Patients Die After Taking Probiotics
Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: ‘Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’.
Just recently, a news report surfaced on the deaths of twenty-four patients who took part in a trial procedure to treat acute pancreatitis with probiotics. Two hundred and ninety-six patients with acute pancreatitis took part in the double blinded-study conducted in Europe.
Health researchers do not know the cause of the deaths, but have narrowed it down to three possibilities - the use of probiotics on intensive care patients; administering probiotics through the feeding tubes; and using the friendly bacteria in the acute phase of the disease according to the news release published in Nutra USA.
Smaller tests had shown probiotics to reduce the rate of infection in the pancreas but these studies were too small to convince doctors. — Nutra USA
An investigation is underway on the University Medical Centre Utrecht’s study, the center studying the effect of the probiotics infection reducing capabilities in pancreatitis. Needless to say, the European Food and Feed Cultures Association (EFFCA), an association that represents the manufacture of probiotic strains, is following this study closely and will await the final publications of the findings to comment further.
A company called Winclove supplied the probiotics in the study and contests the relationship of the use of its probiotics and the deaths of the individuals involved. The fact was reiterated that pancreatitis sufferers have a high mortality rate and there was no relationship between the probiotics and the deaths.
A spokesperson commented this in the news article: “All the probiotic strains marketed by EFFCA members have a history of being safe and safety studies have been conducted…” Furthermore, they stated “probiotic clinical studies have never shown a degradation in a health condition before, on the contrary, many health promoting benefits have been demonstrated from their use.”
Acute pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas and mortality is about 5% if complications occur.
About the Author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
