Influence of Consuming Nonfermented Milk Containing Lactobacillus acidophilus on Fecal Flora of Healthy Males

Abstract

A milk beverage was prepared by adding a commercially available concentrated culture of L. acidophilus to pasteurized low-fat milk. The culture did not alter the flavor of the milk. Consumption of the milk by healthy adult men increased facultative lactobacilli in their feces. No significant effects were observed on numbers of coliforms or anaerobic lactobacilli including bifidobacteria. After consumption of the milk was stopped, the numbers of facultative lactobacilli in the feces decreased. In some cases the test subjects retained considerably higher numbers than they had prior to consuming the milk containing L. acidophilus. This was particularly true for those whose feces contained small numbers of the facultative lactobacilli before the feeding periods.