Angies World Blog – News and Events

Inside your intestines live many health-promoting bacteria.  These “healthy bacteria” are responsible for: * helping your body absorb and/or synthesize essential fatty acids and vitamins, including vitamin K,  *aiding the digestive process by helping you digest lactose (milk sugar), *detoxifying the colon and promoting regular bowel movements, *producing natural antimicrobials that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi,  * helping strengthen your immune system, *reducing hypersensitive reactions to food allergens, *creating beneficial acids, which promote a healthy intestinal pH, *helping in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, *preventing the formation of carcinogenic compounds in the colon, *and  helping you achieve vibrant health.

   Unfortunately our unhealthy lifestyles of  excessive alcohol intake, stress, and exposure to toxic substances like smog, paint fumes, and other chemicals can drastically decrease the amount of these active cultures living in our gut.  Even normal aging can disrupt the balance of friendly bacteria and can lead to poor health.  

In addition, antibiotics will wipe out the healthy flora inside your gut.  While antibiotics are necessary in certain situations to fight infections and  unhealthy bacteria, repeated use can contribute to increased susceptibility to infection and intestinal dysfunction.  And the bad news is that bad bacteria grows 3 times faster than healthy bacteria.  Which means, if you are currently on or have recently used antibiotics, your gut is highly susceptible to being re-infected.  The best way to stop re-infection is to take a probiotic during antibiotic use and to continue for at least one month after finishing your antibiotics.   (And whatever you do, do not stop your antibiotics early after deciding to take them! You must finish the full dose to completely irradicate the infection you are fighting.  If you don’t, two things can happen: You won’t kill the bad bacteria completely and you are highly likely to be re-infected.  If this happens you will need a stronger antibiotic to kill off a second time. OR,  you will kill off the infection enough were your own immune system wipes it out BUT not fast enough and you become a unhealthy bacterial donor to all your friends, family, and co-workers.  And the bad news is that this bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics which makes it harder for newly exposed people to fight it off.)

Other factors that diminish healthy bacteria in your gut are: * if you are taking antacids or other gastric acid inhibitors  (when you take medications that reduce stomach acid, you are allowing unhealthy bacteria to grow where they would otherwise would not), *if you eat a high fat or low fiber diet (a poor diet makes it difficult for health promoting bacteria to thrive),  *if you do foreign travel (traveling abroad increased your risk of exposure to intestinal parasites and bacteria that upset the natural bacterial balance), * and if you are exposed to food and water contaminants (chlorine -think Splenda-, pesticides, antibiotics, etc).  We often unknowingly consume compounds that alter the intestinal environment. 

You may think that all you have to do is eat yogurt. Though yogurt contains some active cultures, the main culture they use is acidophilus.  But there are many cultures: each with its own benefit.  Some are used for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, others for bloating or inflammation, others for pain or discomfort in the lower abdominals, etc.  I would also like to mention that a quality probiotic supplement will contain between 5 and 60 billions active cultures, depending on the culture.  When you eat a yogurt, a typical serving will provide 1 billion active cultures.  Thus, you may need to eat up to 60 servings of yogurt to achieve the desired result!  If you are concerned with which probiotic is right for you, feel free to email me and I would be happy to assist you in the proper one for you.