|
Because of the recent and repeated outbreaks
of food-borne
illnesses, such as Salmonella and E. Coli, we are
devoting most of
this newsletter to tainted foods and what can be done to
protect
yourself against the next inevitable outbreak.
This is how food safety in our country has
been described:
"fragmented, disorganized and falling
down on the job. It's a system
caught so flat-footed by the latest outbreak that the
FDA had to warn
Americans to immediately stop eating
any product containing
peanut butter until the source
could be found."
"It's a disgrace. Worse,
it's a danger, and it's so messed up,
it'll be a long time
before all the bugs get worked out."
Until "all the bugs get worked out", here's something to
consider:
Salmonella in Peanut Butter
NEWS UPDATE
On
Tuesday February 10, 2009 headlines in USA TODAY
read:
“Health risks may reach far beyond reported victims.”
The article stated that more than 20,000 people could be
affected
by Salmonella contaminated peanut butter produced by
Peanut
Corporation of America (PCA).
On
February 14, 2007 the FDA advised consumers in FDA
NEWS
not to eat any Peter Pan peanut butter purchased
since May 2006
due to Salmonella contamination. In addition to these,
there have
been other reports of salmonella contaminated peanut
butter since
2006. This is not a onetime event.
Salmonella bacteria can overwhelm the body’s immune
system and
infect the small intestine and colon causing serious
inflammation
that results in bloody diarrhea, vomiting and, what can
be, life
threatening dehydration.
There
are hundreds of strains of salmonella and how a given
strain
affects a person depends on the number of bacterial
cells consumed
and the condition of the person’s immune system. In the
current
example involving PCA only a small fraction of those who
consumed
the contaminated peanut butter got sick – about 500
reported cases
out of 20,000 consumers as of February 10th.
Part
of the reason for this may be due to inconsistent
contamination
from one peanut butter container to another or to a
difference in
immune system strength from one individual to another.
This latter
aspect is of particular interest since a class of
dietary supplements
known as probiotics may be able to play a significant
role in combating
salmonella both by direct inhibition and by
up-regulating the
immune system.
Probiotics - Can They
Help?
Probiotics, one of the fastest growing categories of
dietary
supplements, are products containing beneficial
Lactobacillus and
Bifidobacterium species of bacteria. Probiotic bacteria
colonize the
intestinal tract and help maintain a healthy microflora
that checks
the overgrowth of undesireable or harmful
microorganisms.
When
a person is deficient in
probiotics the immune system is not
operating at peak strength and this may predispose the
person to
experience an acute reaction to food poisoning
microorganisms
such as salmonella. Such a person may react negatively
to a lower
dose of salmonella compared to a person with a healthy,
up-regulated immune system.
To
read about how probiotics can benefit the immune system
consult
The Probiotics Revolution by Gary Huffnagle, Ph.D.
(Bantam Books 2007).
Although some yogurts contain probiotic bacteria they do
not deliver
a high enough dose of live probiotic cells
(measured as CFU or colony
forming units) through the acidic stomach into the small
intestine.
The ability of a product to deliver a sufficient live
dose is a critical
requirement.
The
best probiotic effect is obtained with medical strength
probiotics
(those delivering at least 10 billion CFU/dose) – this
is the dose
recommended by the International Probiotic Association
(IPA)
and a number of probiotic researchers.
SPECIFIC PROBIOTIC
STRAINS THAT INHIBIT SALMONELLA
There
is a strain of the probiotic Lactobacillus
acidophilus called
the NCFM strain because it was isolated at the North
Carolina Food
Microbiology lab back in the 1970s.
Also
called LA-1, it’s common for strains to have more than
one
designation, it is one of the most effective
“Acidophilus” strains
on the market. In particular, it has demonstrated in
vitro antagonistic
activity against Salmonella typhimurium,
enteropathogenic E. coli,
Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium
perfringens (Ref. Gilliland,
S.E., and M.L. Speck, 1977a. Antagonistic action of
Lactobacillus
acidophilus toward intestinal and foodborne pathogens in
associative
cultures. J. Food Protection. 40: 820-823).
Another study conduced by the Agricultural Development
and
Advisory Service (A.D.A.S.) in the UK [by N.M Parkinson
of the
ADAS Central Science Laboratory in Slough, UK, 1989:
In-vitro
evaluation of the antagonism of lactic acid bacteria and
the
probiotic Provita WD against pathogenic bacteria]
discovered that
the NCFM (LA-1) strain of L. acidophilus
dramatically reduced the
growth of Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella
enteritidis and
Salmonella dublin in associative broth cultures.
All three of these
salmonella species have a history of causing food
poisoning.
Regarding immune system enhancement by L. acidophilus
NCFM
(LA-1) a number of animal studies have been conducted:
For example, in immunocompromised mice the serum levels
of IgG, IgA
and IgM were increased in one study and cell-mediated
responses
to Candida albicans decreased the severity of
candidiasis in another
[The reference here is: Sanders, M.E. and Klaenhammer,
T.R., The
Scientific Basis of Lactobacillus acidophilus
NCFM (LA-1) Functionality
as a Probiotic, J. Dairy Sci. 84: 319-331.]
Although these above studies are based on in vitro
laboratory
studies and animal studies, considering the harmless
nature of
the NCFM (LA-1) strain of L. acidophilus and its
status as G.R.A.S.
on the FDA list of food microorganisms, it would seem
that its
dispensation and consumption during a salmonella
outbreak
(or as a preventative under normal circumstances) would
be
something to consider.
Keep a bottle of Theralac and Truflora on hand. - Just
in case.
THERALAC® --
www.theralac.com 800-926-2961 x3
TruFlora -- (Website Under Construction) 800-926-2961 x
3
Candida Control
Background
Information on Candida
Candida yeast species
such as C. albicans are present as part of our normal
intestinal microflora and are usually harmless when kept
in check by vast numbers of beneficial bacteria.
Candida overgrowth
occurs when oral antibiotics eliminate most of the
protective bacterial microflora such as probiotic
Lactobacillus species.
Candida survives the
various antibacterial antibiotics that kill both good
and bad bacteria in the gut, and, in the absence of
bacterial competition, morphs into pathogenic forms with
tentacles (hyphae) that invade intestinal tissue. This
is when serious yeast problems begin!
The Yeast Connection, one of the first books to address
Candida overgrowth, was published in 1983 by William G.
Crook, M.D. The book discusses the importance of
starving Candida by using restrictive diets such as a
diet free of sugar, milk, fruits, nuts, and grains.
When patients follow
Dr. Crook’s guidelines their yeast problems diminish,
most important is the complete elimination of all simple
sugars in the diet meaning no cane or beet sugar, honey,
milk (contains lactose), high fructose corn syrup, maple
syrup, or molasses. This advice is as valid today as it
was in 1983.
Candida Control With
Probiotics
In
addition to diet it is well established that probiotic
supplements provide added benefit that helps reduce
Candida overgrowth: The Probiotics Revolution by
Gary B. Huffnagle, Ph.D. (Bantam Books, 2007) discusses
the mechanisms involved.
Our
intestinal surfaces contain finger-like extensions
called villi and microvilli that are surrounded by a
mucus layer. Billions of microorganisms, including yeast
and bacteria, competitively associate with these
structures vying for nutrients and space.
Probiotic bacteria from the Lactobacillus and
Bifidobacterium genera act as microbial police by
maintaining a peaceful balance where potentially harmful
microbes such as Candida are kept in check.
The
probiotics do this by competitive exclusion (called C.E.)
and by producing lactic acid and other metabolites that
inhibit Candida. When antibiotics kill off the
probiotics this policing action is lost – and replacing
it with a medical strength probiotic supplement becomes
critical.
Note: probiotic fortified yogurts do not deliver
enough viable colony forming units (CFU) into the
intestinal tract to be effective in controlling Candida,
results published by companies making these products
show > 99% of the probiotics are killed by stomach acid.
Only medical strength probiotic supplements with
acid-proof delivery provide enough probiotic strength.
Candida Control With
TruFlora™
TruFlora™ represents a new concept in probiotic
technology for Candida control. By using a patented
alginate-gel formulation, all three Lactobacillus
species in TruFlora™ are delivered through the
stomach into the small intestine alive at a
minimum strength of 12 billion CFU.
TruFlora’s
three Lactobacillus species, L. plantarum
(LP-29), L. salivarius (LS-30) and L.
sporogenes (BC-705) rapidly produce lactic acid in
the intestinal contents and in the mucus layer
surrounding the villi. It is well established that
Candida growth is checked by lactic acid (see Huffnagle
reference above).
Each
lot of TruFlora™ is assayed for lactic acid
producing activity, CFU and purity by an independent
microbiology laboratory (Minnesota Valley Testing
Laboratory, New Ulm, MN) and is reported online by lot
number at
www.truflora.com. (Website Under Construction.
Please Call: 800-926-2961 x3)
In
addition to strong probiotic activity, a second Candida
controlling effect is built into the TruFlora™
formula: Two betaglucan digesting enzymes, BETAGLUCANASE
(400 BGU/capsule) and HEMICELLULASE (10,000 HCU/capsule)
work synergistically to digest the betaglucans that
comprise the cell walls and hyphae of Candida. These
enzymes are present at the high potencies required to
effect rapid betaglucan digestion, both are food-grade
digestive enzymes listed as G.R.A.S. by the FDA.
The
combination of high strength probiotics having
guaranteed lactic acid producing activity and high
strength betaglucan digesting enzymes separates
TruFlora™ from other probiotic and enzyme products
making it the #1 choice for Candida control. TruFlora™
is protected by U.S. Patents 7,122,370 and 7,229,818 *
TruFlora™ dose rate for Candida control: One (1)
capsule daily. Continue at this dose until symptoms
improve then back off to one (1) capsule every-other-day
for maintenance. Always check with your doctor or
primary care medical professional before instituting any
new therapy. Visit:
www.truflora.net (Website Under Construction.
Please Call: 800-926-2961 x3) or call 800- 926-2961
for more information.
*
These statements have not been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Tell a
Friend About Healthful Probiotics - Forward this
Newsletter
On, So They Can Sign Up to Receive it Too.
You can purchase
Theralac®,
Enzalase®, Truflora™,
or
TruFiber®,
by
calling (800) 926-2961 ext 3 during
normal business hours (EST).
Free shipping on the purchase of any two
bottles.
When you call to
order, mention
you saw it in this newsletter, and
get
$5.00 off.
As always,
we strive for exceptional customer service.
If
you have any comments or suggestions,
please let us know.
Sincere
Thanks,
Jeff Thurston
Master Supplements, Inc. |