Look after yourself with Probiotics

There are hundreds of different species of bacteria living in our gastrointestinal tracts. Your gut bacteria have many more functions than just aiding digestion. They are responsible for triggering immune system reactions throughout the body and will greatly affect overall physical AND mental health. The ‘good’ bacteria in the gut should make up 85% of your intestinal flora, which allows for the remaining 15% to be pathogenic. Over two-thirds of your immune system relies on this make-up. So let me take you through why your body can benefit from adding probiotics into the mix:

-          Enhance immunity.  This is an important point to consider during pregnancy and breast feeding. A mother passes on her intestinal flora to the baby during the birthing process which essentially sets up the baby’s immune system. During breast feeding the mother’s milk will also contain bacteria from the mother. The immune protection of a mother’s milk is greatly enhanced if the mother is taking probiotics to support her own gut flora.

-          Probiotics can help to reverse and ease gut inflammation which is a leading cause of many ailments such as Ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and IBD.

-          Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity symptoms can be eased by adding probiotics.

-          The increase in processed foods and low fibre diets in the modern world allows for an increase in pathogenic bacteria, over taking the good bacteria, which can diminish colon function. Firstly, CUT the processed food and UP the intake of fresh, fibrous fruit and veg, but secondly, add a probiotic to help your stomach recover.

-          If you repeatedly suffer from yeast infections such as Candida, this could be caused by an imbalance in your intestinal flora. Supplementing with probiotics can help to restore your levels of good: bad bacteria.

-          A healthy gut flora could help to prevent cancer by nourishing the enzymes responsible for inhibiting tumour production throughout the body.

-          Modern-day food processing methods such as the use of Genetically Modified Organisms and antibiotics found in non-organic meat and dairy products can strip the gut of its healthy intestinal flora. It is necessary to add probiotics back to your gut if your diet contains food of this nature.

So where do you get your probiotics from?

You can supplement with probiotics in capsule form. Always be prepared to pay higher end for all of your supplements. This particularly applies to probiotics. You need to ensure the protective capsule is strong enough to withstand the acids in your stomach in order for it to reach your intestinal tract where it is needed.

Do not spend countless money on daily probiotic drinks and yogurts. For my research project during my undergraduate degree I worked on the research for Yakult products. I was looking into the effects the product had on the immune response, as the product was making claims that Yakult could help support your immune defences. Well, I found NO significant difference….needless to say the adverts for these products soon changed and now they just use wishy-washy  claims such as, ‘lots inside’ or ‘billions of bacteria in each little bottle’…..well yes, but it goes no further than the bottle!  

Look out for my next blog post where I’ll be going into more detail on how to sort through the millions of probiotics available to find the best product.

An alternative method of taking in probiotics is through fermented foods such as milk kefir and water kefir which can be consumed daily. You can make your own kefir, just order ‘starter grains’ online or check your nearest health food store and then check out YouTube videos that can take through the process every step of the way.

A healthy gut is vitally important to a healthy body. Support yours with a balanced and varied wholefoods diet, regular exercise and a well-planned supplementation routine.

To find out more on supplementation and discuss what YOUR body requires please contact me for a complimentary half hour consultation.