I was searching articles at Pub-Med and came across this statement from 1:
Curr Opin Crit Care 2002 Apr;8(2):145-51 "Gut microbial ecology in critical
illness: is there a role for prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics?" :

"Approximately 70% of the immune system is localized in the gastrointestinal
tract: its glands, mucosa, and mucosa-associated lymphoid system. The system
influences health conditions because it produces large amounts of important
gastrointestinal secretions as rich as breast milk in health-supporting and
disease-preventing factors, and because of its rich gastrointestinal flora."

The researcher goes on to state:

"The intestine normally contains 10 times more microbes than there are
eukaryotic cells in the entire body. The optimal function of these microbes
depends on the supply of food destined for the colonic bacteria (fermentable
fibers, complex proteins, gastrointestinal secretions). The consideration of
these functions influences outcome. Unfortunately, the conditions (supply of
drugs-especially antibiotics, and reduced supply of food-especially fruits
and vegetables) in the modern ICU are extremely poor both for optimal
gastrointestinal secretion and for flora and need more attention. To improve
treatment, a supply of new and effective flora (probiotics) and food for the
flora (prebiotics) is needed, from which numerous health-supporting products
(synbiotics) will be produced and absorbed at the level of the mucosa,
mainly in the lower gastrointestinal tract."

That's exactly what breastmilk does for an infant's GI tract. :)

Pat W
LC

Researcher's Info:

Bengmark S.
Department of Hepatology
University College of London
Liver Institute, London, UK.
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