jed]: Absolutely.
I think the issue of the numbers of cells, I mean, to a non-scientist consumer, "billions"
sounds like a huge number.
Well, yeah, it is, but it's still...you know, you can fit a billion bacteria on a pin, probably,
well, maybe a teaspoon.
Anyway, the issue there, though, is a lot of the issue is survival.
So if you boast about having billions of bacterial cells of a certain type in yogurt, for example,
and you're not on proton pump inhibitors, so you have an acid stomach and you send that
yogurt through your stomach, how many of those bacteria actually make it through the acid
environment of the stomach?
So, I mean, people have studied that certainly, but there are studies, as you say, with a
small number of specific strains showing effects.
I think some of the more striking effects have to do with childhood diarrhea and there
are even studies showing effects on asthma.
[Rhonda]: Effects on the brain.
It's incredible.
[Jed]: Yeah.
So I'm absolutely a believer that what's goes on in the gut matters to the rest of the body.
There is no question about it.
I think, as you say, a lot of the studies suffer from the fact that what's being given
probably couldn't have been expected to be efficacious anyway because it just died or
didn't get there.
But speaking of probiotics, wouldn't it be cool if someone came up with a myrosinase
containing strain and put it in a probiotic formulation so that you could take that along
with your cruciferous vegetables?
[Rhonda]: So cool.
[Jed]: I believe that there are companies that are working on that now because certainly,
it's well enough known what strains of bacteria have myrosinase activity.
There may be issues of getting that activity maintained when you grow up vats full of bacteria
to freeze-dry them, to put them in a formulation.
But I hope it's only a matter of time before we see formulations that contain myrosinase
and that are safe.
I mean, obviously, safety of these probiotic formulations is something that is a concern
to the regulators and it should be.
So we'll see.
I don't think we're quite there, but I hope we are getting there.