Lactic acid is a probiotic bacteria’s primary mechanism for controlling the digestive system. The bulk of probiotics are from a large group of bacteria known as Lactic Acid Bacteria (L.A.B.) and the group is dominated by the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species. The production of lactic acid by probiotics varies from one probiotic product to another and, depending on the type and quantity of lactic acid produced, largely determines the efficacy of the particular product. Having a large number of probiotic bacteria present (as CFU) is only important if they can produce significant quantities of lactic acid. This ability is called Activity and is measured by cultivating probiotics at body temperature and measuring the amount of lactic acid produced on an hourly basis. Measuring Activity is important because it indicates how much “work” probiotics do in the intestinal tract. Many undesirable microorganisms do not and cannot tolerate lactic acid and, in its presence, a more favorable probiotic balance is achieved. There are two different chiral isomers of lactic acid that are mirror images of each other: L(+) lactic acid and D(-) lactic acid. Both have the same chemical formula, C3H6 O3, however, they have different molecular orientations. The plus and minus signs indicate how polarized light is rotated by the two: (+) means light rotation is to the right and (-) means to the left. The enzymes that metabolize lactic acid are different for the two isomers and the L(+) isomer is more readily metabolized and, in fact, some probiotic strains produce L(+) exclusively (this is true for most Bifidobacteria). However, both forms of lactic acid are important when balancing intestinal flora since the D(-) can be more effective in slowing the growth of yeast and certain bacteria. There is some misinformation about lactic acid and we feel it is important to dispel these. Myth #1: Lactic acid, particularly the D(-) type, is harmful. Lactic acid means “milk acid” – it is the organic acid produced by starter cultures during the production of yogurt, cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, cottage cheese, pickles, olives and other fermented foods. The lactic acid produced by these starter cultures is usually a mixture of the L(+) and D(-) isomers where L(+) usually dominates by 60% or more. While the L(+) isomer is metabolized largely in the intestinal tract, D(-) metabolism occurs in the liver. These fermented foods do not cause systemic acidosis or inflammation in healthy people and have been consumed, with health promoting benefits, for thousands of years. The same holds true for probiotic supplements which often contain some of the same bacterial species used in the production of fermented foods. NOTE: Persons with short bowels at birth or shortened by surgery or those who have serious immunodeficiency issues should consult a medical doctor before consuming fermented foods or probiotics. Myth #2: Muscle soreness after strenuous exercise is caused by lactic acid buildup. Contrary to popular belief, a buildup of lactic acid (or lactate) in muscles does not cause muscle soreness in the days following strenuous exercise. The production of lactic acid and other metabolites during strenuous exercise results in a burning sensation felt in active muscles during exercise and this usually encourages the person to stop overworking the body to allow a recovery period which is necessary to clear out the lactic acid and other metabolites. The lactic acid produced in muscles is L(+) and it is readily utilized for cellular energy. The real cause of delayed muscle pain in the days following such exercise has more to do with an inflammatory-repair response of physically injured muscle tissue (due to eccentric contractions) that leads to swelling and soreness and does not correlate with low levels of any remaining lactate. (scientificamerican/article.cfm?id=why-does-lactic-acid-buil). Myth #3: Microbial production of lactic acid in vivo can cause pain or intestinal discomfort. This is not true when lactic acid is produced by clinically proven probiotic species that do not also produce exotoxins or endotoxins. Examples of safe, proven Lactobacillus species are: L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, L. plantarum, and L. salivarius. However, there are lactic acid producing microbes that are not generally recognized as probiotics that do produce toxins along with lactic acid! Certain Enterococcus and Streptococcus species do this. At the very least, these types of microorganisms can cause discomfort. *** The human gastro-intestinal tract is a very complicated ecosystem containing over 100 trillion living microorganisms, from mouth to anus, with most of them living in the distal small intestine (lower ileum), the caecum, and the upper half of the large intestine (colon). Keeping this plethora of ”bugs” in a healthy balance that encourages good nutrient absorption, regularity and comfort is what good probiotics do. They accomplish this by several methods but the most important is lactic acid production (Activity). When deciding on which probiotic to purchase, look for one that reports lactic acid producing Activity by lot number along with a CFU guarantee of at least 10 billion CFU/capsule. The probiotic products Theralac® and TruFlora® report ACTIVITY by lot number on their respective websites along with CFU and purity: See theralac and truflora . Both of these products produce over 1.7% lactic acid in 12 hours signifying substantial Activity. The five probiotic strains in Theralac® produce 87% of their total lactic acid output as the L(+) isomer and 13% as D(-). In TruFlora®, 63% is produced as the L(+) isomer and 37% as D(-).
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:45:40 +0000
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