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WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS ?
Probiotics literally means "for life," or supporting life. Probiotics are live and beneficial bacteria. These microorganisms are the essential "friendly" flora, the "good" bacteria—that maintain the ecosystem in our own bowel, or intestinal tract. There are two types of bacteria, which colonize our bodies, good and harmful bacteria. Good bacteria, most of which are Lactic Acid bacteria ensure good health. They normally inhabit the intestines and are critical in maintaining the correct balance of our intestinal microflora. However, to achieve this they must be present in optimal numbers, types and ratio ; 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria. Friendly bacteria including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifido-bacterium, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are our body’s first line of defense against all the potentially harmful microorganisms that you inhale or ingest. Probiotics are another term for these friendly bacteria that live and work in the gastrointestinal tract every day of our life. Think of them as a mighty bacterial army that defends the body against dangerous invaders. Having these friendly bacteria in residence can help prevent a wide range of health problems.
Opposed to Probiotics is antibiotics. Anti means “against life”. Unfortunately, when consumed antibiotics destroys "good bacteria" along with the "bad bacteria". Additional things that can destroy the intestinal bacterial balance in our gut include, stress, poor diet, pollutants, environmental changes, and prescription drugs, chemicals in fertilizers, pesticides,which also deplete beneficial bacteria. Consequently, this speeds up the aging process and leads to various diseases and digestion problems.
The Royal Society of Medicine of Great Britain reported that 90% of chronic diseases are caused from an unhealthy intestinal system primarily the colon. There exists a connection between imbalance in the intestines and the following: Chronic Fatigue, Asthma, Hayfever, Food Allergies, Psoriasis, Eczema, Acne, Arthritis, Candida/Thrush,Irritable Bowel, Celiac Disease, Indigestion, Constipation, Lupus, Low Immune System, Problem Skin, Lack of Energy, Weight Gain, Cancer, Diabetes, Alzeimers.
If we wished for ourselves to maintain a healthy body, we need good quantities of friendly bacteria. This is easily done by taking supplements of good bacteria to help us counteract the harmful bacteria.
It is essential then, that we must add effective, premium probiotic supplements to our daily lives to maintain and re create the right and good balance in our micro flora, as well as to replenish the system with good bacteria in order to maintain optimum health. As leading Medical Practitioners have long said; “the answer lies in the vital role that intestinal tract micro flora play in an individual’s overall health.”
Probiotic is a functional food that is essential for good health. It is to be the "medicine" of the twenty first century.
WHO NEEDS PROBIOTICS?
Everyone in our modern, industrialized culture would benefit from daily supplementation of probiotics. In a globalised modern culture, many Asian countries adopt Western diets, filled with sugar, fatty meat and chemicals, and along with our use of antibiotics, give unfriendly flora the greater advantage.
How do you know if you have an imbalance, or could otherwise benefit from probiotics? Chances are if you’ve been sick or have taken antibiotics, you need to repopulate the good bacteria in your system. If you have stress in your lives, are exposed to pollution, have skin and breathing sensitivities, have headaches, migraines, yeast infections, joint aches, bad breath, symptoms of PMS, urinary tract infections, asthma, anorexia or bulimia, bloating or indigestion problems, lack exercise and have an unhealthy diet or are exposed to chemicals, preservatives in the foods we consume; a supplementation of probiotics daily, will greatly assist in your ailments and greatly improve your health.
WHAT IS A SUPER PROBIOTIC?
Friendly bacteria are grown in what is called a "culturing medium" ie. milk, vegetables or fruit- based media. As the bacteria grow, they transform the culturing medium into a totally different substance called the supernatant. A very important component of "super" probiotics, the supernatant is filled with a variety of beneficial metabolic by products including antimicrobial compounds such as hydrogen peroxide, bacteriocin etc, vitamins, enzymes, cellular building blocks, antioxidants and immunostimulants. A full-culture production method which retains all the friendly bacteria and supernatant, which is only possible through a natural fermentation process is the most desirable method. (See 4 Main Methods of Manufacture)
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PREMIUM PROBIOTICS :
- Strengthening of the immune system
- Anti-cancer effect- improves and reduces the risk in certain cases
- Treatment of Diarrhea
- Prevention and treatment of vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
- Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Prevention of Lactose intolerance
- Prevention and reduction of constipation
- Enhancement of resistance to pathogens. It has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects.
- Prevention of the overgrowth of Candida buildup.
- Reduction of serum cholesterols
- Reduce Bladder Cancer recurrence
- Prevention and treatment of inflammation following colon surgery
- Greatly improves eczema, skin allergies, acne and psoriasis
- Shorten duration of intestinal infections
- Greatly aids in the digestion and absorption of nutrients
- Improves bronchial asthma, sinusitis, and rheumatoid arthritis
- Greatly aids in regulating sugar levels in Diabetes
- Prevention of ostereoporosis
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROBIOTIC
With so many probiotics to choose from, it can be a daunting task for anyone trying to make a choice. How do we then, as consumers choose the right probiotic? There are three things to look for when choosing the right probiotic products:
- Methods of Manufacture
- Contents of product
- Health/therapeutic benefits
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