Best Probiotics
Learn What Are
the Best Probiotics
for Digestive and Immune Health
If you’ve ever experienced digestive problems, issues with your sinuses, or yeast infection, you know that it’s no fun. However, there’s something you can do that is very easy to combat the problem and ensure an improvement on your current state of health. With a little help from some ‘friendly bacteria,’ you can be yeast free, ‘unclogged,’ and pain free in no time. In this article you will learn more about these beneficial bacteria and what are the best probiotics to add to your diet.
Health Benefits of Probiotics
• Enhanced immune system response
• Reduces negative affects of antibiotics
• Aids in preventing and treating colon inflammation following surgery
• Increased ability to digest food
• Reduces lactose intolerance
• Reduces incidence of yeast infections, vaginitis and candidiasis
• Increases ability to assimilate the nutrients from food
• Alleviates many common digestive disorders such as constipation, diarrhea and IBS
• Increases ability to synthesize vitamin B
• Increases ability to absorb calcium
• Promotes anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity in the body
About Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are similar to the ‘good’ bacteria living in your intestines. They often called “friendly bacteria,” because of the positive effects ingesting them have on your digestion and health.Probiotics come from two groups of bacteria, Lactobacillus or Bidfobacterium. Within each group, there are different species (for example, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus), and within each species, different strains (or varieties). The Bidfobacterium group of bacteria promotes good digestion, boosts the immune system and produces lactic and acetic acid that controls intestional pH. These bacteria also inhibit the growth of Candida albicans and E. coli. Lactobacillus belongs in the lactic acid bacteria group and converts lactose and other sugars to lactic acid. The production of lactic acid makes the environment acid, which inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. Lactobacillus contains anti-inflammatory properties and is known to alleviate the risks of certain types of cancers. A study by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the UCLA in 2009 demonstrated the protective effects of some strains of these bacteria for anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects
Prebiotics vs. Probiotics
Prebiotics are not the same as Probiotics. Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that feed and stimulate the growth of the beneficial bacteria already in people’s colons. In other words, they are the food for the good bacteria present in your gut. Prebiotics are present in soluble fiber, the kind of fiber in oats, wheat, pysllium husks. It is beneficial to add both prebiotic and probiotic supplements in your diet because together they form a synbiotic and work synergistically to aid health-one in the small intestine (probiotic) and the other in the large intestine (prebiotic). A good prebiotic supplement to take would be to add pysllium husk to your diet. Simply mix 1 tablespoon of pysllium husk in a tall glass of cold water and the juice of half a lemon, and a teaspoon of good quality flaxseed oil. Lemon is a natural cleanser and balances the pH of the body, while the flaxseed oil is anit-inflammatory and stimulates the gall bladder to release bile, which aids in detoxification. It also acts a lubricant for the pysllium. Make to sure to drink plenty of water when taking pysllium, otherwise it can lead to constipation.
Choosing the Best Probiotic Supplement
When looking for the best probiotics, keep in mind the following:• While probiotic supplements are available in powder, liquid, and capsule form, most health care practioners recommend capsule form that are refrigerated.
• Make sure that the capsules are designed to withstand stomach acids and pass intact to the gastro-intestinal tract.
• The concentration of the bacteria is measured in colony forming units (CFU’s) and will vary product to product. Since you have trillions of good and bad bacteria in your intestines, it’s recommended that you want to take 40 billion CFU’s twice a day.
• The best probiotics provide very specific information on the strains provided and how many CFU’s per strain.
• Good quality probiotics have an expiration date somewhere on the packaging.
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