Probiotics
By: Jule Klotter
Jule Klotter tells us how "Basic Health Publications User's
Guide to Probiotics" by Earl
Mindell, RPh, PhD really opened her eyes to the many ways in which
'friendly' bacteria (probiotics) maintain our health.
Firstly, she says, probiotics commonly found in a healthy Gi
tract inhibit the growth of pathogens by
producing lactic acid. Yeast and harmful bacteria tend to flourish in
environments with a neutral pH. Lactic acid holds them in check. Some
probiotics also produce hydrogen peroxide, which the immune system uses
to destroy pathogens.
One of the predominant friendly bacteria, L.
Acidophilus (DDs-1 Strain), produces acidophilin. This substance is
lethal to at least 22 potentially harmful bacteria, including E. coli,
Shigella dysenteriae, Stapyhlococcus aureus, Streptococcus lactis,
Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella schottmuelleri.
In addition to preventing the growth of harmful bacteria, she
says, probiotics protect us in other ways: Firstly, they keep harmful
microbes
from adhering to or crossing the intestinal lining and entering into
the bloodstream.
Mindell says, "Friendly bacteria can actually move
through already-adhered layers of harmful bugs to offer this
protection."
Probiotics also support immune response throughout the
body. Various strains of friendly bacteria increase the activity of
lymphocytes (white blood cells that produce antibodies) and phagocytes
(cells that engulf and digest microbes and debris). Probiotics, such as
Lactobacillus, stimulate antibody production as well.
The friendly
bacteria even have a role in disrupting autoimmune responses, she says.
They are
known to increase interleukin-10 activity. Interleukin-10 is a cytokine
that tells the immune system to calm down before it harms us.
Not only do these friendly bacteria defend our bodies, Jules
Klotter tells us, they
also nourish us. Probiotics in the intestines produce B-complex
vitamins, including biotin, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pantothenic
acid (B5), and pyridoxine (B6). They also make shortchain fatty acids,
antioxidants, and amino acids, and vitamin K. Probiotics also aid
digestion.
Many strains of these bacteria produce enzymes that help
break down food. The bacteria's acidifying effect creates an
environment that promotes the passage of nutrients through the
intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. Nutrients in foods that have
been fermented with bacteria cultures (e.g., yogurt, kefir, sour cream,
sauerkraut, miso, tempeh) are more readily absorbed than the nutrients
in non-fermented milk, cabbage, or soy.
Until recently, she notes, friendly bacteria have been a
regular part of
everyone's diet from the first day that they have their mother's milk.
All traditional diets include lacto-fermented food. Fermentation is a
traditional way to preserve vegetabless, according to Sally Fallon,
author of Nourishing Traditions.
People eating a Western diet of
processed, refined foods are not ingesting these friendly bacteria. In
fact, the refined carbohydrates and sugars so common in the Western
diet actually promote the growth of yeasts and harmful bacteria. In
addition to processed foods, many medications, including antibiotics,
antacids, synthetic estrogens (birth control pills and hormone
replacement), and steroid drugs (oral and inhaled) discourage probiotic
growth.
Chlorinated water also damages friendly bacteria. Eating
fermented foods regularly boosts the probiotic population. She warns
everyone to be aware
that probiotic bacteria does not last long in yogurt. She recommends
watching due dates
and avoiding yogurts with gelatin, used to give yogurt it's thickness
as
the bacteria dies off.
Jule Klotter explains that a diet that contains plenty of
fiber-rich
vegetables, fruits beans and whole grains provides the probiotics with
their food-of-choice: fructooligosaccharides (FOS).
Sometimes, probiotic supplements are needed to get the gut
back on track, she says. She tells us that in choosing supplements, Dr.
Mindell recommends choosing a
brand that has a statement about the number of living bacteria and an
expiration date on the bottle. Bacteria viability decreases with
exposure to heat, mositure and oxygen, so refirdgeration is advisable.
In addition, liquid preparations tend to be unstable. Dr.
Mindell
recommends that a healthy person take two to five billion CFU/day.
('CFU' stands for 'colony forming units.') People with gastrointestinal
problems can take up to ten billion CFU/day.
Dr. Mindell also recommends that adults and children over two
years
take supplements containing L. acidophilus and/or other Lactobacillus
strains and strains of Bifidobacteria. For younger children, he
recommmends a powdered formula prepared specifically for babies, which
generally includes Bifidobacteria, with lesser amounts of L. rhamnosus,
L. Paracasei, and L. salivarius.
For children, the powdered supplent
can be mixed with juice or milk. Adults should take probiotic capsules,
or powder mixed in unchilled water, ten to 30 minutes before meals.
People using the higher therapeutic doses may experience 'cleansing
symptoms' as yeast and harmful bacteria die off.
Dr Mindell also recommends that people with severe immune
dysfunction or life-threatening illness
proceed cautiously and check with their doctor before using
probiotics, as seriously ill people have developed infections in rare
cases.
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