Study Suggests Probiotics May Do Harm

The largest randomized, double-blinded study of the effectiveness of probiotics as a treatment for pancreatitis suggests that under some circumstances, the diet supplements may be deadly. The New York Times reports that research published in a recent issue of Lancet attempted to quantify the benefits of the bacteria and yeast based health supplements sold as probiotics on people with inflammation of the pancreas. The Times reports that each of 296 patients at risk for severe pancreatitis was randomly
assigned to receive either a commercially available probiotic or an
identical-looking placebo. The researchers found no significant difference
between the two groups in severity of illness at the start of the
trial. But, the Times reports, while 31 percent of the probiotics group required intensive
care, only 24 percent of the placebo group needed it. Eighteen percent
of those who took probiotics, but only 10 percent of the others,
required surgical intervention. In the probiotics group 24 people died,
a death rate more than twice that of those given the placebo.
Read more in the New York Times.