Your body contains a good amount of healthy micro-organisms which keep bad bacteria from overcrowding your digestive system. When the growth of unhealthy bacteria is unchecked, your body may begin to experience signs and symptoms of disease or sickness.
Oftentimes, the healthy flora in your intestines may be destroyed due to strong medication like broad spectrum antibiotics. Other bad bacteria coming from contaminated food may also enter your digestive system and flourish causing problems like gastritis or diarrhoea. Probiotics help restore the balance between good and bad bacteria to get rid of disease.
Probiotics are food or supplements that contain good bacteria similar to the healthy micro-organisms that your body naturally possesses. Probiotics are generally useful for maintaining good digestion and for protecting your body against harmful bacteria such as salmonella and E-coli.
There are hundreds of healthy bacteria in your digestive system including lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidobacterium. Unlike antibiotics which kill both harmful and healthy bacteria, probiotics encourage the growth of good bacteria to keep the intestinal tract of your digestive system clean. Because it is safe for children’s use, food manufacturers now incorporate probiotics in most of their milk products to prevent lactose intolerance, a common problem with milk feeding.
Probiotic as natural treatment
Probiotics, when combined with the appropriate diet, are used to treat a wide range of diseases including:
* Digestive problems such as gastritis, dyspepsia, ventricle ulcer, diarrhoea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome.
* Chronic ailments such as migraine, asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, vaginal yeast infection, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
* Skin ailments like allergies, acne, herpes, canker sores and eczema.
* Endocrine disorders such as hormonal imbalance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.
Probiotics also help reduce the side effects associated with the use of antibiotics, cortisone, and contraceptives. These beneficial micro-organisms have also been used to eliminate intestinal problems of cancer patients who undergo radiation therapy.
Probiotic use should also be a necessary component of any bowel cleansing plan, as there is a need to restore good bacteria after accumulated waste has been eliminated from your bowel.
Healthy individuals regularly take probiotics as a preventive measure against the common cold and colon cancer.
Other uses of probiotics are currently under study as initial findings on a patient afflicted with a congenital disorder of the nervous system showed significant improvement in walking after being given probiotic supplements.
Sources of probiotics
Probiotics can be found in certain foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and some cultured dairy products. Higher doses of probiotics may also be obtained from supplements in powder, capsule, liquid and tablet forms in health stores. For some illnesses such as diarrhoea and dyspepsia, probiotics may provide immediate relief while chronic or complicated diseases may require prolonged or long term use in conjunction with a healthy diet and other treatments. While probiotic use is generally safe and there is no recommended daily allowance for it, it is still best to seek the advice of a naturopath or health professional prior to self treatment in large doses.
Originally published on Nov 30, -0001
