Why Take Probiotics? What Are They And How Can They Benefit You?
In men, women, kids and babies (animals, domesticated and not, too) there lies a natural balance of about 400 types of bacteria (these specific types are known as: strains) and their presence and unique balance within your body promotes healthy digestion on a much greater scale, as well as the more recognizable daily tasks of eating, absorbing nutrients that you eat and ultimately eliminating your waste as healthfully and efficiently as possible.
Bacteria are organisms which are live and also known as microflora, which are housed in your intestines in your digestive system. There’s good bacteria within you that promotes health and occurs naturally, partially as a defense in your body and there are are also, harmful, negative, debilitating bacteria that can surface internally and externally that ranges from mild or nagging discomfort (such as the many types of yeast infections out there) and inflammation to much more serious results that can lead to chronic diarrhea, IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBD – Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Colon Cancer and worse.
Yeast infections are a form of unhealthy bacteria that you may be familiar with, but few realize that “yeast infections” affect far more than the commonly targeted female gender: pinning the term yeast infection to vaginal yeast, despite the multiple, non-gender specific forms of yeast infections that affect both old and young and all ages in between. Babies get bacterial infections of the mouth known as thrush, and men get “jock itch” which very much is a yeast infection too. Babies with diaper rash, or sports enthusiasts including your teenagers who get athlete’s foot all are having brushes with undesirable, unhealthy forms of bacteria stemming from your within or on the surface of your body. That said, although each of these examples are bad bacteria gone worse, having bacteria in your body is essential to your well being – - you need the healthy, good kind to fight that bad stuff.
Before we delve into how probiotics remedy and prevent such unhealthy situations, let’s first further examine the science and philosophy behind adding probiotics to your diet, daily routine or supplement and vitamin regimen.
It’s in your intestines where you’ll find much of your good bacteria, specifically named: lactic acid bacteria, or what you’ll see on the bottle of probiotics, its equivalent name: lactobacillus acidophilus. Ailments and problems that involve the digestive system, stomach, intestines, colon, bowels, rectum, and all (digestive) parts in between have had probiotics at one time or another prescribed (or applied via self-diagnosis) often with promising results – - to the point that probiotics and competitive products have flooded the marketplace to cash-in on the good news. That said, while results have proved beneficial, few conventional medical big whigs have fully figured out exactly how to replicate the most beneficial strands of the good bacteria to fight and beat diseases, despite knowing that the probiotics indeed work.
In other words, only certain strands of known good bacteria that is beneficial to one’s health can be replicated, and bought and sold to the consumer, at least here in the United States. The other strands, proven to work, are just not widely available (yet!).
Probiotics are used in three distinct scenarios. One, after a patient or consumer (probiotics are OTC – over the counter and can be purchased without a prescription, but even so, suggested by a licensed medical practitioner to fix or cure and ailment, form of sickness or symptom), is suffering. Unfortunately too many men and women wait for something to happen to them or their kids, teens, children, toddlers and babies, medically, or wait for “a sign” of being miserably sick, before improving their health. So, only after an infection has taken root deep within the walls of your body’s innards, or they are sitting on a toilet for a week straight be drained and dehydrated with a severe case of diarrhea, or when they get diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), a nasty to the naked eye skin infection, or Colon Cancer or IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease) – - all of which should give you the heebie-jeebies and stand on their own in regard to any further detailed visual explanation.
The second scenario and smartest use of probiotics is the preventative route of course. Not only helping to prevent all of the above from occurring, but also to best handle your daily input and output as you live your life. For example, let’s see you eat a lot of junk food, or fast food, or highly processed “food” that has more scientific-sounding names of ingredients on the food label, rather than actual, real food. Using probiotics to keep good bacteria flooding your system would definitely be a plus. If you are dieting, or wanting to live a healthier lifestyle, thus making an educated guess that you were less healthy prior to your decision, taking probiotics, getting your digestive system to work more efficiently (ideally optimally) will increase the likelihood of your body absorbing the nutrients from the healthy foods you are eating. Absorption is one of the great secrets to maximizing your nutrition that few bother to discuss – - and probiotics can be that fuel that revs your digestive engine so you run at your best.
The third scenario is using pro-biotics to replenish good bacteria destroyed or killed. The common example is having someone who has taken antibiotics, which in short, more often than not will kill all good bacteria, while it tries to kill all bad bacteria. In other words, doctors don’t yet know how to target just the bad bacteria, so they prescribe antibiotics that take an all or nothing approach, like carpet-bombing your insides to kill off the one part that is causing you trouble. Well, the fact of the matter is that having that good bacteria in your system is an absolute must to stay healthy.
When it is gone, bad bacteria breeds and runs rampant causing all kinds of problems like we have already discussed (intestinal, digestive and / or urinary tract infections) as well as symptoms you may not ever relate to a digestive issue or yeast infection (bad bacteria not in-check because the presence of the typical supply of your good bacteria has been eliminated), such as feeling tired (fatigue), anxious, stressed, unlike yourself or a a plethora of secondary symptoms and feelings.
Take care of yourself,
Sandy
P.S. Feel free to email any of your brat diet, IBS, diarrhea, cold or flu questions (sandy [AT] thebratdiet.com) or leave comments here on this blog and let me know what you are trying to find or figure out.
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