Lactobacillus Acidophilus And Vegetarians

Posted by: Sina Ghaboussi | Feb 18, 2010

Lactobacilli are bacteria that normally live in the human small intestine and vagina. Lactobacillus acidophilus is considered beneficial because it produces vitamin K, lactase, and anti-microbial substances. L. acidophilus is the most commonly used probiotic, or “healthy” bacteria. It protects against unhealthy bacteria in the vagina and intestines by producing an unfriendly environment for unhealthy bacteria and helping to restore a balance of healthy bacteria when taking antibiotics (which tend to kill all healthy and unhealthy bacteria in the vagina and intestines without discrimination).

There are multiple known and presumed uses for L. acidophilus for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. One main use is for vaginal health. There are multiple human trials that have reported benefits of L. acidophilus for the prevention of bacterial vaginosis. L. acidophilus is also used to treat and prevent vaginal yeast infections. L. acidophilus and other probiotics have also been found to be helpful in preventing and treating traveler’s diarrhea and in preventing gastrointestinal infections. L. acidophilus and other probiotics have been suggested for a number of conditions, although evidence has not been well established in these such as: helping digestion and suppressing disease-causing bacteria; treating chronic constipation; treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease; improving lactose tolerance in people who are lactose intolerance; enhancing the immune system; reducing the risk of childhood eczema.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1736766

The primary dietary sources of L. acidophilus include milk enriched with acidophilus, yogurt containing live L. acidophilus cultures, miso, tempeh and dietary supplements.

There is no recommended daily allowance for L. acidophilus as in vitamins. Although there are multiple sources, including the National Institute of Health (NIH), that have suggested the appropriate amount for adults and children. For adult vegetarians (and non-vegetarians) tablets, liquid or yogurt containing 1 to 10 billion viable (live) L. acidophilus bacteria taken once or in divided doses is sufficient to maintain good vaginal and intestinal health. In vegetarian children younger than 18 years old it is suggested that a quarter of this amount, 250,000 colony forming units, to be safe for use in children for replacement of intestinal bacteria destroyed by antibiotics. Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner prior to using L. acidophilus in children, especially those under 3 years old.

Although generally believed to be safe with few side effects, oral L. acidophilus should be avoided in people with intestinal damage, a weakened immune system, or with overgrowth of intestinal bacteria.

Related Links:
Buy vegetarian Acidophilus Supplements

Article Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-acidophilus.html

Next entry: Vegetarians and Tryptophan »

Previous entry: What Vegetarians Should Know About Selenium »

Back to the Blog »