What are probiotics?

The digestive tract maintains a balance between healthy and potentially harmful micro-organisms. Healthy micro-organisms, also called microflora, are residents of the digestive tract that have a protective role in our bodies.

When we grow older, use prescription drugs such as antibiotics and corticosteroids, eat meat, travel, and have digestive disorders, the proportion of healthy microflora in our bodies declines and is less able to protect us from disease.

In addition to its protective role, microflora helps to synthesize important vitamins, nutrients and enzymes, such as the lactase needed to digest lactose in milk and dairy products.

It also allows for the removal of heavy metals and other harmful ingested substances in our food, such as from the metal lining of drink boxes and canned foods.

Besides the digestive tract, microflora reside in other areas where mucous membranes are exposed to the environment, such as the skin, respiratory tract and genital-urinary tract.

To put it into perspective, there are approximately 100,000 billion viable bacteria in the digestive tract and about 1,000 billion on the skin. The total number of cells in the body is approximately 10,000 billion, meaning that we have more bacteria in our body than we have cells! In the large intestine, there are at least 400-500 species of bacteria1.

Probiotics, the supplement form of micro-organisms, have been used for many years to increase the proportion of protective microflora and to prevent and treat many health conditions. The most familiar form of probiotics is yogurt.

Two strains of healthy bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, are found in yogurt, cheese, and other fermented foods. Daily intake of foods containing these bacteria have been suggested to provide health benefits including improved digestion and alleviation of constipation, increased absorption of dietary minerals, reduced blood cholesterol levels and enhanced protection from tumors.

Many strains of bacteria have been used in probiotic supplements. The most common strains are Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. Of the beneficial strains, the Lactobacillus species is most prominent in the small intestine, whereas Bifidobacteria tends to reside in the large intestine.

Vegetarians tend to have a healthier balance of “good bacteria” to “bad bacteria” as compared to non-vegetarians who tend to have larger numbers of undesirable bacteria such as Bacteroides.

How do probiotic supplements work in the digestive system?

Beneficial strains such as Lactobacillus species and Bifiobacteria species prevent the harmful strains such as E.coli and Bacteroides from growing to a population where they can cause disease. They do this by producing organic acid and hydrogen peroxide, by spatial exclusion, which means they crowd out other bacteria, by substrate competition, when they compete with harmful bacteria for nutrients needed for growth, and by bacteriocin production, which is the production of compounds that have a lethal effect on harmful bacteria.

Therapeutic Uses

Probiotics can be used in situations where the intestinal microflora balance has been disturbed and related digestive tract dysfunction occurs. Besides improving digestion and preventing gas, bloating, and bad breath, probiotics are beneficial in many other situations:

Antibiotic Use - While antibiotics are very often effective at killing the offending bacteria they were prescribed to kill, antibiotics also kill many strains of protective bacteria. People taking antibiotics become more susceptible to colonization and infection by harmful gut bacteria, causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Probiotics can be used to replenish these protective bacteria and reduce the incidence of abdominal cramps and diarrhea1. They have also been found to be effective for children in this situation6. Probiotics in combination with and following antibiotic therapy can facilitate regrowth of a healthy microbial population.

Immune System - Bifidobacterium has been shown to enhance the function of the immune system. Natural cellular immune functions are known to decline as we age, leaving great potential for immune enhancement. Research shows that supplementing Bifidobacterium Lacis enhances the production of immune system cells known to be active against viral infections.  Learn More About Probiotics.

ACIDOPHILUS - IN STOCK

Click here to enter

Herbal Information Center Home Page