Researchers looking for methods to better evaluate treatment options for health conditions have developed the "Benefit-Harm Scale," and a recent study used this scale on back pain treatments to highlight which options provide the most benefit and least harm.

Some health conditions have multiple treatment options that could be utilized to benefit a patient, but it's important to balance not just benefit, but also harm. A treatment that can be helpful but has high risk of harm is unlikely to be the best choice. That's why the Benefit-Harm Scale was developed as an easy way to assess the potential benefit and risk of a treatment, and compare it to other options.

A recent study published in The Spine Journal, reviewed research for common back treatments, including chiropractic spinal manipulation, acupuncture, medication, injections, and surgery. The graphic below illustrates the benefit and harm of these treatment options for chronic low back pain.

Evidence Lacking for Many Back Pain Treatments

The most surprising result may be the lack of evidence to appropriately evaluate many of the treatments. The researchers found a lack of quality evidence supporting medications, injections, and surgery, and were therefore unable to evaluate the benefit of these options. Evidence evaluating harm was also lacking with most of the medications studied, while serious harms have been identified for opioids and surgery.

In contrast, both spinal manipulation and acupuncture have quality evidence of benefit and low harm risk. The study authors concluded that more research is needed to further evaluate the various treatment options, but based on available evidence "acupuncture and spinal manipulation provide safer benefits than pharmacological or invasive interventions" for chronic low back pain.

Enjoy the latest research on health care and healthy living:

American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) Says No to Antibiotics in Animal Feed

Feeding livestock antibiotics to artificially boost growth is big business and America's Pediatricians are finally saying that's enough. MedPage reported on the AAP's announcement discouraging use of antibiotics in animal fed due to the potential harm for children. While 7.25 million pounds of these drugs are sold for use in humans, more than 32.2 million pounds are sold for use in animals -- animals that often have no active infection.

The overuse of antibiotic medication in children was also briefly addressed: "Clinicians bear some responsibility for this problem because we ourselves are not always prudent in our use of antibiotics...Unfortunately, too many people still prescribe antibiotics for colds or sore throats without having an appropriate bacterial diagnosis. So, since clinicians are part of the problem, they can be part of the solution."

For your family's safety, choose meat that has been raised without antibiotics or other chemicals. And avoid antibiotic use for common colds, runny noses, and sore throats that are caused by viruses that cannot be killed with antibiotics.

Medical Errors Still Alarmingly High

Forbes recently reported: "A disturbing new study, published in the October 2015 issue of Anesthesiology, found that medication errors occurred in nearly half of all surgical procedures. Additionally, the study found that one-third of all errors resulted in adverse drug events or harm to patients." The study reviewed surgeries performed at a Harvard-affiliated hospital "considered a leader in patient safety." Clinicians weighing in on the study felt this actually underestimates the number of medical errors.

This follows research estimating deaths due to preventable medical errors at 400,000 per year in the United States. Furthermore, these estimates seem to only consider hospitalized medical care, not accounting for other medical treatment. It's always important to recognize the significant risks associated with even "non-invasive" or "minor" medical care, utilizing safer conservative care first whenever possible.

Now Some Good News: Americans Are Eating Better And Reducing Disease

Don't let us mislead you, researchers still conclude the diet of Americans is "poor". However, an analysis of diet trends (from 1999-2012) found small signs of improvement with a big payoff: 1.1 million fewer premature deaths, 8.6% fewer cardiovascular disease cases, 1.3% fewer cancer cases, and 12.6% fewer type 2 diabetes cases. Good job Americans - now keep going!

You're apparently drinking fewer sugary beverages and eating more fruit, but you haven't increased your veggies. Get those veggies in and keep cutting the sweets and carbs. Eat real unprocessed food and get moving!

Here's the latest eye-opening research on diet, low back treatment, bariatric surgery, and cholesterol meds:

Low-carb Diet Better Than Low-fat Diet for Weight Loss and Heart Health
Researchers reviewed 17 trials including a total of 1797 patients comparing those on a low fat diet and those on a low carbohydrate diet. The low-carb diet was associated with significantly greater weight loss and significantly lower risk of "atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events." The low-carb group showed more improvement in blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

If you want to lose weight and reduce your risk of heart problems, you are better off cutting carbs (sugars, grains, etc.) and eating good fats.

Pain Killers and Muscle Relaxers No More Benefit for Acute Low Back Pain
When going to the ER for severe back pain, you're likely to get a variety of medication thrown at you before you're sent back home: anti-inflammatories (naproxen), pain killers (percoset), and muscle relaxers (cyclobenzaprine). Researchers looked at whether taking all of these medications actually provide much benefit in low back pain patients without significant trauma or leg problems. Results showed no improved function or pain reduction from adding pain killers or muscle relaxers. They recommended patients only be given naproxen to reduce inflammation.

Every medication carries risks and combinations of medications carry additional risks. Avoid unnecessary ineffective medications whenever possible and start with safe and effective conservative treatment like chiropractic for low back pain.

Increased Rates of Suicide After Bariatric Surgery
Losing weight can be extremely difficult for the obese, and the promise of a quick fix with bariatric surgery (stomach stapling, stomach banding, stomach/intestine bypass) can be irresistible. Bariatric surgery patients frequently experience side-effects, but now researchers analyzing almost 9000 bariatric surgery patients have confirmed worse news. These patients that are already at increased risk for suicide, are even more likely to commit suicide or "self harm" after having surgery compared to before surgery.

Every effort should be made to achieve weight loss without surgical intervention. Anti-inflammation eating is the best place to start.

No Calcium in Your Arteries = No Need for Statin Cholesterol Meds
Medpage Today reported on a recent study that tested patients to determine how much calcium they have in their arteries and looked at their risk of cardiovascular problems. Based on the research, Medpage reports, "People at intermediate risk who would prefer not to take a pill can safely avoid statins if they have a zero calcium score [no calcium in the arteries], the new findings suggest."

"The study raises the possibility that about half of people who are eligible to take them might now avoid taking statins. This is particularly important because, under the current guidelines, statins are either recommended or may be considered for almost two-thirds of the U.S. adult population."

Recent guidelines had indicated patients with cardiovascular risk factors should be taking cholesterol lowering medications even if they don't have high cholesterol. This study provides further information showing that additional information could help prevent prescribing statins to two-thirds of Americans. Without calcium buildup in the arteries, the risk of a heart problem is low even when some other risk factors are present. It's best for these patients to eat better and be active, avoiding the side-effects of statin use.

We've all heard about the overuse of antibiotics leading to superbugs, but now there's another reason to limit the use of antibiotics in children - arthritis. 

Medpage Today reports on a recent study that looked at children and the development of juvenile arthritis. The study found that "children who had been given at least one course of antibiotics had double the risk of [juvenile arthritis]." The researchers found no link between untreated infections and juvenile arthritis. Increased rates were only seen in children treated with antibiotics.

This study confirms prior research showing antibiotics damaging the mix of good microbes in a child's body. Their damaged system is then more likely to develop auto-immune problems where the body's immune system attacks itself. In the case of juvenile arthritis, the body's immune system seems to attack its joints.

Antibiotics should only be used when needed or they may lead to serious future harm. It's also a good idea to restore the good microbes with probiotics, prebiotics and fermented food to help build a healthier immune system. If you are not sure when or when not to use antibiotics, click here for more info.

While most studies on cholesterol meds (statins) have focused on their ability to lower cholesterol or reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, a recent study took a surprising look at whether cholesterol meds actually lead to a longer life.

The goal of any medication should be to give the user a longer and/or healthier life. But often that research is deemed too expensive and complicated (or impossible), so drug companies don't bother. Instead, researchers test for a change in some other number that they believe is significant. When it comes to cholesterol medications, it's a simple matter of looking for a drop is cholesterol. If cholesterol goes down, the medication is a success! But is it really? Or are we spending billions of dollars on a faulty assumption? Cholesterol meds don't make you feel better, so they better lengthen your life.

To find out if cholesterol meds really lengthen life, researchers performed a meta-analysis of available research. The results were surprising. The median postponement of death after taking medication was 3.2 - 4.1 days. Yes, DAYS! Taking cholesterol meds added less than 5 days to the length of life for most patients. Patients were followed between 2 and 6 years so it's possible that another 6 or more years on cholesterol meds could add more time, but we're talking DAYS, not even weeks based on the research.

With growing recognition of serious side-effects from cholesterol meds (muscle soreness, loss of memory, increased risk of diabetes), this study should cause doctors to reconsider the high rates of statin prescriptions. The researchers did not go so far as to recommend a change in treatment guidelines but did note:

"If the patient has intolerance or unpleasant side effects from statins, for example, muscular problems, physicians should not be too insistent on the patient continuing them. Also, for patients whose life expectancy is short, the benefit of statin therapy in terms of survival gain may be quite limited."

If you are noting muscle aches or other symptoms related to your cholesterol meds, consider this study on length of life and have a discussion with your doctor.

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic and MD Anderson Cancer Center have taken a close look at why cancer drugs are so expensive for Americans, and it's not because of the reasons drug companies report.

Consider:
In the United States, the average price of cancer drugs for about a year of therapy increased from $5000 to $10,000 before 2000 to more than $100,000 by 2012.

Americans with cancer pay 50% to 100% more for the same patented drug than patients in other countries.

The doctors studied four common reasons given for high cancer drug costs, and found them to be little more than myths that allow drug companies to increase their profits from cancer patients.

Myth #1 - High Cost of Research & Drug Development
The $1 billion price tag often quoted to research and develop a new drug has been found to be overinflated, with costs actually as low as 10% of that number. In reality, 85% of cancer basic research is funded through taxpayers’ money, not drug company money.

Myth #2 - High Cost is Due to Great Benefit
"A cost-benefit analysis reveals no correlation between price and benefits when measured by objective criteria such as survival or quality of life. One drug may prolong life by years and another by days, yet both carry similar price tags."

Myth #3 - Competition Between Drug Companies Will Lead to Reasonable Prices
With so few cancer drugs available from only a handful of companies, drug companies have avoided competing with lower prices. Instead they all keep prices artificially high, so all companies benefit. This creates a virtual monopoly. "Further, in many instances, patients may need to be treated with each of the approved drugs sequentially because many cancers are still incurable and each drug stops working after a period of time."

Myth #4 - Controlling Prices Stifles Innovation
"High profits are often channeled toward higher salaries and bonuses of drug companies’ CEOs, not invested back into cancer research. In a Forbes editorial, Peter Bach outlined how high drug prices may in fact stifle innovation. Sovaldi, the new hepatitis C drug, was estimated by Pharmasset, Inc, the original company that developed it, to sell at about $34,000 for a course of treatment. This was the price of the innovation. Gilead Sciences, Inc bought Pharmasset at an 89% premium, figuring they could charge any price they wished for Sovaldi, regardless of the consequences to patients. Gilead now charges $80,000 to $160,000 for a 3- to 6-month course of the drug. The added premium price is money diverted from innovation (investing in future research) as a result of distorted market mentality. The cost of drug production for a treatment course is only $138; outside the United States (India, Egypt, Spain), the price of a course of treatment is $900."

The doctors gave several recommendations to reduce cancer drug costs, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, allowing experts to consider the efficacy of various drugs when determining their value, eliminate drug companies' ability to pay competitors not to produce a similar drug, allow importation of cancer drugs from other countries, and others. They also recommend drug companies be held to a mission of helping patients, not just maximizing profits.

HealthDay News reports that the number of newborns treated for drug withdrawal in the United States has nearly quadrupled since 2004 - another sad result of the prescription opioid epidemic.

30% of mothers used prescription narcotic painkillers while pregnant

Recent studies have found the use of prescription narcotic (opioid) painkillers during pregnancy to be surprisingly common, noting "Nearly 30 percent of the Tennessee mothers-to-be in the Pediatrics study used at least one of these drugs while pregnant, and the associated risks [of newborn drug withdrawal] went up if they also smoked or took antidepressants."

Opioid painkillers include the drugs hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (Oxycontin), codeine and morphine. They were often used in women who had reported headaches, migraines or other musculoskeletal problems, as well as depression or anxiety.

Along with drug withdrawal, the researchers noted that infants of mothers on prescription painkillers were "twice as likely as other newborns to be born at a low birth weight. They were also far more likely to have respiratory conditions, feeding difficulties and seizures."

First an adult opioid epidemic, now drug withdrawal in newborns

The opioid drug epidemic started a few years ago when experts recommended doctors treat their patients' pains more seriously. However, instead of encouraging patients to try effective conservative treatment like chiropractic or physical therapy, doctors dramatically increased their prescriptions of addictive opioid drugs. States including Ohio are now fighting to fix this drug epidemic; and now we know it's causing harm to more than just those taking the drugs.

Pregnant mothers should minimize the medications they take to reduce the risk of health problems in their infants. Chiropractic treatment is proven to be an effective treatment for pregnant mothers with musculoskeletal pains and is a great way to avoid medications. Chiropractic care not only reduces the risk of injury to infants by avoiding medications, it can also provide further benefits by making labor and delivery easier.

While Celebrex is commonly prescribed as a medication for knee pain related to arthritis, Medpage Today reports on a recent study that has found Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements to be just as effective for treating osteoarthritis of the knee:

"In a clinical trial known as MOVES that included 606 patients with moderate-to-severe pain, 6 months of treatment with the dietary supplements was associated with a 50.1% decrease in pain...compared with a 50.2% decrease among patients given celecoxib, according to Marc C. Hochberg, MD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues."

Prior studies comparing Glucosamine Chondroitin to Celebrex had similarly found that the supplements were as effective as the medication, especially for patients with moderate-to-severe pain. Researchers also found that Glucosamine Chondroitin can reduce narrowing of the knee joint which occurs over time with arthritis (leading to bone on bone).

This is especially good news since Celebrex has been associated with cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and kidney problems. Based on the research, Glucosamine Chondroitin provides a safer alternative for knee pain related to arthritis, but should be taken daily for at least 6 months (or longer to reduce narrowing of joint space).

With the CDC announcing this year's flu vaccine is less effective than usual, some medical experts are predicting a bad flu season. That means more cases of flu and those with weakened immune systems dealing with bothersome symptoms.

What's a doctor to do? Prescribe Tamiflu is they don't read research.

Dr. Andrew Buelt (DO) recently wrote an article for Medpage Today about doctors continuing to prescribe Tamiflu to treat the flu when the research shows no significant benefit. Here are some excerpts:

"Oseltamivir, brand name Tamiflu, was released onto the market in 1999 for the treatment of influenza...

It's easy to see why everyone thought this was a wonder drug. A meta-analysis...concluded that "Oseltamivir treatment of influenza illness reduces LRTCs [lower respiratory tract complications], antibiotic use, and hospitalization in both healthy and 'at-risk' adults."

However, the same authors (Kaiser L, et al) also said acute bronchitis requires antibiotic use, which we know it doesn't, and that eight of the 10 trials were unpublished or published only in abstract form. Finally, 68% of the randomized patients tested positive for influenza when, on average, only about 14% of those in a given flu season test positive, according to U.S. virological surveillance data.

When Tom Jefferson, MD, of the Cochrane Review, asked for the clinical studies and full research, he was turned away. This started a 4-year stall by Roche, makers of Tamiflu. For those of you who are interested in the exchange, you should follow the paper trail on The BMJ website...

Finally, Roche started to release the clinical studies.

First, a report with access to some of the full clinical data concluded "there is no evidence that oseltamivir reduces the likelihood of hospitalization, pneumonia, or combined outcome of pneumonia." And what was more shocking was that this trial, WV15912, which took 401 adults with at least one cardiac or respiratory condition, had an end result of a nonsignificant 1-hour reduction in symptoms. I repeat only 1 hour, only 60 minutes, only 3,600 seconds.

When the Cochrane reviewers were finally able to look at and sort through the body of information, and not just the abstract data, they came to similar conclusions, and reported that there were no differences for hospital admissions, reductions in confirmed pneumonia, or other complications.

However, I don't want to say the drug did nothing, as there were increases in symptoms of nausea (NNH 28), vomiting (NNH 22), and headaches (NNH 32).

Yes, Tamiflu is too good to be true. Patients who have the flu feel bad, they want a drug to help them feel any amount of relief. Sadly, we have nothing for them. We can encourage hydration and rest, but that's about it.

The easy path is to write a prescription for Tamiflu and move to the next patient. The hard path is to discuss why you are not going to write the script to someone who doesn't want to hear it."

When a drug manufacturer can't prove their drug causes a reduction in symptoms for only one hour (could you ask of any less from a drug?), it's pretty clear the drug is not effective. Try some simple natural solutions instead - at least they shouldn't increase nausea, vomiting, and headaches.

Some argue America's patent system for medications unfairly allows drug companies a monopoly to make billions in profit while restricting access to new medication, while others argue it's a fair bonus to encourage drug companies to manufacture new medications.

Regardless of what consumers think, drug companies apparently feel a monopoly that allows them to makes billions off a single blockbuster medication in one year is not enough. Recent court battles illuminate drug company schemes to extend their medication monopolies beyond the normal patent to produce billions more in profit.

Drug Companies Can Pay to Extend Their Monopoly

The idea behind drug patents (which exclude competitors from selling similar products) is that they last long enough to give companies time to benefit financially from their newly created medication. Then the patent expires, and competitors can make generic versions that tend to be dramatically cheaper. Drug companies have been using a strategy called "pay to delay" to extend their monopolies by paying generic competitors who promise not to sell competing medications. Medpage Today reported on a court case that ruled these anti-competitive payments are allowed. It's win-win for big drug companies and their competitors, but what about the patients?

Drug Company Forced to Maintain Access to Medication

Drug companies were not so successful in their attempts at another money-making scheme. Reuters reported:

"A U.S. judge ruled on Thursday that Actavis Plc must continue to sell its Alzheimer's drug [set to lose patent protection next year] in a lawsuit alleging that the company was scheming to limit generic competition while it launched an extended-release version of the widely used drug...

The company planned to withdraw Namenda IR from the market in August to focus sales on its new but similar drug, called Namenda XR, which is taken once instead of twice daily, according to the lawsuit...

The move, also called a 'forced switch,' asks doctors to transition patients to Namenda XR, which will not face generic competition for years."

These schemes are pervasive throughout the drug industry (as well as billion dollar fines and settlements). It's apparently hard to do what's right for patients when the alternative is making billions of dollars. The best response is making healthy lifestyle choices so you can live a long and healthy life without medications. Start now by eating better and being active.

The risks associated with antibiotic use in children continues to grow as new research finds a strong link between antibiotic use and the development of arthritis in children.

Medpage Today reports, "Children who were exposed to antibiotics had an increased risk of developing juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)...any antibiotic use was associated with more than twice the risk of JIA."

Antibiotics are made to kill microbes throughout the body, but end up killing helpful bacteria with the harmful bacteria. Researchers noted this disruption of healthy bacteria has been linked to multiple autoimmune diseases..."including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, and exposure to antibiotics has been linked with inflammatory bowel disease in children."

The researchers went on to note that 25% of antibiotics used for children are for respiratory infections and are not needed.

For a reminder of when antibiotics should NOT be used (common colds, flu, runny nose, bronchitis, fluid in ears, etc.) click here. To keep you and your children healthy, avoid antibiotics whenever possible and include probiotics or fermented foods in the diet to make sure there is plenty of good bacteria in the gut.

Acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol and other brands, is commonly recommended for back pain, but until now only minimal medical research had been performed to see if it actually helps. Even back pain treatment guidelines recommend acetaminophen as a first-line treatment without any direct evidence of benefit.

To the surprise of many, a study recently found no benefit to using acetaminophen for back pain. Researchers studied over 1600 patients with back pain. The patients were given acetaminophen or placebo pills. The scientists found no significant difference between the groups in recovery time, pain, disability, function, symptom changes, sleep or quality of life.

With increasing awareness of the significant risks of taking acetaminophen (causing over 50,000 liver injuries in Americans each year), this study gives further support to the recommendation of minimizing use as much as possible.

Medical treatment guidelines offer a better treatment choice for back pain: chiropractic manipulation. Research has found chiropractic treatment to be one of the only options that reduces back pain, improves function, and has minimal risks. Before reaching for that bottle of Tylenol for your back pain, think twice.

There's good news about store-bought meat just in time for Christmas. This may be one of the best gifts Santa could give us. Two recent changes in the regulation of how meat is raised and sold in the United States should help improve the quality of what we buy in the store.

Bye Bye Antibiotics

The Washington Post reports, "The vast majority of antibiotics sold each year in the United States — by some estimates as much as 80 percent — are used in agriculture rather than in human medicine... The [FDA] finalized recommendations asking animal drug manufacturers to voluntarily alter their labels so that farmers would no longer be allowed to use antibiotics merely to make animals grow faster."

The good news is it will be harder for farmers to feed their livestock antibiotics to make them grow faster rather than treat disease. The bad news is, following the regulations is still somewhat voluntary. Fortunately, pharmaceutical companies seem to be on board. With increasing concerns about the "superbugs" created by antibiotic overuse, it's good to see steps made in the right direction. This should be a healthy improvement for the quality of our meat supply.

Where's This Meat From?

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recently issued new cholesterol guidelines that are estimated to double the number of American adults on statins (cholesterol lowering medications) from about 15% to 30%.

New Cholesterol guidelines would place 1/3 of adults on statins

Dr. Neil Stone, who headed the cholesterol guideline panel, explained to reporters, "We're going to give statins to those who are the most likely to benefit." The guidelines increase the emphasis on factors like age, gender, race, and smoking rather than cholesterol levels.

Trying to be more selective about the use of cholesterol medication sounds like a good idea, especially with increasing warnings about newly recognized risks over the past couple years. But when the plan results in doubling the number of American adults on cholesterol lowering medication (and those adults may not even have high cholesterol)...it seems like something went wrong.

We're not the only ones wondering about the new guidelines. The AHA and ACC have taken considerable heat from doctors and researchers.

Rita F. Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and the editor of JAMA Internal Medicine and John D. Abramson, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine,” noted flaws with these guidelines in a New York Times article:

"[This would be good news for patients] if statins actually offered meaningful protection from our No. 1 killer, heart disease; if they helped people live longer or better; and if they had minimal adverse side effects. However, none of these are the case."

As part of National Chiropractic Health Month, we take a look at recent news and research that has highlighted the growing epidemic of prescription drug problems:

CNN's story, "Let’s End the Prescription Drug Death Epidemic," reported on the increasing injury and death from prescription medication as Americans consume 80% of the world's pain medication for less than 5% of the world's population.

Harvard research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlighted increasing medical mismanagement of back pain as doctors continue to increase narcotic pain prescriptions and ignore medical guidelines that recommend safer, more effective options like chiropractic treatment.

A national report on prescription drug abuse ranked Ohio as 12th Highest Drug Overdose Mortality Rate in the US, with most deaths coming from prescription medications.

"Fifty Americans die a day from prescription drug overdoses, and more than 6 million suffer from prescription drug abuse disorders. This is a very real epidemic - and warrants a strong public health response," said Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

What's Going On?

For years, many industrial farmers have fed cattle antibiotics and injected them with hormones to accelerate their growth. Now there's a new miracle drug called Zilmax that causes cattle to pack on the pounds reported Slate:

"A new cattle drug called Zilmax is being widely used in the industrial feedlots where most of America’s beef comes from, but not because it produces a better sirloin. In fact, it has been shown to make steak less flavorful and juicy than beef from untreated cattle."

Designed to treat asthma in humans, Zilmax causes cattle to "swell up with muscle."

Designed to treat asthma in humans, the manufacturer later discovered Zilmax fed to cattle during the last weeks of life, causes them to "swell up with muscle." The drug is usually discontinued 3 days before slaughter to allow most of it to leave the animal's tissues.

Consumers won't notice the difference

It's time again to catch up on some of the latest research related to natural ways to improve your health. From heart disease to diabetes and Alzheimer's you can do more than you think to prevent these diseases or stop them in their tracks...

Diet Benefits Beyond Meds for Heart Disease

A study of over 30,000 men & women confirms that changing to a healthier diet can help prevent heart problems for those at high risk. A healthy diet also prevents further problems for those who already have heart disease.

Researchers found a benefit to healthy eating regardless of medications being taken. Those who ate the healthiest diet had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events (death, heart failure, stroke) than those eating the poorest diet.

This confirms that eating well helps everyone, not just those who are already healthy. It's never too late to benefit from a healthier diet, so start now.

Link Between Salt & Heart Disease Debatable

Research Shows Probiotics Prevent Diarrhea

MedPage Today reports on research that shows probiotics prevent diarrhea resulting from the use of antibiotics. Diarrhea is a common side effect that occurs after taking antibiotics; experienced in as many as 30% of patients.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called 'friendly bacteria' or 'good bacteria'. You can add these healthy microorganisms to your diet by taking supplements or by eating fermented foods. Learn more about probiotics and fermented foods in our recent post.

What Did The Probiotics Research Show?

The researchers  performed a meta-analysis in which they reviewed multiple studies that have been performed. They analyzed 82 randomly controlled studies on the subject and found a significant reduction in antibiotic-related diarrhea for those patients who received probiotics. Various probiotic strains were used including bacteria and yeasts. All tested strains demonstrated some benefit in preventing diarrhea, with an average reduced risk of 42%.

How Do Probiotics Prevent Diarrhea?

The researchers explain the benefit of probiotics: "Potentially, probiotics maintain or restore gut microecology during or after antibiotic treatment through receptor competition, competition for nutrients, inhibition of epithelial and mucosal adherence of pathogens, introduction of lower colonic pH favoring the growth of nonpathogenic species, stimulation of immunity, or production of antimicrobial substances."

Translation:
Taking probiotics returns good bugs to our gut after antibiotics kill them. They compete against the bad bugs for nutrients and space, so it is harder for the bad bugs to develop into an infection. These healthy bugs also help stimulate our immune system.

Probiotics are basically the opposite of antibiotics. Instead of taking a pill that kills any microorganisms in your body (good or bad), you take a supplement that increases the number of healthy microorganisms that should be in your body. This restores the natural balance and helps the immune system work as it should.

Do Probiotics Benefit Children & Adults?

Most of the research has been performed on adults, but studies on children have also noted significant benefit to using probiotics as well. They are considered to be very safe. One possible risk is when used in neonates that have been born prematurely and have an immune deficiency. Babies should be enjoying the immune enhancing benefits from their mother's breastmilk anyway.

You can enjoy the benefits of probiotics by taking a supplement or eating fermented foods - learn more here.