Probiotics Help Gastric-Bypass Patients Lose Weight More Quickly, Stanford Study Shows

STANFORD, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
New research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford
Hospital & Clinics suggests that the use of a dietary supplement after Roux-en-Y
gastric bypass surgery can help obese patients to more quickly lose weight and
to avoid deficiency of a critical B vitamin.

In a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Gastrointestinal
Surgery, John Morton, MD, associate professor of surgery at the medical school,
showed that patients who take probiotics after the gastric-bypass procedure tend
to shed more pounds than those who don`t take the supplements. Probiotics are
the so-called "good" bacteria found in yogurt as well as in over-the-counter
dietary supplements that help in the digestion of food.

"Surprisingly, the probiotic group attained a significantly greater percent of
excess weight loss than that of control group," said Morton, who wrote the paper
with lead author Gavitt Woodard, a third-year medical student, and five other
medical students at the Surgery Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation in
Stanford`s Department of Surgery. Morton has performed more than 1,000 of these
bypasses at Stanford Hospital & Clinics.

The researchers followed 44 patients on whom Morton had performed the procedure
from 2006 to 2007. Patients were randomized into either a probiotic or a control
group. Both groups received the same bariatric medical care and nutritional
counseling, as well as the support of weight-loss study groups. Both groups also
were allowed to consume yogurt, a natural source of probiotics. In addition, the
probiotic group consumed one pill per day of Puritan`s Pride, a probiotic
supplement that is available online and in many stores. Morton has no financial
ties to the company that makes the supplement.

The study showed that at three months, the probiotics group registered a 47.6
percent weight loss, compared with a 38.5 percent for the control group.

The study also found that levels of vitamin B-12 were higher in the patients
taking probiotics - a significant finding because patients often are deficient
in B-12 after gastric-bypass surgery. The probiotics group had B-12 levels of
1,214 picograms per milliliter at three months, compared with the control
group`s levels of 811 pg/mL.

Morton said he now recommends probiotic supplements to his patients, and he
plans to continue to look for ways to enhance the outcomes from the procedure.

Roughly 15 million Americans are morbidly obese, and bypass surgery is becoming
an increasingly common treatment for the problem. Some 150,000 Americans who
have a body mass index of more than 40 - who are typically at least 100 pounds
overweight - have the procedure each year.

Morton said the study was prompted by the fact that some patients have problems
eating after gastric-bypass surgery. "For some reason, the food doesn`t go down
right," he said. When no anatomical reasons could be found for blockages, he
hypothesized that a build-up of bacteria in the intestine - bacterial overgrowth
- might be the culprit.

"Bacterial overgrowth can be bad in that it changes your motility, how you
empty," Morton said. "A lot of people aren`t aware that we all carry about a lot
of bacteria in our intestines and that they`re extremely helpful in aiding
digestion. And I thought, `Well, if we give these patients probiotics, then
maybe we can improve these symptoms.`

"Part of the obesity puzzle may be due to the kind of bacteria you have in your
intestine," he said.

There was no outside funding for the study.

(NOTE TO REPORTERS: A high-resolution image of John Morton is available for
download at http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2009/download/morton.jpg)

The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation`s
top 10 medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care
and community service. For more news about the school, please visit
http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine,
which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children`s
Hospital. For information about all three, please visit
http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex
disorders in areas such as cardiac care, cancer treatment, neurosciences,
surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions
in the U.S. News and World Report annual list of "America's Best Hospitals,"
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating
medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. For more information, visit
www.stanfordhospital.com.

Stanford University School of Medicine
Diane Rogers, 650-723-3900 (Print Media)
donut@stanford.edu
Liat Kobza, 650-723-1462 (Broadcast Media)
lkobza@stanfordmed.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009