Medical articles on IVIG and probiotics.

[Mayzoo]

Unless you are a research guru on these two subjects, these will likely have at least a little information you did not know already . Of course, you don't need to take the exams unless you are in the profession . I do not think you have to be registered on the site to view these, but if you do, let me know and maybe I can copy the whole thing here.

 

IVIG: http://www.powerpak.com/course/content/109009

 

Probiotics: http://www.powerpak.com/course/content/108027

 

There was a better probiotic course but apparently you must be logged in for that one, so here is a bit of what I found interesting in it:

 

 

"The following examples cited by ConsumerLab.com highlight the information that pharmacists must consider when recommending an appropriate probiotic product.⁴⁰

Example 1 – Align^® claimed to contain 1 billion live bacteria at the time of manufacture and to provide an effective level of organisms until the “best by” date on the label. The ConsumerLab.com test showed the product to contain 530 million viable organisms. Clinical studies have shown that the bacteria contained in Align^®, B infantis 35624, can reduce the symptoms of IBS at a dose of 100 million. Since the ConsumerLab.com test exceeded the necessary number of organisms, the claim of an effective level of probiotic was upheld. However, keep in mind that the manufacturer of Align^® cannot advertise the effectiveness of this dose for the treatment of IBS because it would constitute a disease-related claim. This type of claim is illegal under the DSHEA legislation, even when it is supported by clinical studies.

Example 2 – The Culturelle^® label claims to provide 10 billion organisms per capsule through the “best use” date. ConsumerLab.com’s test found 5.8 billion CFUs per Culturelle^® capsule. The majority of clinical studies conducted with the probiotic ingredient in Culturelle^®, LGG, used a quantity of 10 to 20 billion CFUs/day. This may be an effective dose of Culturelle^® for certain conditions, but this can be neither verified nor refuted from these test results. Clinical studies have not investigated the effectiveness of LGG at the 5.8 billion CFU dose.

Example 3 – Udo’s Choice™ Adult Probiotic, a combination of 8 organisms, states on the front label that it contains 12 billion cells per capsule. The back panel states, in a footnote, that this is the quantity per capsule at the time of manufacture. The Supplement Facts panel states that the product contains 6 billion cells per gram until reaching the “best before” date. However, each capsule contains only 0.37 grams, or 2.2 billion cells per capsule, approximately 20% of the quantity stated on the front of the label. In ConsumerLab.com testing, the product contained 4.9 billion cells per capsule. A review of the product’s Web site revealed no peer-reviewed publications or trials using this product by which health care professionals or consumers could determine an effective dose. No conclusions can be made about the effectiveness of this product because there is no available clinical evidence to support its use. The wording of the available dose on the label is also of concern since the small print guarantees a dose of only 2.2 billion CFUs compared with the stated 12 billion on the front of the bottle.

 

Sidebar 1: Web sites That Provide Quality Information About Probiotics

• American Gastroenterologic Association – www.gastro.org
• ConsumerLab.com – www.ConsumerLab.com
  • By subscription
• Council for Agricultural Science and Technology – www.cast-science.org/publications/
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) –
  www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/micro_probiotics_en.asp
• International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics – www.isapp.net
• Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database – http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com
  • By subscription
• usprobiotics.org: California Dairy Research Foundation and Dairy & Food Culture Technologies –
  www.usprobiotics.org"

 

 

http://www.powerpak.com/course/content/107966

 

ETA: Just a heads up............while the above sites may be good sites about probiotics, it appears most of them require a paid membership. I have not checked them all, but the three I have checked all require paid membership to read what they offer.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Mayzoo