There are many strains of lactobacillus bacteria including:

lactobacillus acidophilus bacterium
lactobacillus bulgaricus
lactobacillus casei
lactobacillus rhamnosus
lactobacillus bifidus

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a gram-positive rod bacteria that lives in harmnory in human mucosal tissues. Acidophilus is the brief name for Lactobacillus acidophilus, a bacteria that lives in the mouth, gut, and female genital tract of humans. Lactobacilli are known to play an important role in the maintenance of health by stimulating natural immunity and contributing to the balance of microflora.
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Enhanced Probiotic System with Lactobacillus acidophilus, 60 Vegetarian Capsules
Jarrow Formulas


• Higher Potency 4.4 Billion Organisms per capsules
• • Dairy Free
• Vegetarian
• Enteric Coated!
• Room Temperature Stable! No Refrigeration Required!
• For Intestinal and Immune Health
• Probiotic Supplement
• Individually Blister Sealed
 

Jarro-Dophilus enhanced probiotic system is room temperature stable, but preferably refrigerate to safeguard product from heat. Blister packaging each capsule provides extra protection to the bacteria against moister and oxygen.
At time of manufacture, each capsule contains approximately 4.4 Billion organisms. Jarro-Dophilus EPS is room temperature stable and enteric-coated, delivering directly into the intestines 8 different species of probiotics representing 4 genera of bacteria: Lactobacilllus acidophillus, Bifidobacteria, Lactococcus and Pediococcus Bifodobacteria longum BB536 (moringa strain) has been shown to colonize, stimulate immune response and suppress intestinal pathogens. L. rhamnosus R0011 is a unique, high producer of polysaccharides, which facilitate colonization and stimulate intestinal immune response. Lactococcus and Pediococcus help reduce spoilage caused by undesirable bacteria in cultured dairy products.

Amount Per Capsule
Probiotic Bacteria 4.4 Billion *

Organisms
Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 (15.4%) 680 Million
Lactobacillus casei R0256 (15.4%) 680 Million
Lactobacillus plantarum R0202 (7.7%) 340 Million
Lactobacillus acidophilus R0052 (15.4%) 680 Million
B. longum BB536 (morinaga strain)(15.4%) 680 Million
B. breve R0070 (7.7%) 340 Million
Pediococcus (15.3%) 670 Million
acidilactici R1001
lactococcus (7.6%) 330 Million
diacetylactis R0100

For more details, see Probiotics - Lactobacillus acidophilus

Probiotics and Prebiotics
Probiotics and prebiotics are two food ingredients that have physiologic effects through the gastrointestinal tract.

Probiotics have been defined as live microorganisms that (when ingested) have a beneficial effect in the prevention and treatment of specific medical conditions. These microorganisms are believed to exert biological effects through a phenomenon known as colonization resistance, whereby the indigenous anaerobic flora limits the concentration of potentially harmful (mostly aerobic) germs in the digestive tract. Other modes of action, such as supplying enzymes or influencing enzyme activity in the gastrointestinal tract, may also account for some of the other functions that have been attributed to probiotics.

Lactobacillus bacteria and antibiotic use
Hospitals and doctors should take note in the following research and routinely prescribe probiotics to those taking antibiotics.

Use of probiotic Lactobacillus preparation to prevent diarrhoea associated with antibiotics: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial.
BMJ. 2007 Jun 29; Nutrition and Dietetic Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London W12 0HS.
The researchers wanted to know the efficacy of a probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus for the prevention of any diarrhea associated with antibiotic use and that caused by Clostridium difficile. 135 hospital patients (mean age 74) taking antibiotics. took in a 100 g (97 ml) drink containing Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus twice a day during a course of antibiotics and for one week after the course finished. The placebo group received a longlife sterile milkshake. Twelve percent of the probiotic group developed diarrhea associated with antibiotic use compared with 34% in the placebo group. Consumption of a probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and S thermophilus can reduce the incidence of antibiotic associated diarrhea and C difficile associated diarrhoea.

Lactobacillus and chemotherapy drugs
In cancer patients, treatment with the probiotic Lactobacillus reduces the frequency of severe diarrhea and abdominal pain that often comes with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy.

Probiotics for the immune system
Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacteria are believed to positively affect the immune response by improving the intestinal microbial balance leading to enhanced antibody production and phagocytic (devouring or killing) activity of white blood cells. Bifidobacterium lactis could be an effective probiotic dietary supplement for enhancing some aspects of cellular immunity in the elderly.

Probiotic supplements for children
Many infants and children may be lacking beneficial bacteria, and supplements could potentially help them get fewer infections. Compared with standard formulas, those containing beneficial "probiotic" organisms seem to reduce the number and duration of diarrhea episodes in infants attending childcare centers. Of two types of probiotics tested -- Lactobacillus reuteri and Bifidobacterium lactis -- Lactobacillus may be the better supplement, according to the report in the medical journal Pediatrics. Probiotic supplements affect the immune response by improving the intestinal microbial balance leading to enhanced antibody production. Another study indicates that children who take probiotic supplements suffer fewer respiratory infections.

Lactobacillus supplement in preterm newborns
In preterm newborns who are exclusively bottle-fed, treatment with the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri, given daily for several weeks, improves gut function. The Journal of Pediatrics, July 2008.

Lactobacillus reuteri for eczema prevention
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, May 2007: Oral supplementation with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri to the mother during pregnancy and to the infant after birth may help reduce the development of eczema and allergy associated with immunoglobulin E, a key protein involved in the allergic response. Dr. Thomas R. Abrahamsson of Linkoping University Hospital enrolled families with a history of allergic disease. Expectant mothers were randomly assigned to receive Lactobacillus reuteri in an oil suspension or a placebo treatment, each day from week 36 until delivery. Their babies continued with the same formulation from birth until 12 months of age and were followed up for another year. A total of 188 completed the study. At 2 years, the incidence of eczema was 36 percent in the active treatment group and 34 percent in the placebo group. However, during the second year, only 8 percent of the Lactobacillus reuteri group had IgE-associated eczema compared with 20 percent of the placebo group.

Lactobaccilus and H. Pylori infection
Lactobacillus reuteri tablets suppress Helicobacter pylori infection--a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled cross-over clinical study.
Kansenshogaku Zasshi. 2007 Jul;81(4):387-93. Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 16-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan.
We studied the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri strain SD2112 Tablets Reuterina (ERINA Co., Inc.), in suppressing H. pylori urease activity and to use the urea breath test (UBT) as a marker for the burden of infection. Administration of L. reuteri Tablets [Reuterina (ERINA Co.,Inc.)] significantly decreased UBT in H. pylori-positive subjects, demonstrating that Lactobacillus reuteri suppresses H. pylori urease activity and H. pylori density.

Acidophilus Research Update
Clinical effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 on perennial allergic rhinitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
J Dairy Sci. 2005 Feb;88(2):527-33.
Studies in animals have suggested that lactic acid bacteria alleviate allergic diseases, however, little information is available on their clinical effect on allergy in humans. Thus, we examined the efficacy of orally administered Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 (L-92) on perennial allergic rhinitis. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 49 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis were randomized to receive either 100 mL of heat-treated fermented milk containing L-92 (n = 25) or acidified milk without lactic acid bacteria (placebo; n = 24) for 8 wk. The severity of symptoms was evaluated based on the changes in the scores of clinical symptoms. Oral administration of milk fermented with acidophilus resulted in a statistically significant improvement of nasal symptom-medication scores. Ocular symptom-medication scores of patients in the L-92 intervention group tended to improve compared with those in the placebo group. In addition, clear decreases of the scores of swelling and color of the nasal mucosa were observed in the acidophilus intervention group at 6 and 8 wk after the start of ingestion of fermented milk. There were no significant differences in serum antihouse dust mite immunoglobulin E levels nor in T helper type 1/T helper type 2 ratio between the 2 groups. These results suggest that oral administration of acidophilus can alleviate the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis, however, statistically significant changes were not shown in blood parameters.

The effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. administration on the morphology of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas in piglets.
Pol J Vet Sci. 2005;8(1):29-35.
The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of administration of probiotic bacteria on morphology of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. The experiment was performed on 15 piglets at the age from 3 to 35 days, intragastrically administered with Bifidobacterium breve, B. animalis, and Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria. The administration of bacteria, especially of Lactobacillus acidophilus, caused an increase in the number of lymphocytes and lymphoid cells in lamina propria and intraepithelial lymphocytes in the small intestine. Enhanced proliferation of crypt cells was observed in the crypts of intestinal glands; however, there were no statistically significant differences in the PCNA index between the control and probiotic-administered groups. The performed study showed that the administration of probiotic bacteria has no negative impact on the morphology of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas and is found beneficial to its functioning and immune processes.

Antioxidative activity of lactobacilli measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity.
J Dairy Sci. 2005 Apr;88(4):1352-7.
The reducing ability and antioxidative activity of some species of Lactobacillus were compared under in vitro conditions. Cultures of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus casei were grown at 37 degrees C in de Man, Rogosa, Sharpe (MRS) broth supplemented with 0.5% 2,3,5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) to evaluate reducing activity. Reduced TTC was extracted from the cultures with acetone, and the intensity of the red color measured colorimetrically at 485 nm was an indication of reducing activity. The results from this study show that these cultures can provide a source of dietary antioxidants. Furthermore, selection of cultures that produce antioxidants as starters could provide yet another health or nutritional benefit from cultured or culture-containing dairy products.

Effect of milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus bacterium strain L-92 on symptoms of Japanese cedar pollen allergy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2005 Sep;69(9):1652-60.
A placebo-controlled, single-blind study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 (L-92) on the symptoms of Japanese cedar-pollen allergy. This study was carried out during the 2002 and 2003 seasons of Japanese cedar pollination. Twenty-three in-house volunteers were asked to drink 100 ml of heat-treated milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus containing 5 x 10(10) of the bacteria, twice a day, for 6 consecutive weeks. A similar study was carried out during the 2003 season for 10 weeks, but the daily dose of Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria was 2 x 10(10). A significant improvement of the ocular symptom-medication score was observed in 2002 and of the score of distress of life in 2003. These data show that a daily oral intake of not less than 2 x 10(10) heat-treated Lactobacillus acidophilus cells improved the symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis, thereby contributing to reduce the dose of concomitant medications. However, no blood parameter was significantly affected in these trials.

Antibiotic susceptibility of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species from the human gastrointestinal tract.
Curr Microbiol. 2005 Apr;50(4):202-7.
One hundred and twenty-two strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species were tested against 12 antibiotics and two antibiotic mixtures. All Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol and imipenem and most of the strains were resistant to metronidazole. Bifidobacteria isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin, whereas about half of the lactobacilli were resistant. Approximately 30% of the Bifidobacterium isolates were resistant to tetracycline, as well as five Lactobacillus strains belonging to four different species. None of the tested Bifidobacterium isolates was resistant to vancomycin, whereas a species-dependent resistance was found among the lactobacilli. Single strains of Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus brevis were resistant to erythromycin and/or clindamycin. Most of the observed resistances seemed to be intrinsic, but some others could be compatible with transmissible determinants. Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Lactobacillus Manufacturers
Probiotics in the form of BioGaia΄s Reuteri Drops protects prematurely born infants against infections caused by bacteria and yeast. Hospital stay for the infants was reduced to almost half compared to the control group, three weeks compared to six weeks. Prematurely born infants are at risk of infection, and in neonatal intensive care wards this can affect 25-40% of infants. Yeasts, mainly Candida, are responsible for 10% of these infections and represent a serious threat to the infant's life. The researchers wished to evaluate whether daily use of probiotics could influence the incidence of these kinds of infections. In total, 184 premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit immediately after delivery, were included in the study. The children were randomly allocated to one of three groups: 67 infants received BioGaia Reuteri Drops containing Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis (Reuteri), 55 infants received Lactobacilus rhamnosus GG (LGG), i.e. another probiotic, and 62 infants were treated only with the normal treatment (control group). In both the groups that received daily probiotics, the risk of infection by yeast (Candida) was reduced. In the control group, 6.4% of the infants had infections compared to 1.4% in the Reuteri group and 3.6% in the LGG group. The incidence of bacterial infections was also reduced in the probiotic groups compared to the control group: 1.4% in the Reuteri group, 3.6% in the LGG group and 9.6% in the control group. For both types of infections the differences between the probiotic groups and the control group were statistically significant. Only the Lactobacillus reuteri group displayed further effects such as weaning from intravenous nutrition ("drop") to normal feeding, which occurred earlier, and markedly fewer infants who were affected by gastro-intestinal problems, both compared to the control group). Gastro-intestinal symptoms were observed in 2 of 67 infants that were given Lactobacillus reuteri compared to 14 of 55 in the LGG group and 27 of 62 in the control group. The investigators conclusions from the study were that both probiotics could prevent both bacterial and yeast infections. The Lactobacillus reuteri group had also further effects such as reduced occurrence of gastro-intestinal symptoms, earlier tolerance of food by mouth (intravenous nutrition could be stopped earlier), reduced weight loss during the first week of life, better growth during the first month of life and fewer days of hospitalisation. The study was performed by Drs Romeo and Betta from the Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Catania Univeristy Hospital in Italy. They presented their study at the 12th National Congress of the Italian Society for Neonatology. BioGaia is a biotechnology company that develops, markets and sells probiotic products with documented health benefits. The products are primarily based on the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri (Reuteri), which has health-enhancing effects. The class B share of the Parent Company BioGaia AB is quoted on the O list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

Lactobacillus acidophilus questions
Q. How often can I take a lactobacillus acidophilus or a lactobacillus bulgaricus supplement?
   A. It really depends on your particular medical condition and what you are trying to treat. For general health maintenance, taking a lactobacillus supplement a few times a week should be just fine. Or, you could have a lactobacillus acidophilus yogurt an ounce or two a few times a week. Look on the yogurt container to see if they have added lactobacillus acidophilus bacterium. 

Q. Is it okay to take a lactobacillus tablet supplement along with saw palmetto or CoQ10?
   A. Lactobacillus acidophilus should be okay to take with almost all supplements.

Q. Is there any interaction between Lactobacillus preparations and antimicrobial spices such as cinnamon, ginger, garlic etc? Do you think regular use of these spices (1000 mg cinnamon, 500 mg ginger, 1000 mg garlic etc / per day ) may kill Lactobacillus and decrease the effects of Lactobacillus supplementation?
   A. I can't say for sure since I have not seen any studies regarding these combinations of herbs and survival of lactobacillus products, but I would doubt if the ingestion of these herbs has any untoward effects on lactobacillus products.