Lactobacillus rhamnosus originates from the human intestinal flora and was discovered by Professors Gorbach and Goldin – giving name to the strain. The strain has been used worldwide for more than 20 years as an ingredient in food and food supplements with no reported side effects.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is a bacteria that exists naturally in the body, primarily in the intestines. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG helps maintain a balance of "good bacteria" needed to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus has been used to treat or prevent diarrhea caused by rotavirus and other viral illnesses in babies and children. This product has also been used to treat diarrhea that can occur while taking antibiotics or while traveling to foreign countries ("traveler`s diarrhea").
The Benefits of Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Human studies indicate that Lactobacillus rhamnosus has a beneficial effect within gastrointestinal and immune function:
- May reduce the risk of antibiotic associated diarrhea*
- Improves stool consistency during antibiotic therapy*
- Enhances the immune response after vaccination**
- Potentially reduces respiratory infections***
- Reduces risk of nosocomial diarrhea****
It is one of the most widely studied bacterial strains due to its use in probiotics and its lack of pathogenicity. Lactobacillus rhamnosus primarily exists in the human digestive system, but can also be found in the human urinary and genital tracts (Lee, 2009). It is also used in various food products, usually dairy products such as yogurt, fermented milk, pasteurized milk, and semi-hard cheese.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus is generally known to help maintain a “good balance” of bacteria in the stomach and intestines by preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus and other probiotic strains of lactobacilli are rare causes of human disease or infection. Humans are frequently exposed to Lactobacillus rhamnosus in daily life, primarily in dairy products, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus is naturally found in human gastrointestinal systems. The use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus supplements for medical applications has been widely studied and has been found to be safe for all age groups and even immune-compromised individuals (Snydman, 2008).
Lactobacillus rhamnosus also carries no significant resistance to antibiotics that would compromise probiotic use with patients receiving antibiotic treatment in conjunction with the probiotic supplement or prevent treatment in the case of a rare probiotic infection (Goldin and Gorbach, 2008).
Lactobacillus rhamnosus has generally been shown to be beneficial in its use in probiotics for general digestive health and gastrointestinal diseases due to its ability to encode for proteins related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism and its ability adhere to gut and intestinal mucosa.
Furthermore, the use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus has proven to be safe among a variety of gender, age, and health groups. Mixed results for the studies of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in the treatment and prevention of atopic dermatitis indicate that further research needs to be conducted in this area.
However, the molecular mechanisms of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and its relation to atopic dermatitis indicate a promising future for its use in probiotics. Emerging areas of study for the use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in probiotics include the treatment of joint symptoms and diabetes.
There have animal studies and one human trial that suggest that Lactobacillus rhamnosus may alleviate joint symptoms (Goldin and Gorbach, 2008).
Another study indicated that Lactobacillus rhamnosus could lower levels of blood hemoglobin A1c and improve glucose tolerance for animals with diabetes (Goldin and Gorbach, 2008).
While research in this area has been new and limited, Lactobacillus rhamnosus has been shown to treat and prevent diseases and infections that treat a variety of recurring and problematic diseases. Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a refreshing example of a natural, prevalent drug used for probiotics among the popular discussion of harmful microbes and antibiotics.
* Vanderhoof et al. 1999
** de Vrese et al. 2005
*** Hojsak et al. 2010a
**** Hojsak et al. 2010b
