FitSugar

Why Bacteria in Your Belly Is Important

Heather Dale — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:00:26 PST

When I used to get sick as a kid (picture vomiting, diarrhea, fun times), my mom would serve me up bowl of yogurt while going on about the benefits of re-populating the good bacteria in my gut. Fast forward twenty-something years later and it dawned on me after a recent bad bout of bronchitis that I may be running low in the bacteria department. Here's why.

My doctor prescribed antibiotics for the bronchitis. Fine. I can handle antibiotics. But on day four I started feeling a bit off. My stomach was constantly in knots, and I knew something was up. I stopped taking the antibiotics and seemed to be progressively getting sicker (the bronchitis had cleared up, but now I was dealing with lots of new fun symptoms). I put on my Andrew Weil thinking cap and did the math - it was after the antibiotics that things went awry. My appendix was removed in 2004, and although this organ is said to be useless, it really does have a purpose - it provides a safe haven for good bacteria to hang out in the stomach until they are needed. I don't have an appendix, therefore, my appendix can't open its floodgates to my intestines when the good bacteria are needed for backup. Throw in some antibiotics that kill all of the good bacteria alongside the bad bacteria, you're intestinal flora isn't going to be happy.

I've never been a big probiotics person, but considering that they can help regulate the digestive system by managing lactose intolerance, prevent colon cancer, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, improve immune function, prevent infections, reduce inflammation, improve mineral absorption, and prevent harmful bacterial growth under stress, why was I so late to jump on the probiotics train?

Keep reading to learn more about my breakthrough with bacteria.

Acidophilus Pearls: The Goodness of Yogurt Without the Spoon

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:00 PDT

I'm sure you've all heard about how the live active cultures in yogurt are excellent for your digestive tract. If you have a hard time fitting in a cup of yogurt into your diets everyday or if you just don't eat dairy products, then Acidophilus Pearls, a type of probiotic supplement, were made for you then. It offers the benefits of acidophilus without the calories, cholesterol, sugars, or lactose found in yogurt. If you have tummy troubles, taking one capsule a day can help alleviate occasional gas and constipation plus symptoms of lactose intolerance. Plus these Pearls don't need to be refrigerated like other probiotic pills - and they even made the list of the best probiotics for your money.

Want to know what else probiotics are good for? Then

read more When it comes to your belly, probiotics assist the body's naturally occurring gut flora (useful microorganisms that live in the digestive tract) that often get out of whack because of the foods we eat, and they help maintain a balance of healthy bacteria. Not only that but they also support your immune system and benefit your skin. Taking probiotics can also reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, improve mineral absorption, prevent yeast infections, and improve symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Colitis. Wow. All I know is that when I take them, I feel so much better. Who knew they did all that. Do any of you take Acidophilus Pearls or another kind of probiotic?

Probiotics and Prebiotics: Bugs You Should Love

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Are you a fan of probiotics? Maybe prebiotics? What's the difference anyway?

Probiotics - dietary supplements/foods containing good bacteria - are a big trend in supplements today. This is because they can help regulate your digestive system by managing lactose intolerance, preventing colon cancer, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, improving immune function and preventing infections, reducing inflammation, improves mineral absorption, prevents harmful bacterial growth under stress and improving systems of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Colitis. That is quite a list!!!

The reason is because probiotics assist the body's naturally occurring gut flora (useful microorganisms that live in the digestive tract) that often get out of whack from the foods we eat to the antibacterial soap we use. That's one good bug. Probiotics can be found in yogurt (live & active cultures) and yeast, but they are most commonly consumed in supplement form. You can buy probiotic supplements from The Vitamin Shoppe.

While probiotics are getting increasing popular in the United States, evidence supports that the benefits of prebiotics - Non-digestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, and improve host health- are a better way to increase good bacterial growth in the gut. Prebiotic foods include soybeans, Jerusalem artichokes, raw oats, unrefined wheat and unrefined barley. Prebiotics naturally occur in breast milk and are believed to play an important role in the development of a healthy immune system in infants.

How to Put Good Bacteria Back in Your Gut With Food

Heather Dale — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:13:36 PST

A healthy gut is a happy gut. To keep your intestinal tract in optimal working order, it needs lots of "good" bacteria - no, that is not an oxymoron! There are only three types of basic bacteria in our digestive systems, so boosting the "friendly bacteria" with probiotics can help balance the pH of the intestinal tract, creating a less desirable environment for pathogenic bacteria (the bad stuff). Research has shown that probiotics can help in the battle against a wide variety of medical conditions including: allergies, cholesterol (it helps raise the good kind), colon cancer, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhea. Probiotics can also boost your immune system, which is especially important during cold and flu season.

Today, probiotic supplements - which often contain members of the lactobacillus and bifidobacterium groups of bacteria - are popular, but unfortunately many of these supplements fall short on bacteria content. But with the help of a few common foods, we can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in our digestive tracts and skip the supplements altogether. Learn these foods when you keep reading.

An Outside Eye on Her 3-Month Elimination Diet

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:32:29 PDT

This post is from the OnSugar blog An Outside Eye. Read her thoughts on doing a three-month elimination diet.

I just finished up three straight months of a fascist eating program courtesy of my insightful and talented acupuncturist, Caylie See. As I wrote about in the beginning, I went cold turkey off coffee and tea, sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, vinegar, soy, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, among other things. I also took Chinese herbs three times a day for three months, swallowed a handful of acidophilus pills every morning, got needles stuck up in me weekly, did yoga regularly (yup), started hiking more, journaled every day, and just generally took immaculate and spectacular care of myself.

Now that I am wrapping up this program, people in my life are asking me how I feel. "You must feel amazing," they say.

The truth is, I don't feel that much more amazing than I did before - which was far from amazing. (What is the opposite of "amazing"?) My size six jeans still don't fit by a long shot; I still get a stomachache every single time I get anxious (which is always); yoga still feels like torture; I still can't walk straight up a hill without getting winded and really irritable. I still need 10 hours of sleep a night and feel like I have the flu if I don't get it. I still get nasty PMS and I still feel mildly congested and sinusy most of the time.

To find out what positive things came from the diet,

DrSugar: Antibiotics, Probiotics, and Yeast

DrSugar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:00:14 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
I am on antibiotics (Clindamycin) to clear up an infected tooth before having a root canal. Good times, I know. I haven’t taken antibiotics in years, but know that they give me a serious yeast infection. I have upped my yogurt intake to twice daily and have been taking a probiotics pill twice a day too. Is that overkill? Should I be doing more? And if so, what do you recommend to keep the secondary yeast problem at bay. Thanks!
- Possibly Over-proactive

First off, I’d like to give you well wishes on a speedy recovery from your recent root canal! I’m really glad you asked this question, because antibiotics are some of the most commonly prescribed medications and for women, taking antibiotics can definitely lead to yeast infections. To see why antibiotics can lead to yeast infections and what you can do to try and prevent it, keep reading.

Many Probiotics Short on Bacteria

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:09 PST

With claims that they improve digestion, bolster immunity, and fight acne, it's no wonder that probiotic supplements are big business. Newsweek reports that sales of these supplements have more than quadrupled in the last 10 years. I will admit, I'm a fan these friendly bacteria found in yogurt and miso, but it's the quality of the supplements that's raising eyebrows.

Many popular probiotic supplements were tested by Consumer Lab, an independent agency that monitors vitamins, herbal remedies, and supplements not regularly tested by the government. The lab's findings are a bit startling. Some of the products contain as little as 13 percent of the amount of "viable bacteria" claimed on the products' labels, although most products do contain one billion organisms - the amount needed to register some health benefits.

When it comes to misleading marketing with these supplements, much of the problem stems from the fact that the term probiotics has no legal definition and can be used loosely by manufactures. Of the supplements tested, ConsumerLab ranked Advocare Probiotic Restore, GNC Nature Brand Best Super Acidophilus, and Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus as having the highest quality. You can buy a full review from Consumer Lab for $12.

What's the Deal With: Probiotic Hummus

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:00:00 PDT

Predicted to be a food trend of 2009, Probiotics, those beneficial bacteria, are being added to all sorts of foods, from dairy products to energy bars. Probiotics have been found to support both the digestive and immune systems, prevent constipation, benefit your skin, and lower blood pressure. Yogurt is naturally chock full of the bacteria, but I just found a probiotic hummus made by Wildwood Organics.

To find out if its worth buying

read more. The list of ingredients reads: "garbanzo beans, garlic, probiotic cultures (L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium ssp., L. casei) . . ." The label, however, doesn't list the amount of cultures. Many of these enhanced products don't contain enough bacteria to provide health benefits, so they're not worth paying the extra cash. Studies show that doses between 100 million and 1 billion colony-forming units (CFU) are effective for improving immune function, intestinal infections, and digestion. So if you want the benefits of probiotics, it's best to take them separately in supplement form, such as Acidophilus Pearls.