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Article: Probiotics...Your body's forgotten friend
For most people, Fall and Winter
are cold and flu season, and getting sick once or twice is expected. I frequently hear from clients “I caught that
bug that is going around”. What many
people don’t realize is that the ‘bugs’ don’t just come around during certain
seasons, and we don’t really just ‘catch’ something because we are exposed to
it. We are constantly exposed to
different types of bacteria and viruses, and we ‘catch’ them and get sick when our
immune systems are not strong enough to fight them off. Poor diet, lack of sleep, stress, travel, and
alcohol all take a toll on our immune systems, and these things happen to be more
common during the holiday season. We can
do our best to eat healthy foods, get sleep, manage stress, and reduce
consumption of alcohol as the holiday season approaches, but with the parties,
holiday meals, and travel to see family this can be challenging. Luckily there is something very simple and
natural (they are supposed to be abundant in our bodies naturally) that we can
take to build our immune systems…probiotics. Probiotics are live
microorganisms that are vital to proper development of the immune system,
protection against disease causing microorganisms, and digestion and absorption
of food and nutrients. These friendly
bacteria (also called good flora) ideally first arrive in our bodies during
breast feeding, and then are continuously ingested through consumption of food
grown in rich, unpolluted soil. Unfortunately our modern lifestyle, which
includes antibiotics, chlorinated water, chemicals, pollution, stress, prescription
drugs, and poor diet, is responsible for eradicating most of the beneficial
bacteria from our produce as well as our bodies. If you have been on antibiotics and have not
replenished the probiotics in your body, you have wiped out a good portion of
your immune system!
Probiotics are responsible for many important functions in
the body. They devour undigested food
matter resulting in thorough digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as
improved elimination. The by-product of
this process is B vitamins, which boost the immune system and help alleviate
stress. They also help to eliminate
yeast, parasites, and bad bacteria from the intestines. Probiotics are like your own little army
defending you against disease causing microorganisms. If there are not enough good bacteria in the
system, bad bacteria begin to dominate, and poor intestinal and immune system
health results. The following symptoms
and illnesses may result from a lack of probiotics: gas, bloating, indigestion, irritable bowel
syndrome, acne, excema, diarrhea, bladder infections, constipation, psoriasis,
bad breath, body odor, candida, yeast infections, high cholesterol, chronic
fatigue, fibromyalgia, and frequent sickness.
Probiotics are available in foods (yogurt, fermented milk,
miso, tempeh, and raw cultured vegetables) and dietary supplements (capsules,
tablets, and powders). Most food
products do not contain a sufficient number of these friendly bacteria, or the
number has decreased substantially since packaging. The most effective way to take probiotics is
in supplement form, as this is the only way to get a truly therapeutic dose. Different strains of probiotics are
beneficial for different health conditions, so if you want to address a
specific condition, you will want to research this topic further. For most people, a blend of multiple strains
is best, including various forms of lactobacilli (acidophilus and rhamnosus)
and bifidobacteria (bifidum, longum, infantis).
Probiotics are sold widely in health food stores, grocery stores, and
drug stores, but you need to be very careful which products you buy, as this is
a live organism, and if the bacteria don’t live until you purchase the product,
you are wasting your money! Consumer
Labs and other reputable companies have tested the majority of the probiotic
products on the market and found that less than 10% have the number of live
bacteria that they state on the label! Probiotics can be purchased both refrigerated
and shelf stable, and there are reputable brands in both forms. I believe that probiotics are one of the MOST
IMPORTANT and most desperately needed ‘supplements’ that we can take, and I
find that my clients that take them notice the benefits immediately and report
that they rarely get sick. The benefits
they mention include reduced gas and bloating, improved elimination, improved
immune function, regulation of IBS and diarrhea, elimination of yeast and
bladder infections, and alleviation from allergies. We carry an incredible product at the center
that has 14 different strains of bacteria and has been tested and approved by
Consumer Labs, and we are also happy to give you the names of reputable brands
at your local health food store.
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stand behind this product because it has been tested by independent labs and has been shown to have the same number of live organisms at the expiration date as at bottling (8 billion organisms per capsule), and the company has done extensive research to prove that the bacteria make it through the digestive tract and colonize the intestines. Another benefit is that they are shelf stable, which means you can take them when you travel, one of the most important times!