Who should consider a Probiotic Supplement?

“Probiotic” is a term used to reference healthy bacterium that populate your digestive tract.

While there are literally hundreds of types of bacteria living in your digestive tract (and mucosal linings of your body), some of these bacterium are of undesirable varieties that can adversely affect your health.

Most common among unwanted bacteria are yeast strains that can move in to set up shop in places where healthy (unobtrusive) bacterium normally dwell.

While healthy individuals may not require a probiotic under normal circumstances, there are times when a priobiotic is not only recommended, but mandatory, in my opinion—and I’ll give you a few examples of instances where you’ll want to strongly consider the use of a probiotic:

1. Address urogenital infections for women.  The reason for this is, the urogenital tract in females is highly populated by healthy bacteria--the type that keeps unwanted bacterium at bay. Taking antibiotics, for any reason, destroys all types of good bacteria, opening the doors for vaginal infections and yeast infections. My advice:  women should take probiotics during, and for two weeks after, taking antibiotics, without fail, to prevent yeast infections and other opportunistic invaders.

2. Reduce digestive complaints. Complications of poor digestion can result in excessive gas, bloating, constipation, IBS, Crohn's disease and a host of other complaints. Probiotics have shown promise results in relieving symptoms of poor digestion. Again, probiotics help to populate the digestive tract with healthy bacteria that makes digesting food more complete, less irritating and more effective. My advice: if you have digestive disorders, try a probiotic for at least one month, to note the benefits you observe.

3. Reduce the risk of certain childhood allergies. A medical study conducted at the Program of Integrative Medicine, found that pregnant women (prone to eczema or other allergies) who took probiotics in their last trimester of pregnancy, had children with reduced incidence of allergies in their first seven months. Evidence seems to support the presence of probiotics reduces irritations in the digestive system that can lead to allergies later in life. My advice: if you are pregnant, go ahead with probiotics and naturally fermented foods, to insure your newborn gets an abundant population of helpful bacteria.

How to choose a good probiotic.

Picking a good probiotic is quite simple. Look for a strong strain of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which survive stomach acid (an important consideration if you want these bacterium to reach your intestines). Some products are enteric-coated, to help the bacterium break down in your intestines, not stomach, and you'll want a brand that offers at least millions (if not billions) of Colony Forming Units (CFU's)--which measures how well these colonies can establish populations in your digestive tract.

Another way to insure you are getting a significant level of health-promoting probiotics in your diet, is to include traditionally fermented foods in your food selection—these are foods that are fermented and packaged without heat, which leaves their living enzymes and bacterium in place.

Examples of foods that are full of living enzymes and probiotics, include Kimchee (“Korean sauerkraut”), cold-processed sauerkraut, kombucha (beverage), kefir (beverage) and yogurts with living cultures.

For centuries, people preserved foods without refrigeration, using fermentation processes that cultivated high levels of probiotics in both foods and beverages. With the advent of processed foods, many of these health-supporting bacterium are unavailable to us, but are nonetheless required for high levels of vitality.

Do yourself a favor and add probiotic foods to your diet, and be sure to  seek out probiotics whenver you have to take and antibiotic, for any reason. You’ll notice the benefits immediately, and your body will thank you for giving it some much needed nutritional support.

To good health, always!

--John Miley, L.Ac.