Bacteria Improves Health?

Health Facts…

According to recent studies conducted by the Dannon Company in 2007, nearly 90 percent of Americans deal with occasional problems with digestion.

In fact, seventy percent of women say digestive concerns negatively impact their lives every single day.

If you can relate and have dealt with or are dealing with digestive concerns, let me ask you… Are you currently ingesting Probiotics?

What is a Probiotic?

The word probiotic means ‘for life.’

Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

Helpful bacteria prevent the growth of less desirable ones by competing for both nutrition and attachment sites in the tissues of the colon

Although it’s received little recognition by Western medical professionals, the health benefits of probiotics have been known for at least 100 years.

The dietary supplement was invented by Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian physiologist and Nobel Prize winner. Metchnikoff was the first to suggest that consuming acid-producing live organisms maintained the vitality of your large intestine, leading to a longer and healthier life.

What does this bacteria do?

The friendly bacteria that reside in your gut have a number of very important jobs to do.

Helpful bacteria prevent the growth of less desirable ones by competing for both nutrition and attachment sites in the tissues of the colon.

When ingested, these living microorganisms replenish the micro-flora in your intestinal tract. This results in the promotion of a number of health-enhancing functions such as:

• Maintains your ideal “good” to “other” bacteria ratio by promoting the optimal environment for the growth of good bacteria.
• Supports your production of B vitamins, especially folic acid and biotin, and vitamin K.
• Promotes mineral absorption for you.
• Supports your protein and carbohydrate digestion via probiotic enzymes.
• Aids your metabolism and the breakdown of toxins.
• Helps you maintain appropriate bowel transit time.
• Supports your immune system function by helping you remove toxins.
• Produces lactic acid for your support of digestive processes and colon pH balance.
• Helps you maintain serum lipid and blood pressure levels in the healthy range.
• Supports your normal immune response.
• Helps promote your oral health.
• Keeping bad bacteria under control.

What are Good Bacteria?

500 different species of bacteria live inside you.

About one hundred trillion bacteria live inside you — more than TEN TIMES the number of cells you have in your whole body.

The weight of these bacteria is about two to three pounds.

Some of these bacteria are referred to as “good“, but others do not provide any benefit.

The ideal balance between them is 85% good, 15% “other”. This ratio between the “good” bacteria and the other bacteria becomes one of the critical factors determining your optimal health.

And, there are three very positive changes that can occur when your good-to-bad intestinal bacteria ratio is brought into balance:

1. Your digestive symptoms diminish or disappear, leaving you comfortable and free to enjoy every day to the fullest.
2. Your body begins to use all the good food and nutritional supplements you feed it.
3. Your immune system de-stresses and is better equipped to fight off disease, contributing to a longer and healthier life.

Can Probiotics affect your Immune System?

Probiotics provide vital support to your immune system. About 80 percent of the cells of your immune system are located in your digestive tract.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the health of your colon dictates your overall health. The microorganisms living in your intestines, continually and dynamically affect your immune system.

In fact, this is why keeping the right balance of bacteria is a critical component in the support of your immune system.

What are some of the Probiotic Foods that I can eat?

Probiotic Fermented foods act as natural fertilizers, if you will — providing nutrients and promoting growth of healthy bacteria in your digestive tract.

Traditionally fermented foods contain living micro-organisms that replenish the friendly bacteria in your digestive tract.

A few of the foods in this group include:

• Fermented milk
• Natto
• Miso
• Kimchee
• Tempeh
• Kefir
• Yogurt
• Olives
• Sauerkraut
• Pickles

It is important to note that traditionally fermented foods are not the equivalent of the same foods, commercially processed. The only way to insure you’re consuming the real thing is to prepare your own fermented foods at home.

What about Probiotic Supplements?

Unfortunately, most of the foods and supplements being marketed as probiotics contain little to no health value, according to researchers.

There are two reasons for their ineffectiveness.

1. They are present in too small a quantity to offer any health benefits.
2. Many of the probiotics haven’t undergone proper clinical testing.

What you should look for in a probiotic supplement:

• No need for refrigeration
• Long shelf life
• Can survive stomach acid so that it reaches your small intestine
• Stays resident in your digestive tract long enough to be effective

So as you can see, there is definitely a need for probiotics in our diets, yet we must make sure we are getting the quality that our bodies really require.

I personally eat a variety of the fermented foods and have also found a high quality supplement that has undergone the proper testing that I take on a regular basis as well.

I hope this helps in your quest to live a healthy lifestyle!

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