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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Why should you care about probiotics? Because of our low fiber intake, most Americans eat less than half of the daily recommendation, our limited intake of fermented foods (like sauerkraut), and our overuse of antibiotics, many of us have altered the balance of microbes in our gut. Probiotics are helpful microbes and most of us don’t have enough of them living in our digestive tract.
Prebiotics, of which fiber is a major source, are the main source of nourishment for our friendly microbes or probiotics. If you think of your intestine as a long parking lot, you want all the spaces filled with good bacteria, so there are no spaces left for the harmful ones to park and multiply. Like all good soldiers, the friendly bacteria need to be fed so they can put up a good fight against the unfriendly invaders. Probiotics (friendly microbes) and prebiotics (fiber) work together to boost your immune system from the inside out.
Researchers from Duke University have proposed that the human appendix may actually be a safe haven where good bacteria hang out until they are needed to repopulate the gut after a nasty case of diarrhea.
If we do not get enough probiotics we are more susceptible to diarrhea, chronic constipation (a major health problem for US adults), irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Research evidence is also showing that probiotics may boost the effectiveness of vaccines, help fight infections, and reduce the incidence of allergies, dental cavities, and intestinal infections in premature babies.
The benefits of probiotic organisms depend on their type and the amount you consume. Probiotics are categorized by group, species and strain. For example: Lactobacillus (group) acidophilus (species) GG (strain).
Reputable companies will provide enough information to assure the consumer of their product’s quality. Often they have a website to learn more. When a food touts live cultures, this does not automatically mean it is rich in probiotics.
When probiotics are present, the label should give the full name of the organism. There should be a shelf life date to let you know how long the active microbes will remain functional, and a suggested serving size of the food or dose for a supplement. There should be storage instructions. Does the product need to be refrigerated?
If probiotic supplements are used they should be taken with food. When the pills are taken alone with just water they enter the harsh acidic environment in the stomach and it is less likely that the bacteria will survive. Food buffers the stomach acid and protects the probiotics so they can survive to travel into the large intestine and set up housekeeping.
I prefer food sources of probiotics to supplements. Foods such as cereal, cheese and yogurt offer other important nutrients along with the probiotic organism. Probiotic supplements are an isolated source of the organism. These supplements are available without a prescription and they are not regulated. Though many companies are reputable, others are not. The pill you take may or may not have a helpful dose of live bacteria. A container of yogurt is a perfect medium to support live bacteria; it has a “use-by” date and a limited shelf life. A supplement left in the medicine cabinet, in a moist bathroom, may not provide the same consistent dose of live organisms.
We have about 10 times as many bacteria in our intestinal tract as we have cells in the body. Close to 70% of your immune system resides in the lining of the digestive tract. Having a healthy colony of friendly bacteria in residence is important to our overall health. Eat probiotic rich foods and eat more fiber, the food your friendly bacteria thrive on.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 8 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to the newly updated website: The Nutrition Experts
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