Background on Probiotics
We are accustomed to think that bacteria are dangerous forms of microscopic life with the potential to wipe us out. Not all bacteria are agents of darkness. Many are absolutely vital to our health and if we have a deficiency of them, we suffer consequences that far exceed their microscopic size.
An entire bacterial universe resides in the nooks and crannies of your gastrointestinal landscape. There are some 400 different species of these intestinal squatters. Individually, they number in the countless billions. You literally live or die at this subcellular level of existence and you have little or lots of energy based on who is winning the intestinal battle of bacteria.
The harmful bacteria, whose names are associated with death and disease, multiply and spread their toxic influences whenever the body's immune system is weak or whenever the army of beneficial flora is depleted. Your bacterial allies fight off the pathogens and aid the body's defense system by producing natural antibiotics that are known to counteract harmful micro organisms.
The intent of the good bacteria here is self protection against harmful bacteria. However, you also reap many benefits. In return for the warmth, shelter, and food you provide there within your digestive tract, they carry out many important duties on your behalf. Some functions are he production of digestive enzymes, the production of vitamins, enhancement of healthy bowel function and the prevention of the formation of cancerous substances.
Normally, if all is well within, you live life blithely ignorant of your bacterial goings on. That is as it should be. However, if you are not digesting your food well, experiencing a variety of health problems, and not efficiently eliminating toxins, the cause could very well be a bacterial imbalance.
The delicate bacterial balance in the intestines is readily susceptible to upset. Impure water, food poisoning or infection can unleash powerful toxic microorganisms that can overwhelm the friendly intestinal flora. The digestive juice produced in the stomach diminishes as we age leaving conditions ripe for the overgrowth of undesirable elements, such as yeast.
These are common natural causes for bacterial disturbances. There are also significant man made causes including the use of antibiotics, chronic stress, diets high in meat and radiation treatments.
Supplementing with a friendly flora product is often a decisive element in the overall healing strategy employed by holistic health professionals. They find it makes an important contribution to health and recovery. Probiotics offer different strains of friendly bacteria that have been scientifically proven to generate restorative and healing effects in the body.
If indeed you are not feeling well and you have had a course of antibiotics, been under considerable stress, or eat nutrient poor food, a high quality probiotic formula may be of great value to you in restoring your health.
Bacteria are probably the most misunderstood forms of life on Earth. There are literally millions of different types of bacteria on our planet. Of these, a very small percentage is actually toxic to humans and animals.
Yet, widespread fear of bad or pathogenic bacteria as the cause of many, if not all of our worst infectious diseases has lead to overuse of antibiotics in medicine and pesticides in agriculture. The problem with this approach is the destruction of all bacteria, both the friendly and the unfriendly.
This upsets the natural biological balance and actually leaves the body more susceptible to future infection. Friendly bacteria, the true natural enemy to the unfriendly bacteria, are no longer present in sufficient numbers to control or prevent infection from unfriendly bacteria or other types of pathogens, including fungi and parasites.
In other words, the primary cause of infection is not due to the presence of unfriendly bacteria, but is actually due to insufficient friendly bacteria. With a sufficient balance of many different types of friendly bacteria in significant numbers, unfriendly bacteria do not have the opportunity to create illness.
The most common sources of friendly bacteria are mothers' milk, raw fermented foods including yogurt and sauerkraut and fresh, raw and organically grown produce. For most people none of the above mentioned sources of friendly bacteria are a regular part of the diet.
This deficiency of friendly bacteria coupled with the overuse of broad spectrum antibiotics has put many people into very unstable positions of extremely low resistance to infection from pathogenic bacteria. The intestinal tract is the first line of defense in the body's immune system and friendly bacteria are the number one factor in creating and maintaining health and well being of the intestines.
While the complete list of all the benefits friendly bacteria provide is impossible to state here, there are three key aspects. They create beneficial compounds and essential nutrients. This list includes lactic acid, B vitamins, digestive enzymes, insulin and interferon like factors, vitamin K and essential fatty acids.
They regulate and enhance the overall bowel function including digestion, assimilation and elimination. This greatly improves health by enhancing the utilization of nutrients from the food supplies and greatly reduces immune stresses by reducing bowel toxicity.
They protect against pathogens including unfriendly bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. This will lead to an improvement in overall immune and endocrine function as well as a reduction in the incidence of infection, food poisoning and food allergies.
While the awareness of the need to supplement the diet with friendly bacteria or bacteria active cultured foods is not new, it is certainly growing. Until just recently, available products have been very limited in their content. Containing primarily acidophilus and/or bifidus type strains, most products simply do not emulate the living ecology of the soil or fresh, raw and organic food and cannot provide the full spectrum of benefits available from all of the friendly bacteria the earth has to offer.
While supplementation with virtually any active friendly bacteria product will be helpful, products that more adequately represent the living ecology of organic agriculture and food will certainly provide the highest level of benefits.
Recent advancements in bacteria technology have yielded much more diverse blends of friendly bacteria including not only the lactobacillus types but also what are commonly known as soil based organisms or PROBIOTICS. While they may not come with the same scientific background as some of the more popular types of bacteria, soil based organisms are completely safe.
This statement is based on the fact that we have been eating PROBIOTICS in our food supply for thousands of years and we would be consuming more of them now if we were eating live foods. When combined with acidophilus and other currently popular types of bacteria, PROBIOTICS help to balance out our bacterial supplementation to represent the natural living ecology of the earth.
A full spectrum blend of friendly bacteria is not only perfectly safe for pregnant women, infants, toddlers, children and pets of any age, but also critical for optimum health. Less than adequate levels of friendly bacteria are directly related to high incidences of infection including ear infections, food poisoning and acne.
Mixed with applesauce or yogurt, SBO based friendly bacterial supplements are easily administered and are the most important and effective tool we currently have available to support our weakened digestive tracts and immune systems.
Additionally, PROBIOTICS are generally room temperature stable and acid resistant, creating a much more reliable bacterial supplement. The powerful health benefits that friendly bacteria can provide, coupled with the development of new supplements that provide a greater natural balance of bacteria, will easily make this class of nutrient one of the most important parts of a healthy regimen.
In conclusion, scientific research on human health and longevity has suggested that aiding the growth of select strains of beneficial microorganisms through careful dietary supplementation may very well provide remarkable health benefits. By taking advantage of this research, individuals can optimize their health and longevity and help prevent chronic problems from gaining a foothold.
article is a copyright of Family Health News
We are accustomed to think that bacteria are dangerous forms of microscopic life with the potential to wipe us out. Not all bacteria are agents of darkness. Many are absolutely vital to our health and if we have a deficiency of them, we suffer consequences that far exceed their microscopic size.
An entire bacterial universe resides in the nooks and crannies of your gastrointestinal landscape. There are some 400 different species of these intestinal squatters. Individually, they number in the countless billions. You literally live or die at this subcellular level of existence and you have little or lots of energy based on who is winning the intestinal battle of bacteria.
The harmful bacteria, whose names are associated with death and disease, multiply and spread their toxic influences whenever the body's immune system is weak or whenever the army of beneficial flora is depleted. Your bacterial allies fight off the pathogens and aid the body's defense system by producing natural antibiotics that are known to counteract harmful micro organisms.
The intent of the good bacteria here is self protection against harmful bacteria. However, you also reap many benefits. In return for the warmth, shelter, and food you provide there within your digestive tract, they carry out many important duties on your behalf. Some functions are he production of digestive enzymes, the production of vitamins, enhancement of healthy bowel function and the prevention of the formation of cancerous substances.
Normally, if all is well within, you live life blithely ignorant of your bacterial goings on. That is as it should be. However, if you are not digesting your food well, experiencing a variety of health problems, and not efficiently eliminating toxins, the cause could very well be a bacterial imbalance.
The delicate bacterial balance in the intestines is readily susceptible to upset. Impure water, food poisoning or infection can unleash powerful toxic microorganisms that can overwhelm the friendly intestinal flora. The digestive juice produced in the stomach diminishes as we age leaving conditions ripe for the overgrowth of undesirable elements, such as yeast.
These are common natural causes for bacterial disturbances. There are also significant man made causes including the use of antibiotics, chronic stress, diets high in meat and radiation treatments.
Supplementing with a friendly flora product is often a decisive element in the overall healing strategy employed by holistic health professionals. They find it makes an important contribution to health and recovery. Probiotics offer different strains of friendly bacteria that have been scientifically proven to generate restorative and healing effects in the body.
If indeed you are not feeling well and you have had a course of antibiotics, been under considerable stress, or eat nutrient poor food, a high quality probiotic formula may be of great value to you in restoring your health.
Bacteria are probably the most misunderstood forms of life on Earth. There are literally millions of different types of bacteria on our planet. Of these, a very small percentage is actually toxic to humans and animals.
Yet, widespread fear of bad or pathogenic bacteria as the cause of many, if not all of our worst infectious diseases has lead to overuse of antibiotics in medicine and pesticides in agriculture. The problem with this approach is the destruction of all bacteria, both the friendly and the unfriendly.
This upsets the natural biological balance and actually leaves the body more susceptible to future infection. Friendly bacteria, the true natural enemy to the unfriendly bacteria, are no longer present in sufficient numbers to control or prevent infection from unfriendly bacteria or other types of pathogens, including fungi and parasites.
In other words, the primary cause of infection is not due to the presence of unfriendly bacteria, but is actually due to insufficient friendly bacteria. With a sufficient balance of many different types of friendly bacteria in significant numbers, unfriendly bacteria do not have the opportunity to create illness.
The most common sources of friendly bacteria are mothers' milk, raw fermented foods including yogurt and sauerkraut and fresh, raw and organically grown produce. For most people none of the above mentioned sources of friendly bacteria are a regular part of the diet.
This deficiency of friendly bacteria coupled with the overuse of broad spectrum antibiotics has put many people into very unstable positions of extremely low resistance to infection from pathogenic bacteria. The intestinal tract is the first line of defense in the body's immune system and friendly bacteria are the number one factor in creating and maintaining health and well being of the intestines.
While the complete list of all the benefits friendly bacteria provide is impossible to state here, there are three key aspects. They create beneficial compounds and essential nutrients. This list includes lactic acid, B vitamins, digestive enzymes, insulin and interferon like factors, vitamin K and essential fatty acids.
They regulate and enhance the overall bowel function including digestion, assimilation and elimination. This greatly improves health by enhancing the utilization of nutrients from the food supplies and greatly reduces immune stresses by reducing bowel toxicity.
They protect against pathogens including unfriendly bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. This will lead to an improvement in overall immune and endocrine function as well as a reduction in the incidence of infection, food poisoning and food allergies.
While the awareness of the need to supplement the diet with friendly bacteria or bacteria active cultured foods is not new, it is certainly growing. Until just recently, available products have been very limited in their content. Containing primarily acidophilus and/or bifidus type strains, most products simply do not emulate the living ecology of the soil or fresh, raw and organic food and cannot provide the full spectrum of benefits available from all of the friendly bacteria the earth has to offer.
While supplementation with virtually any active friendly bacteria product will be helpful, products that more adequately represent the living ecology of organic agriculture and food will certainly provide the highest level of benefits.
Recent advancements in bacteria technology have yielded much more diverse blends of friendly bacteria including not only the lactobacillus types but also what are commonly known as soil based organisms or PROBIOTICS. While they may not come with the same scientific background as some of the more popular types of bacteria, soil based organisms are completely safe.
This statement is based on the fact that we have been eating PROBIOTICS in our food supply for thousands of years and we would be consuming more of them now if we were eating live foods. When combined with acidophilus and other currently popular types of bacteria, PROBIOTICS help to balance out our bacterial supplementation to represent the natural living ecology of the earth.
A full spectrum blend of friendly bacteria is not only perfectly safe for pregnant women, infants, toddlers, children and pets of any age, but also critical for optimum health. Less than adequate levels of friendly bacteria are directly related to high incidences of infection including ear infections, food poisoning and acne.
Mixed with applesauce or yogurt, SBO based friendly bacterial supplements are easily administered and are the most important and effective tool we currently have available to support our weakened digestive tracts and immune systems.
Additionally, PROBIOTICS are generally room temperature stable and acid resistant, creating a much more reliable bacterial supplement. The powerful health benefits that friendly bacteria can provide, coupled with the development of new supplements that provide a greater natural balance of bacteria, will easily make this class of nutrient one of the most important parts of a healthy regimen.
In conclusion, scientific research on human health and longevity has suggested that aiding the growth of select strains of beneficial microorganisms through careful dietary supplementation may very well provide remarkable health benefits. By taking advantage of this research, individuals can optimize their health and longevity and help prevent chronic problems from gaining a foothold.
article is a copyright of Family Health News