| Question:
Acidophilus And AIDS Drugs
Do AIDS drugs kill off
friendly bacteria like antibiotics do? Does taking acidophilus really restore
them? What's the best form to take it in? (May, 2000)
Answer: Stringer
notes: This question provoked the following give-and-take among the Virtual
Faculty. Please read all the entries for a full airing of the subject.
Barbara J. Scott, MPH,
RD, responds: HIV antiretroviral medications should not affect the
natural flora (bacteria) in your intestinal tract. However, some antibiotics
considered "broad spectrum" (they are effective on many different kinds
of bacteria) that are taken by persons with HIV may decrease the natural
and helpful bacteria normally present in the intestine.
A fair amount of research
has been done that shows beneficial effects of providing probiotic organisms
(live bacteria that survive passage through the gastrointestinal {GI} tract
and have beneficial effects on the host) as live nutritional supplements
in foods (especially fermented dairy products like yogurt and acidophilus
milk). I was unable to find any research on the effectiveness of taking
acidophilus in its "purified" form (such as in a capsule).
It appears that the beneficial
effects of live bacteria in foods like yogurt come from their ability to
stick to some of the cells in the intestine. This "sticking" interferes
with the ability of pathogenic (bad) bacteria to stay in the gut, and it
also may stimulate the immune system and cause other natural bacteria in
the gut to produce substances that inhibit the growth of pathogens. Studies
are ongoing to determine the exact probiotic strains that are the most
healthful and that survive the best in the intestine. Other potential benefits
may include prevention and treatment of diarrheal disease (especially viral
but not as conclusive for diarrhea associated with use of antibiotics)
and genitourinary tract and vaginal infections, lowering of serum cholesterol,
lowing risk of GI cancers, and improvement of lactose absorption and digestion.
Therefore, it appears
that it would be helpful to include one or more servings (1 cup) of yogurt
with live cultures added each day.
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