Yoghurts used to combat superbugs

February 5, 2008

Yoghurts Used To Combat Superbugs

The trust said it would be evaluating the cases of C.diff

Yoghurts containing " friendly bacteria " are being used as part of a

trial to cut the risk of patients developing superbugs at a Sussex

hospital trust.

Free pots of probiotic yoghurt are being handed out at the Royal

Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal in Haywards

Heath.

They are being given to patients on wards where there have been

higher cases of Clostridium difficile.

The trust said evidence suggested the yoghurt might cut the risk of

C.diff.

Key chemicals

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust medical director

Matthew Fletcher said: " We are providing Actimel probiotic yoghurt to

patients on the wards where we have previously had more cases of

C.diff.

" There is some evidence to suggest that using these probiotics may

reduce a patient's risk of C.diff and we will be evaluating the

difference this has made to the number of cases. "

In January scientists said they had hard evidence that foods

containing " friendly bacteria " did have a tangible effect on the

body.

The journal Molecular Systems Biology reported that mice fed

probiotic drinks had different levels of key chemicals in their blood

and urine.

The Imperial College London research - which was part-funded by food

giant Nestle - also suggested they could change fat digestion but

dieticians said this would work only for relatively small numbers of

people.

Probiotics, meaning " for life " , are products that contain live

strains of bacteria incorporated into yoghurts, fruit juices or

freeze-dried powders, which boost levels of the friendly bacteria in

the gut.

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" Friendly bacteria " yoghurts used in superbugs trial

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