Now that we’ve officially settled into Fall here in Portland (with the leaves and the wind and the scarves etc..) it’s time to talk about Cold and Flu prevention! There are so many simple, effective Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine protocols for cold and flu prevention, I thought I would deep dive into one of the most common general health preventative measures and see what the research says about using probiotic foods and supplements to prevent and treat the common cold (aka URTI or upper respiratory tract infections).
What I found was an amazing Cochrane Review article looking at all the available randomized controlled clinical trials (what evidence based medicine is all about) up to July of 2014 discussing whether or not probiotics are more effective than placebo for reducing the frequency and severity of the common cold.
The article reviewed 13 clinical trials with over 3700 participants including children and adults from 8 different countries worldwide. The results were stunning! The use of probiotics over placebo (no supplement) reduced the number of patients experiencing acute upper respiratory tract infections about approximately 47% (almost HALF!!) and reduced the number of days they were experiencing cold related symptoms. An even more amazing finding was that the review demonstrated less need for antibiotic treatments (which shouldn’t be used for the majority of colds anyway) and the number of days school children needed to be absent due to illness (saving both schools and parents time and money).
Naturopaths have known for centuries that optimizing gut and digestive function leads to improved immunity and overall health and wellbeing. Now that conventional evidence based medicine is starting to catch up, patients can feel confident knowing that a little dietary and supplement prevention can go a long way towards optimal health and wellbeing for the whole family.
The Cochrane Review article goes on to grade the quality of the evidence provided by these 13 clinical trials as poor, and this rating is based on a variety of clinical criteria aimed at stringent double-blind standards for research studies. As a health care provider, it’s my job to evaluate both the quantity and quality of the evidence available for clinical interventions (aka probiotics in this case) and weigh those results against the risks and benefits of that intervention for the patient in front of me. I would agree with the Cochrane Review that the trials included in this review did not have the most rigorous clinical criteria, however, probiotics are generally very safe for most patient populations and have few side effects or financial implications for patients.
So, that leaves the question, what types of probiotics are most effective for preventing and treating the common cold?
The Cochrane article does not include detailed information about each probiotic used in each clinical research study, however, the most common strains of probiotics used in these studies include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria which are easily found in fermented foods and supplements. The Cochrane Review also mentions an important therapeutic dosage for probiotics, 10 billion CFUs (bacterial colony forming units) per serving or greater, which is not too hard to find! It’s much easier to obtain that high level of CFUs with a good quality probiotic supplement, but eating fermented foods regularly is also very helpful.
So where do I get these foods and supplements?
Here are a few of my favorite sources for food based probiotics including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria (although each food product will have different strains and number of CFUs).
Kombucha: I love the taste and WOW are there some amazing, low sugar, great tasting brands available commercially these days!
Lion Heart Kombucha: A local Portland company with THE BEST low sugar kombucha on the market, and it’s available in some incredible flavors! This brand of kombucha is even safe for people undergoing treatment for IBS and SIBO with low FODMAP/SCD dietary restrictions, seriously, you can’t go wrong. PS: This brand of Kombucha is available ON TAP at the Academy Movie Theater in Portland….this is my go-to Friday night venue!
Townshend’s Kombucha: Another local Portland company that I go back to again and again! They have so many INCREDIBLE flavors and also have several seasonal selections to always keep you coming back for more! Visit one of their several Portland tea shops for a variety of Kombucha flavors on-tap and at Whole Foods or New Seasons Market for bottled Kombucha on the go.
Happy Mountain Kombucha: I’ve recently discovered this gem of a company at Tea Chai Te in NW Portland and Sellwood, selling their DELICIOUS dragonfruit, peach and ginger root flavors for all PDX tea lovers to enjoy. I love their flavors and you can’t go wrong with fresh, on-tap kombucha any time of year.
Yogurt: Most people have heard from one source or another that yogurt is a great source of probiotics…and it is, so eat it up! There are so many different brands, flavors, etc…here are some of my basic guidelines for yogurt eating:
Organic Only! This is super important because non-organic meat and dairy can literally be chock-full of antibiotics and exogenous hormones that disrupt your body’s own endocrine system, I am STRICTLY organic when it comes to meat, dairy and eggs.
Low Sugar/No Additives: It is MUCH better for your body to add fresh, whole fruits and nuts to plain yogurt than it is to purchase colored/flavored yogurt. Most companies will sneakily add extra sugar into your yogurt to get you hooked, but you really don’t need it! Try cutting up a banana in a bowl topped with organic plain yogurt and some chopped nuts…it’s absolutely sweet and delicious and doesn’t need any other additives!
Dairy Allergy? If you are allergic or sensitive to dairy (like I am), there are some AMAZING alternatives. Consider trying goat yogurt (available at Fred Meyer’s, New Seasons, Whole Foods) as the protein in goat dairy is slightly different from cow dairy and may not cause the same reaction. There are also a burgeoning number of dairy alternative yogurts like coconut and soy which are all worth trying to get your probiotics in daily. Finally, you can make the MOST AWESOME non-dairy yogurt in your INSTANTPOT with coconut milk, gelatin and a single probiotic capsule…look it up on Pinterest, you will definitely thank me!
Sauerkraut and Kimchi: These foods may not be for everyone, but over the past few years, I have fallen in love with these rich, complex flavors. I usually don’t eat these on their own, but a dash of kimchi over Korean bimbop or stir fry is unbelievable, so absolutely go for it!
Supplements: Okay, I have to be very careful on this one as I do not want to give specific medical advice via my Blog, but there are some SERIOUSLY well-developed probiotics on the market that I feel very confident recommending to my patients. Often, my patients will come visit me with their bag of supplements from the grocery store or Pharmaca, and ask for advice on brands and dosages (which I LOVE to help out with!). Usually, there are a few common pitfalls for over-the-counter supplements that I avoid by prescribing physician-grade high quality supplements that can only be ordered by a qualified healthcare provider. Here are some of those pitfalls:
Too Few CFUs: Remember, our Cochrane review told us that we need AT LEAST 10 billion CFUs (colony forming units) per serving to be effective in cold prevention, and I often prescribe a much higher dosage supplement than that, depending on the patient’s concerns, symptoms and sensitivity. So double check your probiotic dosage before purchasing so that you get the most for your money.
Additives/Excipients: Additives are things that manufacturers add to vitamins and supplements to make them less expensive to produce, bind together in the manufacturing machinery, increase shelf-life, etc…the list goes on and on. These additives are NOT for the benefit of the customer however, and I have seen many patients react to over-the-counter supplements because of these additives and excipients. It would be impossible to list them all, but finding a provider who can recommend a professional grade supplement will often bypass all of the crappy stuff in supplements found at the grocery store.
Incorrect Strains: This is another common issue when patients are purchasing supplements on their own….they don’t know which strains are going to be most helpful for the condition they are trying to treat! This is an easy mistake to make because there are literally hundreds of strains of probiotics being manufactured on the market today. Thankfully, for the purposes of this article, you can easily check your supplement to see if there are strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria contained in your product. Also, a general rule of thumb is that you want as much variety of probiotic strains in a product as you can get…some products will have a really high number of CFUs (like 50 billion), which sounds great, but there are only 3 types of bacteria total…which gives your microbiome less variety to choose from.
How can I help you?
If you are wondering about specific brands of probiotics that I recommend in my practice, please feel free to reach out to me directly via my professional email account lwilkinson@kwanyinhealingarts.com, and send me your questions. Ideally, you could come visit me in person (I absolutely LOVE seeing new patients) to discuss your health concerns and questions in depth, but at the very least I can link you to an online catalog of supplements that I tend to recommend for you get an idea of what an AWESOME probiotic from a professional grade supplier looks like (I usually go through Fullscript online). Here are some other ways to get in touch with me:
Email your comments via the contact page on this website!!!
Like my professional Facebook page Lindsay Wilkinson ND LLC and feel free to offer feedback, comments and questions…
Check out the Kwan Yin Healing Arts website (my current practice location) to find out how to schedule with me kwanyinhealingarts.com
Twitter: Lindsay Wilkinson ND @doclindsaynd
Thanks so much and don’t forget an OUNCE of prevention is worth a POUND of cure!!! PS: here’s the website link to the Cochrane Review for those who are interested, check it out: http://www.cochrane.org/CD006895/ARI_probiotics-live-micro-organisms-to-prevent-upper-respiratory-tract-infections-urtis-for-example-the-common-col
Happy Fall Everyone!!!
