[Mariah MurphyParticipant]

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. I work in a pharmacy and the pharmacists sometimes recommend probiotics for patients who are concerned about taking an antibiotic. A meta-analysis of the impact of probiotics concluded that there is “sufficient evidence for the role of probiotics in the prevention of acute diarrhoea. Although higher in children, the effect of probiotics is also observed in adults. The effect on antibiotic-associated diarrhoea is most pronounced” (1). I definitely agree that more research needs to be conducted on the use of probiotics, but that probiotics are beneficial for those who are taking an antibiotic.

Reference
1. Sazawal S, Hiremath G, Dhingra U, Malik P, Deb S, Black R. Efficacy of probiotics in prevention of acute diarrhoea: a meta-analysis of masked, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Lancet Infect Dis. 2006;6(6):374-382. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(06)70495-9.

[Mariah MurphyParticipant]

Sports drinks advertisements now are not only aimed at competitive athletes but all consumers. The sales of sports drinks in the United States surpasses 1.5 billion dollars annually (1). For most non-athletes, however, sports drinks are not the best option when choosing something to drink.

Studies are showing that sports drinks lead to dental decay and erosion due to the high carbohydrate content and acidity of sports drinks. Sport drinks were found to be comparable to fruit juices and carbonated drinks in their ability to cause dental cavities (2).

The high carbohydrate or sugar content of sports drinks also adds in unnecessary calories in the diet. The increasing intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in our society, including sports drinks, have been linked to greater risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease (3).

In conclusion, an occasional sports drink will not cause major health problems, but for most people, sticking to water is the best option for hydration (1).

References
1. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trade-sports-drinks-for-water-201207305079
2. Milosevic A. Sports drinks hazard to teeth. Br J Sports Med. 1997;31:28-30. doi:10.1136/bjsm.31.1.28.
3. Hu F, Malik V. Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: Epidemiologic evidence. Physiol Behav. 2010;100(1):47-54. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.036.

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