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