Los yogures con probióticos no consiguen el beneplácito científico

Los datos de un ensayo no permiten asegurar que sean beneficiosos, aunque alteran la digestión de azúcares

EMILIO DE BENITO - Madrid - 26/10/2011
Un mes de tomar yogures con probióticos (bacterias que actúan en el tracto intestinal) se nota, pero eso no quieren decir que beneficien a la salud. Ni que perjudiquen, claro. De momento, lo único que se puede decir con base científica es que afectan al metabolismo (digestión) de hidratos de carbono. Un estudio publicado en Science llega a esta frustrante conclusión para quienes pretender vender los alimentos enriquecidos con bacterias digestivas como algo beneficioso, pero tampoco cierran la puerta a que con el tiempo se demuestre alguna propiedad positiva.

Los investigadores de la Universidad de Western Ontario de Canadá han llegado a estos resultados después de suministrar yogures probióticos a uno de los miembros de siete parejas de gemelos, y a ratones a los que se había modificado la flora intestinal para que solo contuvieran 15 familias de las bacterias más frecuentes en el tracto intestinal de los humanos.

Las conclusiones son dos. La primera, que después de un mes la composición de las colonias bacterianas no se había modificado. Esto quiere decir que ni se solucionaban déficits ni se adquirían nuevas propiedades.

Pero la segunda, que se vio después, es que en la orina de los ratones había metabolitos diferentes de la digestión de los hidratos de carbono (azúcares que están en las harinas, las féculas). Pero, como dicen los autores del estudio, eso no quiere decir que "tomar estos yogures nos evite ir al médico".

El resultado es coherente con el análisis de las propiedades de estas bacterias probióticas que publicó este verano la Agencia Europea de Seguridad Alimentaria (EFSA). En él se descartaba que se hubiera demostrado beneficio alguno por tomar estos yogures. Eso no quiere decir que más adelante no se cambie de opinión si hay nuevos hallazgos. Pero sí que, cuando estas conclusiones lleguen a los países, habrá que cambiar la publicidad correspondiente.

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