By Staff Writer - April, 14th 2014

The word “probiotic” is a compound of two Greek words: “pro,” to signify promotion of and “biotic,” which means life. Their very definition is something that affirms life and health. That's true even by modern standards: the World Health Organization defines a probiotic as any living microorganism that has a health benefit when ingested.

Natural Health News — The addition of a simple probiotic to the diets of patients with RA could help reduce inflammation and pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the joints with eventual destruction of cartilage and bone. Sufferers are often in constant pain and the disease, which gains severity with an imbalance between the levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, has a often devastating impact on quality of life.

There is no long-term treatment that provides consistent relief without adverse effects and so there is a real need for safe and effective alternatives.

To determine if probiotic treatment could help support typical treatment procedures, Beitullah Iranian researchers at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences performed a small double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the effects of supplementation on 46 women with established rheumatoid arthritis.

The patients in the probiotic group received a daily capsule that contained a minimum of …

Probiotics come in many forms, including powders, tablets, capsules, and foods such as yogurts and dairy drinks. The form you take them in doesn’t matter, experts say, as long as it contains enough organisms to grow in the intestines. Experts say the effective dose varies, from as little as 50 million to as many as 1 trillion live cells per dose.

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