Probiotics
Probiotics is the friendly bacteria that lives in harmony inside the intestines and helps to keep the body in balance. There is more evidence Monday morning that it works with diet to keep us healthy, reports The Early Show Medical Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.
Probiotics comes in different kinds, and they all live together in harmony within the body that help to:
They can also be found in food products, mainly cultured dairy products like yogurt. They have been used in medicine for their health-promoting effects for centuries; dietary supplements containing nutrients purported to help them grow have also become very popular.
A lot of research has proven the therapeutic benefit of probiotics when prescribed for disorders like diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, allergies, immune system problems, dermatitis, and preventing infection after surgery. Early research shows probiotics may have a role in preventing colon cancer. More research is needed to see exactly how beneficial probiotics actually work to help the immune system. It may produce natural antibiotics that kill destructive bacteria, strengthen the intestinal lining or simply just crowd out other, possibly harmful, bacteria.
Probiotics is limited to dairy products because they change the freshness and the taste of other foods as they grow and ferment. But in a study out February 2nd, in the Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers showed that it may not be necessary to have bacteria be active and fully-functioning to have immune-stimulating effects. Scientists irradiated probiotic bacteria to slow down its metabolism, and found that the irradiated probiotics worked just as well as live bacteria in a study on mice. Researchers say these findings pave the way to using inactivated probiotics in a wider range of food products in the future.
Probiotics can play a beneficial role for some bowel disorders, but you need to talk to your doctor before you buy something off the shelf. Probiotic products are generally available only in health food stores or via the Internet. The FDA does not regulate probiotics.
Probiotics comes in different kinds, and they all live together in harmony within the body that help to:
- Keep harmful bacteria in check
- Produce vitamins
- Regulate the immune system.
They can also be found in food products, mainly cultured dairy products like yogurt. They have been used in medicine for their health-promoting effects for centuries; dietary supplements containing nutrients purported to help them grow have also become very popular.
A lot of research has proven the therapeutic benefit of probiotics when prescribed for disorders like diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, allergies, immune system problems, dermatitis, and preventing infection after surgery. Early research shows probiotics may have a role in preventing colon cancer. More research is needed to see exactly how beneficial probiotics actually work to help the immune system. It may produce natural antibiotics that kill destructive bacteria, strengthen the intestinal lining or simply just crowd out other, possibly harmful, bacteria.
Probiotics is limited to dairy products because they change the freshness and the taste of other foods as they grow and ferment. But in a study out February 2nd, in the Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers showed that it may not be necessary to have bacteria be active and fully-functioning to have immune-stimulating effects. Scientists irradiated probiotic bacteria to slow down its metabolism, and found that the irradiated probiotics worked just as well as live bacteria in a study on mice. Researchers say these findings pave the way to using inactivated probiotics in a wider range of food products in the future.
Probiotics can play a beneficial role for some bowel disorders, but you need to talk to your doctor before you buy something off the shelf. Probiotic products are generally available only in health food stores or via the Internet. The FDA does not regulate probiotics.
More on Probiotics
The word "probiotic" refers to organisms such as friendly bacteria,
which are vital to the health and balance of the gastrointestinal tract.
Good bacteria, found naturally in the digestive tract, stimulate the
function of the digestive system, and process essential vitamins. But
many factors including stress, antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water,
meat consumption, and a high-fat, high-sugar diet-can devastate the
intestinal tract's good bacteria population.
Probiotics were designed to help promote a healthier balance of good bacteria in the digestive system.
Healthy colonies of symbiotic lactobacillus and bifidobacteria coating the entire gastro-intestinal tract are the body's first line of defense against irritants and pathogenic organisms.The digestive system plays a vital role in the health, vigor and performance of all living mammals. Its correct function is dependent on the level and balance of bacteria or microbes called micro flora.
Micro flora have the major role in breaking down digestible nutrients, in the synthesis and absorption of vitamins and minerals, in stimulating the immune system and in preventing toxins from forming in the gut. Foals are born with a essentially a sterile gut, which is rapidly colonized by both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria through mothers milk.
A fine balance exists between good bacteria and bad, which can easily be disrupted, leading to scouring, ill thrift and other problems. Feeding probiotics from birth protects the foal from pathogens, improves digestive efficiency, enables better utilization of feed and makes the transition from milk to solid feed easier.All mammals benefit from probiotics ability to stabilize intestinal micro flora, maximize gut health, and resist the effects of stress.
Probiotics were designed to help promote a healthier balance of good bacteria in the digestive system.
Healthy colonies of symbiotic lactobacillus and bifidobacteria coating the entire gastro-intestinal tract are the body's first line of defense against irritants and pathogenic organisms.The digestive system plays a vital role in the health, vigor and performance of all living mammals. Its correct function is dependent on the level and balance of bacteria or microbes called micro flora.
Micro flora have the major role in breaking down digestible nutrients, in the synthesis and absorption of vitamins and minerals, in stimulating the immune system and in preventing toxins from forming in the gut. Foals are born with a essentially a sterile gut, which is rapidly colonized by both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria through mothers milk.
A fine balance exists between good bacteria and bad, which can easily be disrupted, leading to scouring, ill thrift and other problems. Feeding probiotics from birth protects the foal from pathogens, improves digestive efficiency, enables better utilization of feed and makes the transition from milk to solid feed easier.All mammals benefit from probiotics ability to stabilize intestinal micro flora, maximize gut health, and resist the effects of stress.
