'GUT list' ranks cities with stomach woes

By Troy Goodman
CNN Health and Food Writer

(CNN) -- Mary Poppins said that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. What about a spoonful of stomach-friendly bacteria?

At least one consumer product company is hoping that a daily supplement of "probiotic bacteria" -- commonly found in such foods as yogurt and certain kinds of milk -- can help lower the risk of an upset stomach.

"Probiotic bacteria, found in foods and in supplements such as Probiotica, promote digestive health and balance," according to a statement released this week by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

The announcement came as Probiotica, a dietary supplement that comes in lemon-flavored tablets, was recently launched to retailers nationwide. The supplement contains bits of a natural organism called Lactobacillus reuteri, which does a good job of surviving the gastric juices in the stomach long enough to help balance the bacteria levels already there, according to the company.

To promote Probiotica's use, McNeil has released a list of the top 10 cities where people seem to suffer most from gastrointestinal distress. The listing -- dubbed the "G.U.T. list," short for gastrointestinal upset tracker -- is based upon a year's worth of spending per person for stomach-soothing medications:

1. Los Angeles, California $6.97
2. New York, New York $6.58
3. Houston, Texas $6.38
4. Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas $6.16
5. San Francisco/Oakland, California $5.84
6. Chicago, Illinois $4.66
7. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota $4.63
8. Phoenix/Tucson, Arizona $4.50
9. Baltimore, Maryland/Washington $4.39
10. San Diego, California $3.93

The ranking was compiled using population numbers published in the 1998 U.S. Census and total purchases of over-the-counter diarrhea and antacid medications such as TUMS, Pepto-Bismol, Imodium and GasAid. The costs used in the study were not adjusted for geographic price variations, McNeil reported, nor did the study take into account whether people bought these products to protect themselves from getting sick or to treat current gastrointestinal distress.

McNeil is hoping to cash in on the potential market for supplements based upon the science of probiotica, which involves the human consumption of foods or supplements containing living microorganisms that have been shown to combat GI tract problems.

Probiotics is already popular in much of Europe, according to Dr. Steven Peikin, author of "Gastrointestinal Health" and a top GI doctor at the Cooper Health System in Camden, New Jersey. "America is just catching on - other people know about it and believe in it and use these kinds of products to help with digestion"

Experts also point out GI problems are common during the holiday season, when people are more likely to overeat and enjoy rich foods.

Common sense eating hinders holiday heartburn
November 23, 2000
New 'super aspirins' may give pain relief without stomach upset
November 6, 1998

Irritable Bowel Syndrome self help group
Cooper Health System

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