Many people suffer from gas, bloating, stomach cramping, and diahhrea along with a host of other ailments. The problem many times can be fixed by simply cutting something out of your diet, like hamburgers, hot dogs or beer…sounds like the ball game to me. At any rate, see your doctor first and ask he / she about probiotics for your ailing gut.
Probiotics are used for Dyspiosis or an imbalance of the bodies intestinal flora. This imbalance of delicate intestinal “good” bacteria is important for many functions in the body, especially immune health. The two most common ones used in supplements and other foods fall into the following categories, Lactic Acid Bacteriaand Bifidobacteria. There are so many versions out there of each, that people don’t have an idea about which one to get, especially since you need an english degree to pronounce some of them. So I’m going to start out by introducing a few you may see in some products and what each particular one does for your body.
1.) BiofidoBacterium Bifidum- Enhances assimulation of minerals, ie. Calcium, Magnesium etc.
2.) BiofidoBacterium Longum- Helps reduce diahhrea from antibiotic usage. It’s also among the first to colonise the sterile digestive tract of newborns and predominates in breast-fed infants.
3.) Lactobacillus Acidophilus- A natural antibiotic and has been used to treat or prevent vaginal yeast infections, yeast infections of the mouth, or diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics.
4.) Lactobacillus Bulgaricus- This particular substance is transient and needs to be continually supplied because it won’t colonize in your intestines. It’s mostly used to help regulate PH and It is often helpful to sufferers of lactose intolerance because it helps ferment lactose. While fermenting milk, it produces acetaldehyde, which is one of the main components of yogurts aroma.
5.) Lactobacillus Plantarum- Helps to synthesize L-Lysine which is used to prevent cold sores. It also assists in making N.O. (Nitric Oxide)
6.) Lactobacillus Rhamnosus- Helps colonise the geneto-urinary tract to help prevent infections.
7.) Lactobacillus Salivarius- Helps to protect the teeth from cavities and sweetens the breath.
Probiotics are best taken with take with Fructo Oligosaccharide. A fiber which is food for the bacteria to help them grow.
Also, be sure to get an enteric coated version. This will allow the supplement to bipass the stomach acids and reach your intestines for maximum utilization.
Caution: if you are pregnant, immune suppressed or have any disease or condition that you are under the care of a physician, nutritionist, dietitian or other health care professional, always seek their advise before taking probiotics. It is advisable to get your doctors permission before taking any supplements as you may also encounter dangerous drug interactions or complications you may not be aware of.
The information obtained here was was from various web sites and a TLN television program- “Your Health”, with Dr. Richard and Cindy Becker, a great show on daily.
