Lactobacillus GG, or LGG for short, is a patented natural probiotic culture proven
to help maintain healthy intestinal flora. This bacterial strain is the most extensively
researched and clinically proven strain available. This unique strain takes it name
from its discoverers, Drs. Gorbach & Goldin of Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts
who analyzed over a thousand different strains for ideal "health promoting/probiotic"
characteristics and chose the LGG strain as the ideal probiotic. LGG has been proven
to withstand stomach acid and adhere to and colonize the intestinal tract and has
been the subject of published clinical studies.
Benefits of Lactobacillus GG include:
- Colitis, Crohn’s Disease and IBS
- Discomfort from Antibiotics
- Food Allergies
- Arthritis
- Vaginal Yeast Infections
- Candida Overgrowth
- Digestive Disorders
- Gas, Bloating, and Constipation
- Gastro-Intestinal Health
- Free of sugar, yeast, sodium, dairy and preservatives
100% Natural Probiotic Culture of Lactobacillus GG in a base of inulin (FOS).
Each capsule contains:
- Inulin (chicory root extract) 260 mg
- Lactobacillus GG 30 billion (min 80mg)
- Casein less than .01mg
- Whey less than .01 mg
- Vegetarian Capsule (hypromellose) 75 mg
Suggested Use: Take one to two capsules, preferably at the end of a meal.
For traveling, to prevent traveler's diarrhea: Take one capsule per day
starting at least one week prior to travel. Continue taking one capsule per day
throughout trip.
For concurrent usage with antibiotics: Take one capsule twice daily a few hours
after taking antibiotic, throughout antibiotic therapy continuing 4 weeks after
to restore healthy intestinal flora.
Read Customer questions and answers about Digestive Health in our FAQ.
Lactobacillus GG is grown on whey and will contain trace amounts (less than 15 parts per million per capsule) of casein and whey, which are proteins found in milk.
Delivers a minimum of 30 billion live/active bacteria at time of manufacture and is guaranteed through expiration date, if stored in a cool, dry place (FOR BEST RESULTS STORE PRODUCT IN REFRIGERATOR).
Safe & effective for adults & children: For children, open capsule and stir contents into cool beverage or mix into wet food such as applesauce.
Safe & effective for pregnant & nursing women: Take 1 capsule per day to strengthen your natural defenses.
Why is LactobacillusGG superior to other types of Lactobacillus?
Research shows that stomach acid kills many Lactobacillus strains on contact, including L. acidophilus, preventing those strains from reaching the intestinal tract. Many of the other strains that do survive the stomach acid do not adhere to the intestinal lining. The ones that are able to adhere typically do not grow in the intestinal tract as successfully as LGG and hence cannot form a protective barrier in the intestines.
In numerous studies, LGG has been proven to better withstand stomach acid and form a stronger barrier to bad bacteria than other Lactobacillus varieties. The European and United States clinical research consists of double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (participants and researcher of the study do not know if they are receiving the real or inactive ingredient). The majority of these studies have been published in leading medical and scientific journals.
Health Magazine
"Germs That Cure?" by Michael Mason
July/August 1999, pages 62-66
Summary: Good bacteria have health promoting benefits if you get enough of them. Two scientists, Drs. Gorbach and Goldin examined thousands of good bacteria samples and found one called Lactobacillus GG that has the ability to prosper in the digestive tract and outlive other varieties. Studies have shown other strains don't survive long in the body, even when taken in pill form. The best-researched probiotic to date, the L.GG in Culturelle does seem to alleviate or prevent certain intestinal problems.
Natural Living Today
"Good Bacteria: The Latest Research on Probiotics" by Catherine Aman
November/December 1998, pages 40-45 & 95
Summary: Not all bacteria are bad guys. Billions grow on our skin and in our mouths and intestines, helping us digest food & protecting us from infections. The idea of harnessing these "good bacteria" for health is not something new. There are over 200 species of bacteria in the human intestines and this flora is acquired within the first few days of birth. Lactobacillus acidophilus is the most common probiotic supplement, though few clinical studies have been done. Research on acidophilus is mixed. Although it has been found to survive stomach acid and bile better than L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, it's not particularly good at sticking to and colonizing the walls of the intestines. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is a subspecies of Lactobacillus casei, a traditional culture found in provolone and parmesan cheese. This strain was isolated as the ideal probiotic, which means it can withstand stomach acid and also firmly latch on to the walls of the colon.
Gastro-Intestinal Health
In the human digestive system, Lactobacillus GG has been shown to resist gastric acid and bile, adhere to mucosa of human intestine, colonize the human gastrointestinal tract regardless of individual's health status, and produce an antimicrobial substance with activity against potential pathogens such as E. coli, streptococci, Clostridium species, and Salmonella species (Gorbach, S. L., 1996)
LGG and Gastro-Intestinal Disorders
Clinical research has shown that Lactobacillus GG can be an addition to the management of gastrointestinal disorders including clostridium difficile associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, traveler's diarrhea, diarrhea associated with rotaviral gastroenteritis (viral infections), and acute non-bacterial diarrhea.
Lactobacillus GG has been shown to provide other beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract, including enhancement of immune response to rotaviral infection and adjuvant to rotavirus vaccine, normalization of fecal urease activity in diarrheal disorders, alleviation of intestinal inflammation and permeability, amelioration of food allergies, especially lactose intolerance or cows’ milk sensitivity, a reduction of potentially harmful colonic enzymes and inhibition of chemically-induced colon cancer in rats, and enhancement of the intestine’s immunologic barrier function.
LGG and C.difficile (Clostridium Difficile)
LGG given at high doses(10 billion live bacteria daily) for as little as 7-10 days following traditional antibiotic therapy (metronidazole or vancomycin) has cured patients with relapsing C.difficile diarrhea (Gorbach et al., 1987) Several reasons have been proposed to explain the effectiveness of LGG, including its resistance to gastric and bile acids, its ability to adhere to and colonize the gastrointestinal tract, and its production of an antimicrobial substance that inhibits growth of other anerobic bacteria in the gut.
References:
1. Goldin B. “Health Benefits of Probiotics” Br J Nutr 1998;80 (Suppl. 2):S203-S207.
2. Isolauri E, Juntunem M “A Human Lactobacillus Strain Promotes Recovery from Acute Diarrhea in Children” Pediatrics 1991;88:90-7
3. Isolauri E., Majamaa H. “LGG Reverses Increased Intestinal Permeability Induced by Cow Milk in Suckling Rats” Gastroent 1993;105:1643-1650.
4. Majamaa H, Isolauri E “Probiotics: A Novel Approach in the Management of Food Allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997 Feb;99(2):179-185
5. Malin, M., Suomalainen, H. “Promotion of IgA Immune Response in Patients with Crohns Disease with Lactobacillus GG.” Ann Nutr Metab 1996;40:137-145.
6. Pelto, L. Isolauri, E. “Probiotic Bacteria Down-Regulate Milk-Induced Inflammatory Response” Clin Exp Allergy 1998;28:1474-1479.
7. Rautanen, T. Isolauri E. “Management of Acute Diarrhea with Low Osmolarity Oral Rehydration and LGG” Arch Dis Child 1998;79:157-60.
8. Saxelin, MS “Colonization of the Human Gastrointestinal Tract by Probiotic Bacteria,” Nutr Today Supp 1996 Nov/Dec;31(6):5S-8S
9. Siitonen, S., Vapaatalo, H. “Effect of Lactobacillus GG Yoghurt in Prevention of Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea.” Ann Med 1990;22:57-59.
10. Vanderhoof JA, Young RJ “Use of Probiotics in Childhood Gastrointestinal Disorders,” J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1998 Sep;27:323-332.
Lactobacillus GG Alleviates Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis in IgE-Sensitized Infants
Author: Donald Brown, ND
Reference: Viljanen M, Savilahti E, Haahtela T, et al. Probiotics in the treatment of atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome in infants: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Allergy 2005;60:494-500.
Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Participants: 230 infants, ages 1.4-11.9 months (mean 6.4 months), with 62% of them being males. To be included in the study, infants had to be less than 12 months old; have symptoms that suggested cow's milk allergy (CMA), one of which had to be atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS); and not have used any probiotics for longer than 1 week within 6 weeks of starting the study.
Study Medication and Dosage: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) containing 5 x 109 colony forming units (CFU) mixed with food b.i.d; a MIX group, which were treated with a mixture of LGG 5 x 109 CFU, L. rhamnosus LC705 (LC705) 5 x 109 CFU, Bifidobacterium breve shermanii JS (Propionibacterium JS) 2 x 109 CFU mixed with food b.i.d; or placebo. Probiotics and the placebo capsules were supplied by Valio Ltd. Cow's milk (CM) and any other foods suspected of being allergenic were eliminated from the diets of the infants and breast-feeding mothers. All infants received extensively hydrolyzed whey (EHW) formula (Peptidi-Tutteli, Valio Ltd, Helsinki, Finland). Additionally, lesions were treated by the parents continuously with emollients and, as needed, with 1% topical hydrocortisone for up to 2 weeks in a row.
Duration: 4 weeks
Outcome Measures: AEDS was assessed using the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) system. SCORAD scores the extent (0-100); intensity as the sum of individual scores for erythema, edema/papules, oozing/crusts, excoriation, lichenification, and skin dryness (0-3 points each, 18 maximum);and subjective symptoms including pruritis and sleep loss (as assessed by the parent and scored from 0-10 points each, 20 maximum). Parents recorded any skin, gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms in a daily symptom diary.
Key Findings: SCORAD decreased similarly in all three groups from baseline to the third visit at 8 weeks (4 weeks after discontinuation of treatment medication; CM elimination continued). From the first to third visits, SCORAD changed by a mean of -22.9, -20.4 and -20.3 in the LGG, MIX and placebo groups, respectively. Similarly, decreases in SCORAD from the first to the third visits were not significantly different between treatment groups for those infants who were CMA+ (-22.7, -19.4, and -21.4, respectively) and those who were CMA- (-23.2, -21.9, and -19.4, respectively)
However, LGG reduced mean SCORAD significantly greater than placebo in a subgroup of infants with IgE-associated AEDS (-26.1 vs. -19.8, respectively; p = 0.036). The MIX group showed no difference compared to placebo in this subgroup.
Practice Implications: Previous small clinical trials have suggested that probiotic supplements may reduce symptoms of atopic dermatitis in infants. This larger trial suggests that children with IgE-associated AEDS are more likely to respond to probiotic supplementation—in this case, Lactobacillus GG as opposed to a mixture of four probiotic strains. As noted in earlier reviews, probiotics, which are known to stabilize intestinal permeability, have been found to actually reduce the occurrence1 and severity2 of AD in infants and children. A recent clinical trial provided the link between intestinal permeability and AD and the role that probitoics—L. reuteri and L. rhamnosus, in this case—may play in improving intestinal health and thus improving symptoms in children with moderate to severe AD3.
References:
1. Kalliiomaki M, Salminen S, Arvilommi H, et al. Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2001;1076-9.
2. Rosenfeldt V, Benfeldt E, Nielsen SD, et al. Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains in children with atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;11:389-95.
3. Rosenfeldt V, Benfeldt E, Valerius NH, et al. Effect of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms and small intestinal permeability in children with atopic dermatitis. J Pediatrics 2004;145:612-6.
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