Probiotics are another supplement my family uses on a regular basis. We all take them every day, sometimes twice a day. Currently we are using a brand by Jarrow called Jarro-Dophilus EPS.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria. The name means 'pro-life'. Our bodies are actually more bacteria than cells. We've been taught that bacteria is bad or unclean. Well, I've got news for you. You are bacteria!
I first discovered these products about 4 years ago when my son had roto-virus. If anyone has had this, you know what I'm talking about. He was hospitalized twice for it because of dehydration. He just couldn't stop pooping and vomiting. The doctors recommended probiotics to help reestablish his gut flora. The strands usually start out with the name "lactobacillus or bifidobacteria. For instance, one strand is lactobacillus acidophilus. Another is lactobacillus casei or bifidobacterium bifidum. See how the strands are identified?
There are tiny little hairs in our intestines called villi. These villi absorb nutrients into our intestinal lining and then the nutrients pass through the lining into our blood. Using probiotics helps to lengthen the villi. In doing so, the intestine is stronger and better able to absorb nutrients. The other wonderful thing about probiotics is that when more good bacteria is in the intestine, there is less room for the bad bacteria. So we stay healthy more often and recover more quickly from illnesses. The University of Michigan is one of the nation's leaders in probiotic research and have studied the immune system response to probiotics. Check it out if you want more detail.
You can get probiotics through supplements which are usually refrigerated or in foods. Some foods that have probiotics are yogurt, keifer, kombucha, saurkraut, tempeh. The bacteria is sensitive to pH, heat, humidity and oxygen. Also, if you think, "Wow, I eat yogurt, I'm already getting them" - think again. If you're eating yogurt for the probiotics make sure it has more than two strands of bacteria. The two main ones are just 'starter' for the yogurt to culture and really don't add too much of a benefit to our gut flora. There should be as many strands of probiotic cultures in it to reap the true benefits.
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
Eat Real, Be Real by Roberta Osborne, 2010 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at www.eat-real.com.
Download and share with others as long as you attribute the work to Roberta Osborne without changing in any way or using it commercially.
This publication reflects my personal experience, opinions and research. For specific medical diagnosis and treatments, refer to a medical professional.