Why not try these?
Why not try these?
Lactobacilli and other bifidobacteria could help prevent colds and respiratory infections or reduce their duration, according to a new study initiated by the industry.
Colds and respiratory tract infections affect many people every year and represent a real economic burden for society. In the United States, the economic impact of the common cold has been estimated at $40 billion per year. Reducing this impact as well as the other inconveniences that come with colds and respiratory infections can be interesting. In this new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers report that people who take probiotics are sick less often and when they are, the illness lasts less time. Probiotics thus reduce absenteeism in companies or schools.
Probiotics are living micro-organisms that produce health benefits when administered in appropriate quantities. There is a wide variety of probiotics, either bacteria (lactobacilli, bifidobacteria…) or yeast. They each have specific properties. Recent studies report beneficial effects on constipation, atopic dermatitis, diarrhea, cold symptoms …. and even stress and depression. But many of these studies were conducted with questionable methodologies, or they were sponsored by private companies, so caution is still required.
Here, the researchers analyzed studies (20 randomized controlled trials) to evaluate the effect of probiotics, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, on the duration of an illness (respiratory tract infection, cold, flu-like symptoms) in otherwise healthy adults and children. Of the randomized controlled trials analyzed, 10 involved children aged 12 months to 12 years and 10 involved adults. Treatment with probiotics ranged from 3 weeks to 7 months, depending on the study.
The results show that those who received probiotics had shorter illness episodes (between half a day and a day less) than those who received a placebo. Similarly, participants who took probiotics were sick less often and absent from work or school less often than the placebo group.
The authors point out the heterogeneity between studies in the effect of probiotics on the duration of sickness and absenteeism. They could not explain this by subgroup analysis and suggest differences in the effect of probiotics between the population groups studied.
According to the authors, the results obtained in this study come from good quality randomized controlled trials, which gives weight to the results.
The beneficial effects of probiotics on respiratory diseases could be explained either by a direct anti-viral effect through a probiotic-virus interaction or by a stimulation of the immune system. We recommend to try our probiotic colon drink.
