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Sub-specialist in allergy and clinical immunology and faculty member of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences said: “probiotics are harmless and can be used to prevent from and treat diseases”. Talking to WebDa about probiotics, Dr. Hamid Ahanchian said: “there are beneficial microbes that treat and prevent from many diseases. These beneficial microbes are called probiotics”. He added: “we usually use such bacteria by eating yogurt, doogh and other fermented material that have been long used to treat some diseases; for example rice and yogurt was used to treat diarrhea”. Explaining that these microbes are available not only in the form of food, but also in the form of drugs such as powder, capsule and drops, Dr. Ahanchian said: “they are mainly used to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic stomachache, and diarrhea, children’s diseases such as colic and childhood allergy and eczema, infectious diseases and some gynecological problems”. He said: “people should know that excessive use of antibiotics destroys beneficial bacteria; therefore, use of antibiotics should be stopped or reduced”. Noting that probiotics are harmless and easily available for everyone, sub-specialist in allergy and clinical immunology said: “physicians should become aware of applications of probiotics and our colleagues should prescribe them in the form of food and drug”. Dr. Ahanchian said: “Iranians were the first people to use fermented products such as yogurt; thus, the research team of allergy and clinical immunology department of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences began its work from 2004 and has completed more than 20 research plans on probiotics”. He said: “so far, 15 clinical trials have been conducted on patients, three of which were conducted for the first time; for example, we have used synbiotic to treat baby colic”. “This study worked well for baby colic”, he continued, “and it was published in a credible journal in Australia. Besides, more than 10 articles have been written and published in international journals”. Associate professor of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences referred to prevention from some diseases and said: “in many cases, prescribed by the physician, families can prevent from diseases like children’s eczema by taking probiotics in the form of food or drug”. Noting that not all bacteria are pathogenic, he said: “some bacteria are useful. Nowadays, parents raise their children in sterile environments, while if our children have contact with useful microbes, their immune systems becomes stronger”. “A strong and balanced immune system can prevent from many diseases such as allergy and asthma”, added Dr. Ahanchian, “children in villages have stronger immune systems than urban children. Urban children are not much in contact with their surrounding and get autoimmune diseases, allergy and diabetes”. Stating that 1014 microbes exist in human body, sub-specialist in allergy and clinical immunology said: “in fact, useful microbes serve the body and excessive use of antibiotics destroys them and the body is disposed to various diseases”. He said: “besides probiotics that mainly exist in yogurt and doogh, prebiotics are also available in fresh vegetables, bran, etc. that increase useful microbes in the body”. Dr. Ahanchian said: “synbiotic capsules are also available in the market that are made as a result of mixing probiotics with prebiotics; they multiply useful microbes”. |