Dr. Curtis McElroy

Tag: probiotics

  • Are There Any Health Benefits of Probiotics

    The Health Benefits of Probiotics

    Most people spend a lot of time trying to get rid of bacteria in their lives, but what if we told you not all bacteria is bad for you? In fact, your body relies on millions of healthy, helpful bacteria to keep you safe and healthy every day. And by giving your body beneficial probiotics, you can improve the population of helpful bacteria inside your body that are necessary for your continued health.

    Eating foods rich in probiotics can not only prevent illness but also treat some disorders and imbalances. Learning which foods are high in probiotics, as well as the benefits these organisms offer to your body, will help you feel better and stay healthier over time.

    Understanding Probiotics

    You have bacteria, yeast, and other microbes all over your body, both inside and out. Luckily, many of those organisms are helpful bacteria that perform vital functions for your cells, tissues, organs, and body systems.

    Probiotics and the beneficial bacteria they support can help:
    • Boost your immune system, allowing you to heal faster from sickness and injury.
    • Prevent infection by stopping hostile bacteria from taking over.
    • Improve your digestion, which allows you to better absorb nutrients from the foods you eat.

    The majority of helpful bacteria in your body live in your gut and keeping your digestive microflora healthy not only aids your digestion but also ensures your immune system is working properly. These two systems are directly linked.

    When you throw off the balance of good versus bad bacteria in your gut, such as when you are sick or when you are taking antibiotics, you need to help your body replenish the friendly bacteria in your system. Eating probiotics can restore this balance, which creates a barrier against harmful microbes.

    Probiotics and Antibiotics

    When you take antibiotics to treat an infection, you not only eliminate the bad bacteria that are making you sick but also the healthy, beneficial bacteria that can make you well. When you take probiotics during and after using antibiotics, you are helping to restore the natural gut microflora that your body needs quickly. This also can help increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, which can help you feel better faster and require fewer and smaller doses of antibiotics in the future.

    Probiotic-Rich Foods

    Foods that are cultured or fermented are good sources of probiotics, as bacteria are what create their flavor and texture. Examples of foods that are high in probiotics include cultured yogurt, miso, tempeh, kefir, buttermilk, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, and natto. While some of these foods have bacteria which grow naturally, some include bacteria that are adding during the preparation process.

    These foods and beverages contain one or more of the following strains of probiotics:
    • Lactobacillus acidophilus
    • Lactobacillus casei
    • Bifidobacterium bifidum
    • Lactobacillus bulgaricus
    • Lactobacillus gasseri
    • Saccharomyces boulardii
    • Lactobacillus plantarum
    • Bifidobacterium lactis
    • Enterococcus faecium
    • Bifidobacterium longum
    Any food that claims to have probiotics should contain at least one of the strains listed here. This is also true for probiotic supplements, so always read the label if you are in doubt.

    Supporting a Probiotic Environment

    In addition to eating foods that contain probiotics, you can create an environment that is supportive of the healthy bacteria in your body. You can start by altering the pH of your digestive system by eating more sour foods. Fermented vegetables and vinegars contain small amounts of probiotic, but their acid content is the most powerful part of their benefits. They contribute to a gut environment that allows probiotics to flourish.

    You can also be sure the bacteria in your system have plenty of fuel by feeding them a high-fiber diet. The fermentable fiber in fresh vegetables, fruits, flax and chia seeds are perfect for giving probiotics the food they need to maintain your healthy bacteria levels.

    Eating Probiotics

    Adding probiotics to your diet is one health move you can make to improve your health. These foods contain beneficial bacteria your body needs to fend off unwanted visitors. Help your body today by including probiotics in your next meal or snack.

  • The Benefits Of Probiotics

    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.

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