Probiotics May Help Alcoholic Livers

New research suggests that probiotic supplements may help to restore the
immune function of white blood cells in alcoholics.

The small study was carried out by researchers at University College
London who assigned patients with alcoholic cirrhosis to receive
probiotic supplements. At the beginning of the study, white blood cell
(neutrophil phagocyte) capacity was 25% lower in the people with
alcoholic cirrhosis compared to the healthy controls. At the end of the
study, however, this capacity was normalised in the people receiving the
probiotics. No improvements were observed in the alcoholic cirrhosis
controls.

The study results dramatically showed that neutrophil (white blood cell)
function was restored after just four weeks of probiotic supplementation.

"Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis are susceptible to infections and
once infected, they have increased in-hospital mortality, this may
relate to a defective innate immune response in conjunction with an
inappropriate inflammatory response," said the researchers.

This new study adds to the fast growing body of research on probiotics.
Previous studies have already reported benefits from probiotics for the
immune response, but no research has ever studied their potential
benefits in immune function of people with alcoholic cirrhosis, stated
the researchers.

Source: Journal of Hepatology (Elsevier)
Published online ahead of print 25 March 2008, doi:
10.1016/j.jhep.2008.02.015
"Effect of probiotic treatment on deranged neutrophil function and
cytokine responses in patients with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis"
Authors: V. Stadlbauer, R.P. Mookerjee, S. Hodges, G.A.K. Wright, N.A.
Davies, R. Jalan

From Nutri's newsletter, No. 98