Your odds of having acne may depend on whether the “good” strain of a particular type of bacteria lives on your skin, a new study suggests.
“People never think of wanting to have good bacteria on their skin,” said lead author Huiying Li, an assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “But some of them you should love.” It’s the presence of acne-defeating bacteria that allows people without acne to live relatively pimple-free, she explained.
Li and her team studied the bacterial strains on people’s faces using genomic analysis of microbial DNA. They discovered that the bacteria responsible for acne — called Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes — are more complex than previously understood.
When studied at the genomic level, bacteria with the same name were actually representative of three different strains. People with acne tend to have one or two of the strains associated with the condition, while those with healthy skin have a good strain that seems to destroy offending bacteria.
So whether or not you develop acne may be tied to what strain of P. acnes your skin carries.
The strain of P. acnes that is associated with healthy skin works much like the way live bacteria in yogurt help defend the intestines from harmful bacteria, Li said.
“Our next step will be to explore whether a probiotic cream might block bad bacteria from invading the skin, preventing pimples before they start,” Li said. She hopes to find a way to transplant the good strain of bacteria that is plentiful on the faces of people with healthy skin to those with acne.
Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting 40 to 50 million people — primarily teens and young adults — but it can strike at any age, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Li said archeological records show the disease goes back to ancient Egypt, where Pharaohs used magic and spells to try to treat the problem. Acne is typically treated with oral medications such as antibiotics, and topical creams that can help reduce oil on the skin and kill bacteria.
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Beneficial Properties of Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms which upon ingestion in sufficient concentrations can exert health benefits to the host.
This definition of probiotics was derived in 2001 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and has been the term of reference for science and regulation thereafter.
Demand for food containing probiotics are expanding globally due to the continuous generation of research evidence indicating their potential health benefits to consumers.
Hundreds of different bacteria species are the natural and predominant constituents of intestinal microbiota.
Among the numerous intestinal microbes, those anticipated to exhibit potential health benefits to the host through modulation of the intestinal microbiota are commonly selected as probiotics. Species belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been reported to be the beneficial probiotic bacterial strains. The representative species include L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. plantarum, B. lactis, B. longum, and B. bifidum.
Some of the major health benefits attributed to probiotics include:
- improvement of gastrointestinal microflora
- enhancement of immune system
- reduction of serum cholesterol
- cancer prevention
- treatment of irritable bowel-associated diarrheas
- antihypertensive effects
- improvement of lactose metabolism
This article reviews past studies involving the use of probiotics in:
- strengthening the immune system
- prevention of bowel diseases
- modulation of hypocholesterolemic effect
- enhancing dermal health
- promoting oral health
Additionally, potential uses of probiotics for the management of anxiety and depression as well as boosting dermal and oral health are also discussed. […]
Click here to view original web page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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