Explore a product online of interest. Then provide data to confirm or refute the manufacturers claims. Be sure to use peer reviewed articles based on sound scientific design. Please refer to the rubric and provided example for this assignment for further explanation of how to properly complete this assignment. There is no word count limit or number of reference required. See example below.
Example:
There are many companies that market various supplements, probiotics, prebiotics and the like that claim to support gut health, immune health, dermatological health, etc. It is important to make sure that the claims these companies make are backed by independent, peer reviewed research studies. One of these products is called Seed. It is marketed by their website as a synbiotic containing “24 clinically and scientifically studied probiotic strains and a polyphenol-based prebiotic to support systemic health.” The website lists that it can support your immune function, digestive health, gut barrier integrity, and cardiovascular health. As these are a wide variety of claims, it is best to take a closer look at only one of these claims, namely those regarding improved digestive health.
A study by Mogna et al. (2012) found that all of the Lactobacillus strains found in the probiotic component of Seed did have an effect on antagonizing growth and reproduction of E. coli strains of bacteria commonly found in the human gut and capable of causing intoxication resulting in harmful effects such as diarrhea and fever. This means that the probiotic formula used by Seed, is at the very least, effective at controlling diarrhea associated with toxins released by bacteria found in the human gut.
It has also been found that in individuals with constipation, boating, and discomfort passing stools, that several of the bacteria found in the Seed probiotic are effective at relieving symptoms and aiding in more regular bowel movements (Del Piano et al., 2010). Namely, Bifidobacterium breve and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were demonstrated capable of producing these effects.
Although there are many more claims made by the manufacturers of Seed, it seems as though they put careful thought and research backed compounds into the product they advertise and sell. It is heartening to know that there are companies that put real science and effort into developing products to sell for profit.
Bibliography
Del Piano, M., Carmagnola, S., Anderloni, A., Andorno, S., Ballarè, M., Balzarini, M., Montino, F., Orsello, M., Pagliarulo, M., Sartori, M., Tari, R., Sforza, F., & Capurso, L. (2010). The use of probiotics in healthy volunteers with evacuation disorders and hard stools: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Journal of clinical gastroenterology, 44 Suppl 1, S30–S34. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0b013e3181ee31c3Links to an external site.
Mogna, L., Del Piano, M., Deidda, F., Nicola, S., Soattini, L., Debiaggi, R., Sforza, F., Strozzi, G., & Mogna, G. (2012). Assessment of the in vitro inhibitory activity of specific probiotic bacteria against different Escherichia coli strains. Journal of clinical gastroenterology, 46 Suppl, S29–S32. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0b013e31826852b7Links to an external site.
Seed • DS-01®️ Daily Synbiotic (Probiotics + Prebiotics)Links to an external site.
