An example of how probiotics can help to digest difficult foods, research in France investigated digestion of soy products, which present digestive difficulties because of their content of alpha-galacto-oligosaccharides. Because mammals lack the enzyme to digest these, they enter the large intestine, where gas producing bacteria ferment them. In this research, Lactobacillus fermentum was administered to rats along with soy milk. This produced a 50% reduction in hydrogen gas emission, demonstrating that the probiotic remained active in the body and produced the desired effect.

The authors conclude

“these results strongly suggest that Lactobacillus fermentum alpha-galactosidase is able to partially alleviate a galactosidase deficiency in rats. This offers interesting perspectives in various applications in which lactic acid bacteria could be used as a vector for delivery of digestive enzymes in man and animals.”

BMC Microbiol. 2008 Jan 29;8:22.

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