Originally published July 25 2012
Health Basics: What are probiotics?
by S. D. Wells
(NaturalNews) Probiotics are Nature's truest form of antibiotics. These microscopic organisms (microflora) help the body build long-lasting immunity to a host of illnesses and diseases, including allergies, irritable bowels, viruses, bacterial infections, and yes, cancer! No vaccination or prescription medicine in the world could ever come close to this safe and beneficial way of balancing the body's billions of microbes. Probiotics not only help create this balance but also help maintain it for years and years, hence the name probiotic, which means "for life." (http://www.usprobiotics.org/basics.asp)
This all natural way of supplementing your defense system is vital in today's frightening, non-nutritional jungle of toxic food and medicine. Many people, especially in the United States, are surrounded by bad influences, and though the number of organic enthusiasts is on the rise, there exists a wealth of information regarding immunity and natural defense against chemicals and toxic food "agents" which slips past the guards and invades our system, attempting to inflict damage on our DNA. (http://www.bioinventia.com/probiotec.html)
Probiotic cultures prevent damage before it occurs
Probiotic cultures not only prevent damage from being done to our cells, they strengthen our immune system and beat down cancer cells before they ever have a chance of multiplying. Probiotics weaken mutagenic activity, so your good cells keep winning the battles, and most importantly, the DNA war.
The majority of microbes in the intestine are not harmful, but rather play an important role in normal growth and development, but when the balance or pH is thrown out of whack, especially in the intestines, major problems begin doing "structural" damage to our system, and reinforcement is often needed, above and beyond a healthy diet. Also, probiotics can be used to counter the over-consumption of antibiotics so typical in the average American diet, which is often chock full of non-organic meats and dairy products that come from animals shot up with varying forms of antibiotics. Antibiotics are also prominent in municipal drinking water, because it's "too expensive" for cities to filter them out.
It has been estimated that there are more bacterial cells (microbes) in the human body than there are cells. If you know high school math, there are bacterial cells numbering around 10 to the 14th power, or 100,000,000,000,000. Break that down into an estimated 1,000 different species, which make their homes in humans. Like all animals, humans have microbes on our skin, in our mouths, in our stomachs, our digestive tracts, and in other private places. But wait, before you go internet hunting for pictures of bacteria located in the intestines or the colon, watch out because you're computer may need updated "virus" protection too!
Eliminate ignorant fear and learn about your inner ecosystem
Just as Earth and Mother Nature have a delicate balance which needs to be maintained, our bodies have their own "inner ecosystem," which is like having a rainforest in your digestive track. When your ecosystem is balanced, your intestines are teeming with beneficial bacteria and micro flora to keep your immune system strong.
Consuming probiotics native to the human digestive tract encourages the production of antibodies, which in turn protects the system from allergies, infections (viral, fungal and bacterial), IBS, and cancer. In fact, probiotics build defense against disease by enabling your body to build a natural defense, unlike vaccinations. Vaccines are now often crossbred viruses, bacterial strands, mixed up with aluminum and formaldehyde, which shock the system into a panic type of reaction, which is a form of "wild guess" methodology for establishing only short term immunity at best.
Populating your "gut" with beneficial micro flora improves your skin, helps maintain healthy weight, and provides energy and overall well-being. Many people who have never heard of probiotics or don't understand their function may be "turned off" to the concept if educated improperly at first. (http://www.renewlife.com)
Benefits of a healthy gut
The second someone reads a typical probiotic label or description reading something like, "Over 6 billion bacteria in each tablet," it seems overwhelming, and some consumers might set the product back on the shelf, but at that point, they're selling themselves short of a healthy gut.
Probiotics benefits: here's where a little education goes a long way:
• protects babies and children from future allergies.
• aids in digestion.
• fights off viral, fungal and bacterial infections.
• helps saliva enzymes in the mouth, throat, and esophagus break down food before it ever reaches the stomach and intestines.
• balances chime (gastric juices in stomach) which complete the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates before food leaves the stomach!
• helps body absorb nutrients (opposite action of soda) in first 4 to 6 hours, before gastrointestinal acids reach them.
• helps expel food within 24 hours, before it starts becoming a toxin in your system, affecting your immunity.
• aids with lactose intolerance, helping intestinal microbes produce vitamins (very important for people with IBS and Crohn's disease).
• builds resistance to pathogenic bacteria.
• acts on pre-carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds that induce genetic mutation.
Smart shoppers look for enteric coated probiotics, which have a special coating so they are protected as they pass through the stomach and reach the intestines, where most of the microbial balancing is needed. Other conditions that may improve quickly from probiotic supplementation include: diarrhea, elevated blood cholesterol, hypertension, kidney stones, necrotizing enterocolitis, oral health, and vaginosis.
If all of these descriptions boggle the non-medical mind or aren't easily "digestible," just remember that probiotics equip your entire body with DNA armor against toxins that try to attack your cells. In fact, artificial sweeteners are one of the greatest cancer causing food agents because they trick the body into ingesting them because they taste sweet. Beware of the big three: Aspartame, Sucralose and Sorbitol, especially!
Disease is no joke. Your body needs armor to fight the good fight. Supplement with Nature's best kept secret and never let the "Trojan horses" of the food, drink, and medicine world sneak into your temple (body) and attack your Royal forces.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.usprobiotics.org/basics.asp
http://www.bioinventia.com/probiotec.html
http://nutritionbyte.wordpress.com/
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0905c.shtml
http://www.usprobiotics.org/basics.asp
http://www.naturalnews.com/031293_probiotics_children.html
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/probiotics.htm'
http://bodyecology.com
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