What's the Deal With Probiotics?

-

Probiotics are a popular topic these days in the world of nutrition, but what exactly are they and do they really provide us with any health benefits?  The World Health Organization defines them as “live microorganisms when administered in adequate amounts can confer a health benefit on the host.”  I think it is safe to say that most nutritionist, doctors and researchers agree that there are health benefits to consuming probiotics.  I want to note that probiotics are considered safe for consumption by all resources that I researched, therefore making them one of the healthiest ways to increase wellness.  
Probiotics help us to in maintaining healthy bacteria levels in the digestive tract.  We each have colonies of bacteria in our intestinal tracts called gut or intestinal flora, which consist of both healthy and unhealthy bacteria.  WebMD states that there are approximately 400 different types of probiotic bacteria that promote a healthy digestive tract.  While researching this subject, I saw estimates of up to 500 different types of bacteria that are in our digestive systems at any time!  In terms of digestive health, we should strive to create a healthy balance between both the healthy probiotic bacteria and the negative bacteria present.  It is when we have an overabundance of unhealthy bacteria that we see health issues arise.  
One of the largest groups of probiotic bacteria found in the intestinal tract is Lactic Acid bacteria, which is the type of probiotic found in dairy yogurt.  Yeast is another common probiotic found in humans.  Foods that contain probiotics typically refer to them as "live cultures." Some of the unhealthy bacteria found in the human body and can lead to disease are Candida and E. Coli.  These unhealthy bacteria, if in abundance in the intestinal tract can lead to short term illnesses including upset stomach, headaches, emotional and mood instability and fatigue.  
There are things that destroy the healthy probiotic bacteria in our bodies including pharmaceutical medications (antibiotics most always), diet (especially highly acidic foods), food toxins, and environmental toxins.   Many medical doctors recommend consuming probiotics when prescribing antibiotics for this reason.  One study found that probiotics can reduce diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics by up to 60% (Lactic Acid Probiotics like in yogurt).  Keep in mind that probiotics are only effective as long as they are being taken, meaning that consistency is key when consuming them.  The healthy probiotics that we consume do not remain in the system indefinitely, so we must continue to reintroduce them into our systems on a regular basis.  
Foods such as yogurts, cottage cheese, fermented teas, and foods that are fermented such as sauerkraut are all high in probiotics.  You can also purchase probiotic supplements in most natural food and nutrition stores.  Here is the list of some of the health benefits:
                - Probiotics help in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea and gas 
                - They help in prevention and treatment of vaginal yeast infections
                - They can help in preventing and treating urinary tract infections
                - Probiotics help in strengthening the immune system
                - They can help to delay the development of allergies in children
                - They can help with the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn’s Disease
                - They can help to reduce the level of lactose intolerance in people with lactose sensitivity
                - They can treat halitosis (bad breath)
                - They increase the rate of absorption and assimilation of B vitamins
                - Probiotics increase calcium absorption
                - They can promote anti-cancer activity in the body
                - Research shows that consuming probiotics can have a favorable effect on cholesterol    levels
                - They help to lower to rate of diaper rash in children
                - Probiotics can help reduce colic in infants
                - They can help prevent common colds and decrease the recovery time from a cold
                
If you aren’t already consuming a hearty dose of foods that contain probiotics, it is certainly worth consideration.  More and more research being conducted confirms the positive health benefits that probiotics offer.  Unlike many of the marketing claims used to drive food sales these days, in the case of probiotics, scientific research continues to confirm that they are the real deal!  

In Love and Wellness,

Dr. Chris

References:
www.webmd.com
www.health.harvard.edu “Health Beneftis of Taking Probiotics.”
www.globalhealingcenter.com “Health Benefits of Probiotics.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ways to Naturally Boost Your Immune System

-
Image
Given the current Covid-19 pandemic that we as a planet are facing, the importance of taking steps to increase your body’s natural immunity is more important that ever.   The great news is, there are simple, easy-to-implement steps that you can incorporate into your daily activities that can help your body have its best chance at warding off bacteria, virus, and other disease-causing agents.  Below, I have complied a list of what I personally think are the top 10 ways to naturally improve immune function.   This is not an all-inclusive list, as there are certainly other healthy ways and steps to improve immunity in addition to these ten steps I have listed.   As always, before changing your diet or exercise routines, check with your trusted healthcare provider to make certain it is beneficial for you.   That being said, let’s get to the good stuff! The steps below are in no particular order, but here are my top 10 favorites: (1) Eat an Abundance of Fruits and Vegetables:  
Read more

Why Do Spinal Problems Sometime Return After Treatment?

-
Image
Why Spinal Problems Often Return Chiropractic skeptics often pooh-pooh the idea of periodic chiropractic checkups after symptoms subside with the classic, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” line. This justification often results in a relapse into the original problem for countless patients. How come? Because biomechanical changes along the spine affecting nerves and muscles don’t heal like a cut, infection or some other self-resolving health condition. Addressing Long Lasting Problems By the time spinal problems produce obvious symptoms, the problem has been there for some time—maybe even decades. Yet the symptom didn’t emerge until “last week, when I bent down to pick up the paper.” Thankfully, a chiropractic care plan may produce symptomatic improvement in a matter of months, sometimes weeks. The patient is delighted, but we haven’t completed the retraining of the underlying muscles and soft tissues necessary for lasting spinal changes. That’s w
Read more

Don't Fear Change!

-
Image
Learn to confront the things that you do not like about yourself.   Take a serious look at who you are and the life that you are currently living.   Take an inventory of the things that you like about yourself and your current situation, but pay more attention to the things that you do not like, which are the things that you might consider changing about your life.   It is important that we appreciate the talents, the gifts, and those things that we consider assets.   These are those things that we want others to see in us, yet in order to live a happy, chaos-free life, we must confront the things we do not like and we do not appreciate about ourselves.   Confronting our personal dislikes takes courage, and it takes an openness to change.   Keep in mind that having the courage to change is not always easy…for none of us.   Maintaining an openness to change is not easy either.   Change is at times a difficult thing, but in order to learn and grow as a person, change has to occ
Read more