Diarrhea As many prevention methods for diarrhea have adverse effects (e.g. intestinal intussusception in the usage of rotavirus vaccine), scientists are now turning to<unk>  in hope of using it as a supplement to treat acute diarrhea. In a review that covered 34 masked, randomized, placebo-controlled trials related to diarrhea and<unk> , it was concluded that there was an overall reduction of 52% in antibiotic associated diarrhea, an 8% reduction in traveller’s diarrhea, and a 34% reduction in other types of acute diarrhea. These numbers reflect a protective effect against diarrhea in subjects including both adults and<unk> . In terms of<unk>  (age 700<unk>  aged from one to 48 months with acute diarrhea. A 2002 review showed that Lactobacillus reduced the average duration of acute diarrhea by 0.7 days and stool frequency by 1.6 on the second day of treatment. Dosage was most effective at more than ten billion colony-forming units of Lactobacillus during the first 48 hours of diarrhea. Moreover, there has been evidence showing that<unk>  can prevent<unk>  and infants from gastroenteritis (also known as stomach flu), which may also cause diarrhea to occur. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea Pseudomembranous colitis. This illness can generally be accounted for by Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that can sometimes cause severe diarrhea known as pseudomembranous colitis. In a review of six trials related to antibiotic-associated diarrhea in 766<unk>  aged one month to six years, there was an overall reduction in AAD when<unk>  were fed<unk> . The reduction, when compared to placebo, was seen to be from 28.5% to 11.9%; in fact, when patients were fed<unk>  along with their dose of antibiotics, one fewer patient would develop AAD out of every seven. Antibiotics fed to the<unk>  in the trials included amoxicillin, penicillin and erythromycin. Evidence suggests that S. boulardii is best at preventing AAD in<unk> , Lactobacillus GG ranking second, and a mixture of S. thermophilus and B. lactis relatively ranking last. No conclusion can be made on how<unk>  can reduce the risk of AAD from any specific types of antibiotic. One of the proposed mechanisms of how<unk>  protect from AAD is by regulating the composition of organisms in the intestines. Studies involving L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium suggest that these microbes inhibit the growth of facultative anaerobic bacteria, which tends to increase during antibiotic treatment. As a result, it is seen that<unk>  can alter and prevent changes in the intestinal microflora caused by antibiotics. Viral diarrhea a three dimensional model of Rotavirus. Viral diarrhea refers to the type of diarrhea that is caused by a rotavirus, a virus often impacting toddlers and infants. A meta-analysis of nine previously conducted studies (those studies were conducted in Canada, Thailand, and Finland) has shown that certain types of<unk>  are also effective in treating viral diarrhea in hospital-admitted<unk> . Subjects of those studies ranged from one to above 36 months old. The study results showed that the duration of the illness was shortened by 0.7 days on average when placing the<unk>  on Lactobacillus therapy. Although it is still largely unknown as to how<unk>  do this, two mechanisms have been currently proposed. The first mechanism suggests that Lactobacilli augment the development of intestinal mucins (glyosylated proteins), which consequently protect the body from intestinal infections. Persistent diarrhea A 2013 review suggested<unk>  are effective in treating persistent diarrhea in<unk> , though more research is needed. Persistent diarrhea is an episode that starts acutely but then lasts for 14 days or more; In developing countries it is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in<unk>  under five years old. The study showed average duration reduced by four days and shorter hospital stay; stool frequency was reduced on the fifth day. Allergy<unk>  are commonly given to breast-feeding mothers and their young<unk>  to prevent eczema, but some doubt exists over the strength of evidence supporting this practice.
Probiotics in children
Sports nutrition
Clinical nutrition
Therapeutic food
Drugs for acid-related disorders
Preventive nutrition
Influenza treatment
Breastfeeding and medications