New Dietary Supplement Containing Lactobacillus GG Now Available
PRNewswire, New York, Sept. 15

New dietary supplement capsules, Culturelle, containing the health-promoting "friendly" bacteria Lactobacillus GG to restore and maintain a healthy balance in the digestive system, are now available for the first time in the United States. This new probiotic was introduced by CAG Functional Foods, a division of the international food company ConAgra, Inc.

"Probiotic" is the term used to describe the "friendly" bacteria that populate the intestinal tract and contribute to good health, but which can be destroyed or depleted by taking antibiotics, changing one's diet, or acquiring foreign bacteria from traveling. In recent years, there has been considerable interest worldwide in the potential effects of probiotics to enhance the microbial balance in the gastrointestinal system and help maintain the body's natural defenses.

Using "friendly" bacteria in food supplements as a health-promoting aid to good nutrition is a well-established concept. Since the early 1900s, Lactobacillus has been a major focus of research due to the well-documented safety of this type of bacterial strain, which is used in the fermentation of dairy and food products such as yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, and sourdough. Foods containing probiotics are within a category of products called functional foods, which have been shown through clinical studies to maintain human health and promote human well-being.

However, not all "good" bacteria are equally beneficial. Research has shown that many Lactobacillus strains, such as L. Acidophilus commonly found in traditional yogurt, do not survive stomach acid and bile nor do they attach or colonize in the intestinal tract. Therefore, the health-enhancing benefits may not be present in foods containing certain probiotic strains. Consumers are advised to read food labels to ensure that the product contains the probiotic Lactobacillus GG.

In 1985, Drs. Sherwood Gorbach and Barry Goldin of Tufts University in Boston isolated an ideal health-promoting bacterial strain, Lactobacillus caseii subspecies rhamnosus, commonly known as Lactobacillus GG from the initials of its discoverers. After years of clinical research and documentation from major universities, Lactobacillus GG was chosen to be the key ingredient in Culturelle.

The strain is currently being tested and has proven to help control overgrowth of some of the harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal system, assist intestinal functioning, enhance the body's natural defenses, adhere and colonize in the intestinal tract, survive stomach acid, and provide clinically proven health benefits.

Source: ConAgra, Inc.