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Probiotics seem to be the star of the health world more and more these days.
The idea of eating probiotics for health was first introduced in the early 1900s by Elie Metchnikoff, winner of the Nobel Prize. He suggested that eating certain microorganisms make people healthier.
As researchers began studying these healthy bacteria, they came up with the term probiotics, which means “for life.”
Today, probiotics are consumed by about 4 million adults and 300,000 children in the US. In fact, between 2007 and 2012, the number of Americans using probiotics quadrupled!
So what’s the big deal about probiotics? How can they improve health and what does that have to do with camel milk?
Benefits of Probiotics
A lot of research has been done to find out how probiotics improve health. Below are a few of the scientifically proven benefits of these good bacteria.
Prevent Diarrhea From Antibiotics
A 2002 review looked at nine studies to find out how effective probiotics are at reducing diarrhea caused by antibiotics. All the studies used a control group (treated with antibiotics and placebo) and a test group (treated with antibiotics and probiotics).
After looking at the studies, researchers found that taking the probiotic bacteria Saccharomyces boulardii along with antibiotics resulted in 39 percent less diarrhea when compared to taking antibiotics with a placebo. It also found that lactobacilli were 34 percent more effective than the placebo at reducing diarrhea.
The observations of these studies are promising and suggest that probiotics are great complementary therapy for patients taking antibiotics. However, further study is needed to learn exactly how probiotics should be used to treat diarrhea caused by antibiotics.
Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
In 2014, researchers reviewed the results of eight studies to see whether probiotics reduced the frequency of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) — a common problem in intensive care units (ICU).
After looking at these studies, researchers found that when patients treated with probiotics were compared to control groups, VAP was an average of 70 percent less common among the probiotic groups.
Not only that, patients with VAP who took probiotics needed antibiotics for less time than those who took no probiotics.
While these results are hopeful, many of these studies used different strains of bacteria, had very different participants, and took place in different settings. More study is needed to come up with a reliable course of treatment for patients at risk of VAP.
Treating Eczema
One study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology examined the role of probiotics in treating children’s eczema. This study was double-blind, placebo-controlled, and included children between the ages of 1 to 13 years.
For six weeks, two strains of Lactobacillus were given to participants, and at the end of the intervention, all patients rated their eczema, stating whether it was better, unchanged, or worse.
For patients treated with probiotics, 56 percent said their eczema was improved, while only 15 percent of placebo patients felt their eczema had gotten better.
A 2005 study also examined the effect of probiotics on eczema in children younger than 1 year. All participants also had a suspected cow milk allergy.
For 4 weeks, 80 participants were treated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (LGG), 76 participants were given a mix of four probiotic strains, and 74 patients were treated with a placebo.
Interestingly, the study found that eczema improvement was not different between placebo and probiotic patients in general. But, probiotics did make a difference in the eczema of a sub-group.
Patients were tested for IgE-sensitization (allergies to things commonly found in the environment), and researchers found that the severe eczema of IgE-sensitized patients improved much more when they were given LGG, as opposed to a placebo.
Fighting Peptic Ulcers and Stomach Cancer
One review published in the Journal of Infections and Drug Resistance looked at 30 randomized controlled trials to learn about probiotics’ effect on Helicobacter pylori (a bacteria that contributes to peptic ulcers and stomach cancer).
Typically, H. Pylori is treated with something called Triple Therapy (a rigorous treatment involving three medications taken simultaneously). The purpose of this review was to see whether probiotics could make Triple Therapy even more effective at killing H. Pylori.
To find out if probiotics could increase Triple Therapy’s effectiveness, all studies used a control group (treated with Triple Therapy alone) and a test group (treated with Triple Therapy and probiotics).
After comparing control groups to test groups in each study, researchers found that probiotics made Triple Therapy 13.8 percent more effective at killing the H. Pylori. That’s great news for people living with the harmful H. Pylori bacteria.
Camel Milk Is a Source of Probiotics
Now that we’ve talked about the amazing benefits of probiotics, you may be wondering how to add these healthy bacteria to your diet. One great way is by drinking camel milk!
A 2015 study from the Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology evaluated the probiotic properties of camel milk. This study found many strains of probiotic bacteria present in camel milk from Golestan province of Iran.
During this study, camel milk was incubated for 48 hours and then analyzed to find that the milk contained Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus lactis, and Pediococcus pentosaceus.
Another study from 2008 the International Journal of Dairy Science also identified probiotics in unpasteurized camel milk, including the strains Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Lactobacillus lactis.
Camel milk’s probiotic content is excellent news for anyone seeking a wholesome source of healthy bacteria.
Try It For Yourself
Probiotics are an effective, natural way to help improve your health, and now there’s another great option to help you add them to your diet: camel milk.
But, you don’t have to take someone else’s word for it — you can find out for yourself. Get yourself some camel milk and experience the amazing benefits of probiotics today!