Getting to know… Probiotics
There are two types of bacteria in the body, good bacteria and bad bacteria. When there is an infection present it is the result of more bad bacteria putting the body’s system out of balance. Good bacteria help to eliminate excess bad bacterial to keep the body in balance. This said, the use of probiotics as a dietary supplement has shown promising results to help maintain the microbiome in the GI to support the body.
Probiotics are both bacteria and yeast that naturally live predominantly within the gastrointestinal tract. Not all bacteria are bad. For all too long the science of understanding bacteria places it as being mostly bad. Probiotics are the bacteria that the body to fight of bad bacteria to maintain balance.
The word probiotic means pro-good biotic-living things, good-living.
The human body carries 100 trillion bacteria in the gut…that’s more than 10 times the total number of human cells in the entire body. Did you know that the gut accounts for 25% of the immune cells in the body? It provides 50% of the body’s immune response for daily health.
The microbiome is a way to describe the community of bacteria that lives in the body. The bacteria are made of things called microbes, which include bacteria (good and bad), fungi, viruses, protozoa. Everyone’s microbiome is unique. The term probiotic is used to describe microbes that are isolated in the body, survive after digestion, provide benefit, and are consumed safely.
What parts of the body contain probiotics/microbes?
o Gastrointestinal Tract, which runs from mouth to rectum
o Vagina
o Urinary tract
o Skin
o Lungs
How does probiotic support the body?
The primary function for probiotics is to maintain the balance of bacteria and that means suppressing bad bacteria from entering the body to cause illness. More good bacteria, more defense to support immune function to control or reduce inflammation. This said, stopping bad bacteria and regulating the inflammatory response in the body are both key to healthy living. Probiotic’s also help:
o Digest food
o Suppresses bad bacteria
o Create vitamins
o Breakdown pharmaceuticals
o Removes toxins
It a lot of work for the body to keep a balanced microbiome as a natural part of the body’s daily function. Eating quality foods with fiber is necessary to help good bacteria keep the balance.
Should you take a probiotic?
Today, probiotics have been researched enough to show positive results in many ways to help with various conditions, which include:
o Diarrhea
o Constipation
o Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
o Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
o Yeast infections
o Urinary tract infection
o Gum disease
o Lactose intolerance
o Eczema
o Upper respiratory infection, (ear, nose, sinus)
o Sepsis
The effects, safety, and storage of probiotics?
Research studies are showing promising results with the use of probiotics. A variety of probiotics can be used to treat many different needs to balance the microbiome. Not all probiotics are shelf stable, cultivated and harvested with precision to ensure that at the time of consumption the probiotic will provide a positive result. Probiotics although not harmful are still in the beginning stages of discovery because every individual has a unique microbiome, which is developed from birth. This said, its known that vaginal childbirth and breastfed babies have stronger immunity because they are born with necessary probiotics for their biome.
The age-old premise of quality over quantity also shows us that the beneficial effects of probiotics don’t require 100’s of billions of Colony Forming Units CFU to make an impact. Individual results can be positively seen when proper use and quality of probiotic strains are introduced into the body.
It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider and even more important that when speaking with a healthcare provider that they are in the know when it comes to the benefits of probiotics. Although research is still emerging on the benefits, uses, and correlations that result from regular use of probiotics. For those that have experienced the effects from probiotics it’s a no brainer. This doesn’t negate that some healthcare practitioners are late to the party and we suggest finding physicians who are up to date on ways to treat the body with natures remedies.
Storage temperatures in normal range that are cool often help the shelf life of most probiotics. Avoiding heat, light, and humidity is recommended. If a probiotic is required to have refrigeration, then it is most likely sensitive and potentially less effective when consumed. Check labeling for information on how to handle and expiration dates. Probiotics are not an inexpensive supplement and often the quality and stability of the product is seen in the pricing. Consider probiotics sold in powder or as food additives. Avoid adding to hot dishes or very cold recipes. Another thought for consideration is whether the probiotic can survive passing through stomach acid to do its job in the GI. Different types of probiotic bacterium are found throughout the GI tract and overall it is the first line of defense to maintain the fight for bacterial balance to maintain good health.
As individuals the effects, potential allergens, ect can result from introducing new things to the body. For those that are at risk or with underlying health conditions because of serious conditions or high risk of infection discuss with qualifies experts on the best course of action in adding a probiotic.
Do kids need probiotics?
There is little difference in supporting a child with probiotic as opposed to adults. Children experience many of the same needs as adults to help relieve constipation, acid reflux, diarrhea, gas, and eczema. Food sources like yogurt and cottage cheese might be the only way to help kids add health bacteria for balance but let’s be real how often are kids eating fermented vegetables and Greek yogurt? Sugar filled yogurts are of little to no benefit.
Do probiotics help after taking antibiotics?
Do probiotic help before taking antibiotics? Regardless of how you ask the question and if it’s before, during, or after taking antibiotics, it’s about the individual. More people are using probiotics because of last resort treatment for infection that require antibiotics when antibiotics are a last resort. Antibiotics kill bacteria and not just bad bacteria causing infections. Antibiotics knockout everything in their path, which requires the good bacteria to rebuild. In this process of rebuilding leaves the body yet again out of balance. The body was first out of balance because of bad bacteria that required strong meds like antibiotics and left out of balance because good and bad bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics. This balance can cause a variety of problems in the GI to get the gut happy again. Diarrhea after starting antibiotics is most common and in some situations specific bacterial called C. diff.
The reboot or repopulation of good bacteria (probiotics) must immerge to ensure bacterial balance once again and to crowd out harmful bacteria. This said, there are many different types of probiotics that help with the destruction that happens to the GI because of antibiotics. Many people feel that using probiotics regularly can avoid the problems from antibiotics and by adding probiotics during antibiotics it helps to feel better faster.
The microbiome is complex, diverse, and a part of all living things; what’s the main question regarding the use of probiotics?
The question is more, “when”, than if?
When will you start using a probiotic?
If you haven’t started using probiotics you could be missing out on a simple fix.
If you have tried probiotics and didn’t see a benefit, it’s likely that the quality of the product was a factor or the type of probiotic you used was not specific enough for what you body needed.
Overall, the excitement is seen from the outcomes people report from using probiotics as a modern world miracle and the modern world is full of miracles. The modern world is also full of distractions and quick fix solutions. Feel encourage and now informed about natures oldest, tried, and tested solution to, “Nourish Life” with probiotics.
Thanks for reading,
“Nourishing Life”, by Funamins Inc.
Probiotics are, “the-good-guys” in the fight for bacterial balance at the cellular level. Probiotics are a part of gut health that help the body absorb vital nutrients and eliminate pathogens. Receive an estimated 5 Billion CFU (colon forming units) per serving size. This Probiotic is formulated for nutrition and taste, when you open the bottle you’ll notice a mouth watering enthusiasm that is irresistible.
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