Most people often overlooked importance of the digestive system. For most people, the digestive systemis merely a tube to remove waste. Only a few realize that the digestive tract plays a vital role in overall wellbeing; in the absorption of nutrients as well as acting as a first line of defense against ingested microorganisms.
The intestinal immune system plays a vital role in our overall immune system.
Some physicians attributed diseases of aging to the buildup of waste products or, putrefaction in the colon, ultimately leaking toxins into the bloodstream. Lined with over 500 different species of bacteria, the intestinal tract keeps the balance between good and bad bacteria. Unfortunately, many of us have poor diets that disrupt these healthy bacteria. Stress, antibiotics can also damage these healthy bacteria so that we experience symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal cramping/pain.
Come to think of your intestinal tract as a parking lot. If all of the parking spaces are filled with healthy bacteria, then, it is unlikely that unhealthy bacteria will still be able to park. In conclusion, a digestive systemwith good inner flora serves a protective barrier against harmful bacteria. But how can one have a healthy intestinal flora? The answer is Probiotics. Probiotic foods and dietary supplements are claimed to prevent intestinal disease by allowing the absorption of antioxidants from food, and supporting a cleaner liver and bloodstream. It also allows the production of vitamins, particularly B3, B6, and folic acid, causing anti-tumor activity, supporting detoxification, thus, enhancing the immune system.
Although the use of probiotics as dietary supplements is of recent, the supplementation of natural microflora has been dated as early as the late nineteenth century. The first identified probiotic, the Lactobacilli bacteria, was found in yogurt in the 1920s and 1930s. Many doctors recommended Acidophilus milk, containing the Lactobacillus acidophilus, to treat patients suffering from constipation and diarrhea, and has been found to be effective.
In the 1950s, researchers conducted a study on L. Acidophilus on its ability to counteract the digestive side effects of taking antibiotics, known at that time to cause an imbalance of the intestinal microflora by killing the bad bacteria along with the good bacteria.
Probioticsare good bacteria that promote health in the body by producing helpful organisms to strengthen the immune system. Products containing probiotics includes special powder, yogurts, probiotic drinks, and capsules. Probiotics are made from good bacteria. Important factors in choosing a good probiotic supplement includes: the strain of the probiotic, the viability and stabilization, the number of CFU's or colony forming units
Strain.
All of the specific organisms and their strains should be listed on the label. The strain should be a human strain and one that has been shown to be able to resist the digestive process such as stomach acids and bile, including its ability to attach to the intestinal lining. L. Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium are the two of the most extensively researched strains demonstrating benefits in humans.
Number of CFUs.
When selecting a probiotic supplement, look for one that has a high level of potency; a bottle containing at least 25 billion microorganisms is a great amount to start with and anything over 40 billion is very high quality. The number represented in CFU's should be guaranteed through the expiration date and not just at the time of production.
Viability and Stabilisation.
The organisms in Probiotics must be alive, or viable. This is where packaging and stabilisation is important - ensuring that the organisms remain alive. For non-stabilised products, refrigeration throughout the process is important. For non-refrigerated products, stabilization should protect against light, heat, humidity and moisture breakdown.
Most decent probiotic formulas contain Prebiotics, non-digestible food components that increase the growth of probiotic organisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
Probiotic supplementation have been demonstrated benefits for overall wellbeing for many years, some of the specific benefits of probioticsinclude:
Decreases the side effects of antibiotics such as diarrhea and yeast infections
Controls urinary tract infections
Improve lactose digestion for lactose-sensitive or lactose-intolerant individuals
Controls harmful bacteria and boost immune response
Relieves constipation, allergies, and atopic skin conditions
Relieves irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, and Crohn's symptoms
Helps reduce blood cholesterol
With today's lifestyle of high stress, poor diets, carbonated beverages and exposure to toxins and antibiotics through our food and medications, disruption of the healthy bacterial balance of the intestines is usually the outcome. Probioticstaken in supplementation has a primary challenge of surviving the stomach acids in order to successfully colonize in the colon. Therefore, taking a high quality probiotic supplement is the best and most realistic way to ensure that you have a healthy intestinal microflora.