Probiotics are so useful in helping autistic children concentrate better and office workers stay healthy, Canadian researchers tested their beneficial effect on 28 intensive care patients suffering from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).
Testing the benefits of probiotics certainly makes sense, considering a breakdown of gut barrier function and immune dysfunction are hallmarks of the onset of MODS. Scientists compared the performance of probiotics to a placebo and a substitute for seven days.
Although researchers claimed MODS scores weren't significantly affected, viable probiotics greatly enhanced the immunity of the patients who received them versus a placebo or substitute. And, since the immune system is very closely tied to your gut flora, it's no surprise the health of patients improved quickly.
The only problem with probiotics is finding a good product, since there are so many bad ones on the market. Your best option: Find a local expert at your neighborhood health food store to help you make the best choice. If you can't find one, however, you may want to consider Rebalanced Health Probiotics, available in my Web store.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 3, March 2007: 816-823