Probiotics


When people hear the word bacteria, they usually associate it with something bad. But there are good bacteria too! They are called probiotics, meaning "with life." They are usually residential bacteria that reside in some of the most intimate interior aspects of the gastrointestinal tract, the mouth, and the vaginal tract. Transient bacteria exist as well, and pass through the system. Probiotics are sold in supplement form and in certain foods.

Benefits of Probiotics

Probiotics help maintain a normal pH level in your intestinal tract, they aid digestion, and they serve as a defensive mechanism against bad bacteria that is inhaled or digested. They are symbiotic creatures that take up space and play a role in the digestive tract, and their absence allows an opportunity for bad bacteria to set up shop and cause a whole host of problems. These good bacteria can be destroyed by antibiotics. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, both good and bad, and thus the over-prescription of antibiotics in our culture results in one more detriment. The gut or intestinal flora, as they are called, are also harmed by drugs, alcohol, stress, disease, toxic substances, antibacterial soap, and poor dietary habits high in processed and fast foods.

While people can survive without gut flora, probiotics perform many useful functions. They ferment unused carbohydrates to provide energy, they benefit the immune system, and they create a barrier which prevents harmful bacteria from proliferating. The barrier protects humans from invasions of bad bacteria by not offering the invaders the space and food they require to infect. Probiotics are also the first bacteria to settle in an infant's digestive tract, thus influencing the individual's lifelong flora makeup and immunity, since they stimulate and train immune response to antigens. Studies have shown that probiotics play a role in allergies, and children without the right intestinal flora early in life may have immune systems which are overreacting to the antigens, but this is not yet completely substantiated. Probiotics are useful in preventing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Crohn's Disease, possibly by preventing inflammation. Some strains of bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria are known to prevent tumors, and may protect against cancer. Someday after more scientific work is done, probiotic bacteria will be harnessed to powerfully treat specific disease states.

Sources of Probiotics

The intestinal flora can naturally proliferate when a proper diet of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is maintained. Poor dietary habits will kill them off. Yogurt is a popular source of probiotics, and some kefir products may be even more powerful. Lactobacillus also appear in sauerkraut and kambucha. There are a variety of supplements on the market which sell probiotics in pill form, but there is no evidence that they are effective. The probiotics in pill form are not a living culture, they are usually kept at room temperature, and they are most likely destroyed by stomach acid. Natural food sources are best. A company called Natren also markets a product that claims the bacteria are stored in a matrix of food, which keeps them nourished and enables them to pass through the stomach. Its users report good responses to its use.

By Doug Vanisky           


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