The Probiotic Advantage in Fermented Foods

The word ?probiotic? means, ?for life.?

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that reside in your intestines and that encourage the production of microflora in your gut ? which, in turn provides you with a health body system.

When an imbalance occurs between the healthy probiotic microflora and pathogenic microorganisms, the gut becomes an environment that could cause illnesses and diseases.

The following  are several reasons that your body systems may become  imbalanced resulting in problems with your health:

* Too many antibiotics and strong, over-the-counter medications.
* Toxins in the environment.
* Diet where too many processed, sugary and acidic food and drinks are consumed.
* Chronic stress.
* Cleaners and personal care products that contain anti-bacterial chemicals.

Consuming foods that contain pribiotics and probiotic supplements will help keep your gastrointestinal tract and other systems of the body in proper health by balancing out the good and bad bacteria or restoring your gastrointestinal tract with the proper microorganism that are involved in maintaining optimal digestive health.

Probiotics can be found in many foods such as yogurt.

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir and other types of dairy products also contain beneficial probiotics.

Some of the ways that probiotics can benefit your health are:

 Urinary Tract Health – Evidence exists that probiotics can ward off bad bacteria that can invade the urinary tract and cause infections. Even though antibiotics can cure these infections, they may return.
Immune System-Probiotic foods can help you maintain beneficial intestinal floral that helps keep your immune system healthy.

Allergies– been conducted in pregnant women who had a history of allergies and took probiotics during the pregnancy. These studies show that there was a reduction in the child?s incidence of allergies.

Digestive Health- We all have various types of bacteria in our digestive systems that help to break down food and help our bodies absorb essential nutrients. Many doctors are now prescribing probiotics to help restore that balance of bacteria that taking drugs have caused.

Obesity-Research has shown that our digestive bacteria help us maintain a healthy weight. Probiotics are very healthy and low-calorie too, so they?re a good alternative to other means of lowering the chances of obesity.

Women’s Health– Women can benefit from probiotics because of the effects it has on the reproductive organs. They can also be instrumental in preventing cramps and difficult menstruation.

Probiotics are very beneficial in maintaining and restoring  proper digestive health.

Educate yourself about fermentation and the probiotics derived from fermentation then talk to your doctor to see if probiotics are something you should be consuming to achieve optimal health.

Simply put, probiotics are considered the ?good guys? in keeping our digestive systems clean and our immune systems working well. It?s worth the time and effort to investigate the beneficial effects of fermentation and the probiotics it provides.