Probiotics
Probiotics – There are more than 100 trillion bacteria living in your GI tract. Some of these are good bacteria, called probiotics. Learn more about probiotics, why you need them for overall good health, and the medication that can destroy them.
Expert: Melanie Jay, MD, MS NYU School of Medicine
There are more than 100 trillion bacteria living in your GI tract. Some of these are good bacteria, called probiotics. Learn more about probiotics, why you need them for overall good health, and the medication that can destroy them.
Transcript
There are more than 100 trillion bacteria living in your gastrointestinal tract. And many of them influence how your immune system functions, what diseases you can resist and which ones develop. In fact, beneficial bacteria in the gut are essential for healthy digestion, immune strength, brain function, and overall health. These bacteria, which we call PRObiotics, suppress the growth of other potentially harmful bacteria, improve nutrient absorption, influence how the body synthesizes certain B vitamins, prevent diarrhea and may be able to help relieve the symptoms of digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Unfortunately, many things can destroy the healthy balance of probiotics in the digestive tract. Perhaps the biggest culprit is antibiotics. While antibiotics successfully clear your system of BAD bacteria, they also rid it of good ones.
A new study indicates that infants who are given antibiotics during their first six months are far more likely to develop allergic asthma later on – and researchers suspect it’s a result of having lost important probiotics that they need for immune system regulation. Some people choose to up their probiotic count by taking supplements or eating probiotic-rich foods AFTER taking antibiotics, OR to IMPROVE constipation,lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and seasonal allergies.
Some people say probiotics also promote weight loss, and protect against intestinal cancer.
Probiotics, specifically Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, can be found in capsule, liquid, powder, or tablet form. You can pick these up at most local health food or vitamin stores.
Many people favor a mixture of several strains of probiotics, hoping to re-establish the bio-diversity that seems to be the hallmark of the most healthy gut environment.You can also get probiotics from certain fermented foods such as dairy and non-dairy yogurt with specially added active live cultures, buttermilk, Kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut, kim chi and miso. Bananas, whole grains, garlic, flax, artichokes and honey contain PREbiotics, nutrients that probiotic bacteria need to make energy and function.
Keep in mind probiotics may cause mild, temporary gas and bloating. And they do not always interact well with immunosuppressant medications. For more information on how to keep your digestive system functioning regularly, check out other videos in this series.
Last Modified: 2013-09-19
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Category: Health and Nutrition, Videos
