Probiotics: what are they?

October 26, 2018

The World Health Organization defines a probiotic as “a bacterium beneficial to human health.” Over the past decade, the use of probiotics as a means to promote or maintain digestive health has gained increasing appreciation. Probiotics for oral administration are available in various forms or added as an ingredient in foods. In the digestive tract, probiotics may play an important role in regulating digestion, intestinal motility, and protecting against potential pathogens. Our understanding of recent advances has led us to believe that they may even play a role in controlling distant events in the intestinal tract via the secretion of small molecules that can act on distant organs such as the brain, and thus affect obesity, mood disorders, or cognitive impairment.

A “healthy” bacterial flora inside the nose (the microbiome) is necessary to ensure normal functioning of the epithelial lining and coordinate inflammatory responses. Diseases of the nose and sinuses, such as allergies and chronic sinusitis, are associated with the imbalance of bacterial flora and can contribute to disease.

Until recently, there were no probiotics available for intranasal use. Fortunately, ProbioRinse™ now offers an innovative therapeutic alternative for patients suffering from nasal and sinus problems. ProbioRinse™ is unique in that it combines the benefits of nasal saline irrigation with the addition of a probiotic bacteria. By incorporating the freeze-dried probiotic Lactocccus lactis W136 into convenient single-serve sachets containing the buffered saline mixture, the probiotic is reconstituted at the time of solution manufacture, so that a fresh probiotic rinse solution is used every time.

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