| Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is characterized as | | | | (2) Another study conducted administered 450 billion |
| abdominal pain and discomfort, gas and bloating, loose | | | | cells daily for eight weeks. This study combined |
| and frequent bowel movements, or constipation. | | | | Bifidobacterium, lactobacillus and streptococcus blend |
| Naturopaths for years have observed beneficial | | | | of probiotics. Patients reported significant |
| effects of acidophilus on IBS. Now there are clinical | | | | improvement in bowel control and less abdominal pain |
| controlled studies to back up what the naturopaths | | | | and bloating after 8 weeks. (3) |
| have been saying for years. Acidophilus can boost | | | | Choosing the right probiotic is very important. At a |
| intestinal flora (probiotics) and stabilize the intestines | | | | minimum, look for a probiotic that is enteric coated. |
| helping people get relief from IBS. | | | | Stomach acid will destroy these live bacteria and |
| You may be wondering what is a probiotic? The | | | | enteric coated capsules can help preserve these |
| term probiotic comes from 'pro', which means 'for', | | | | beneficial bacteria for where they are needed, the |
| and 'bios', which means 'life'. So probiotic means 'for | | | | intestinal tract. |
| life'. Probiotic is a term used to describe nutritional | | | | Probiotics are very vulnerable to the elements. |
| supplements that contain live bacteria. Almost every | | | | Probiotics are anaerobic organisms so oxygen can kill |
| brand of supplements out there has its own form of | | | | them. Sunlight or artificial light can kill probiotics; they |
| probiotic supplement. | | | | love the dark and thrive in the lightlessness of the |
| Two of the most abundant and best known | | | | intestines. Make sure you keep your bottle sealed |
| probiotics in the intestines are Bifidobacterium and | | | | because probiotics do not like moisture either. |
| lactobacillus. These probiotics adhere to the intestinal | | | | You man be thinking why should I buy a probiotic |
| walls and multiply helping keep our bodies healthy. | | | | supplement when I can just eat yogurt? This is a |
| Probiotics help keep fungus and yeast cells at bay. | | | | good question! Take a look at your yogurt label or |
| Probiotics help keep your stool soft, well formed, and | | | | better yet look at what's not on the label. No matter |
| aids in bowel movements. Probiotics can manufacture | | | | how many lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were |
| B vitamins and vitamin K; they also make lactase the | | | | present at the time of manufacturing, there's no |
| enzyme that digests milk, and dairy products like | | | | telling how many bacteria is left at the time you eat |
| cheese. Probiotics can help prevent cholesterol from | | | | the yogurt, there is no probiotic potency guarantee. |
| entering the blood stream which means it can lower | | | | Look for a guarantee with x amount of probiotics on |
| your total blood level cholesterol. Probiotics can bring | | | | the label per serving. When you eat yogurt there is |
| balance to the immune system. Probiotics can also | | | | nothing protecting the probiotics from harsh stomach |
| reduce dental cavities, aid in weight loss, make our | | | | acids so the amounts that actually make it down to |
| bones strong and healthy, help control acne and help | | | | the intestinal tract is very little. |
| prevent illness such as cancer and autism. They help | | | | Almost all health problems experienced today are |
| prevent Gastro intestinal (GI) infections in children | | | | related in some way to the process of digestion. |
| who attend day care and elderly who live in a nursing | | | | Keep your digestive tract as healthy as possible by |
| home. Its not a well known fact, almost 70 percent | | | | taking a high quality probiotic that are viable and |
| of the body's immune system is actually located | | | | robust, that has a guarantee of potency and that is |
| inside the GI tract. (1) | | | | enteric coated. Make sure you take it daily for |
| It's clear that probiotics are essential for proper | | | | optimal health. |
| intestinal health and over all health of the body. | | | | References: |
| These probiotics will grow and multiple in the | | | | 1. Porth CM. Principles of digestion. In: Pathophysiology: |
| intestines all your life. It's easy for the probiotic | | | | Concepts of Altered Health States. 5th ed. |
| balance to change and stop multiplying; it's as simple | | | | Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 2002:136-145. |
| as getting the flue or traveling to a distant land or if | | | | 2. Whorwell PJ, et al. Efficiency of an encapsulated |
| one develops an infection and needs antibiotics. | | | | probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women |
| Antibiotics can devastate the probiotic colony in the | | | | with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol, |
| intestines. The colony of probiotics can easily be | | | | 2006; 101(7): 1581-90. |
| overwhelmed so daily supplementation is something | | | | 3. Kim HJ, et al. A randomized controlled trial of |
| everybody should consider for optimal health. | | | | probiotic, VSL#3, on guy transit and symptoms in |
| One double blind, placebo controlled study tested | | | | diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. |
| over 350 women with IBS. They consumed 1 billion | | | | Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2003; 17(7) 895-904. |
| Bifidobacterium each day for four weeks. The | | | | Visit VitaNet Health Foods at VitaNet sells high quality |
| women consuming the probiotic experienced a | | | | vitamins and herbs at discount prices like Acidophilus |
| significant reduction in symptoms of IBS. Higher and | | | | Pearls. Please link to this site when using this article. |
| lower doses were also tried with little added benefit. | | | | |