A Guide to the many Health Benefits of Beneficial Bacteria
The Good Bugs
by Harry G. Preuss M.D., M.A.C.N., C.N.S
“Probiotics” may be a new word to some of you. For others, it might sound familiar. Most people know that antibiotics are drugs used to kill bacteria in the body. But probiotics are just the opposite. Their purpose is to promote the growth of friendly bacteria in the body. These organisms are also called intestinal flora, gut flora, or microflora. To distinguish good microbial cultures from the others, the term “probiotics” arose to prominence in the nutritional science world.
While, the word antibiotic means against life, the word probiotic actually means for life. You’ve probably been consuming probiotics all of your life and just have not realized it. For example, fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir are sources of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, which your body requires for health. However, lactic acid bacteria such as acidophilus are only one of some four hundred species of different bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Scientists have identified more than two hundred strains of lactobacillus alone.
Strange as it may sound, your life depends upon your gastrointestinal tract being populated by friendly bacteria. The amount of bacteria present in the digestive system is so huge, they are counted in powers of 10: 103 is 1,000 and 106 is 1,000,000. In the esophagus, the amount of bacteria ranges from 103 to 106 per gram of contents. In the small intestine there are about 103 to 106 bacteria per gram. This increases in the large intestine (or colon) to 108 to 1011. In the feces, ten to twenty percent of the weight consists of bacteria, most of which are anaerobic; that is, they can grow without oxygen.
Throughout history, civilizations of people have benefited from the use of cultures of probiotics. Whether the growth of these bacteria came from yogurt, sauerkraut or miso (fermented soy), or other foods, there has been prominent use of probiotics even by those who didn’t know why it helped—only that it did.
Even prior to our first breath we are exposed to probiotics. On the way through the birth canal a normal-delivery child gets dosed with the bacteria of the mother’s vaginal tract. The prominent normal organisms in this area, in a healthy woman, called Doderlein’s bacilli, are recognized to be a strain of lactobacillus. This starts colonization, right from the very beginning, into the infant’s gastrointestinal tract, and may be one of several reasons that caesarean-section babies have a bit of a tougher time with health issues than normal-birth babies. There are also differences (which you might expect) in the make-up of the intestinal flora between breast-fed and formula-fed babies.
Fight Against Illness
As we mature and fully enter adulthood, many threats to our friendly bacteria exist—particularly antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water, and highly processed foods. Thus, probiotics contribute to our health throughout our entire lifetime, and they help fight illness and disease.
This good microflora in your intestine can provide a protective effect only when a proper balance is maintained among all the different bacteria that normally reside in your intestine. If your normal bacteria become depleted or the balance is disturbed, potentially harmful bacteria can overgrow and become established, causing digestive and other health problems. These harmful bacteria are known as pathogenic bacteria, and they have the ability to cause gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea or abdominal pain if not kept in check by the beneficial bacteria.
The most frequently used probiotic genera are lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. The potential mechanisms of their action include competitive bacterial interactions, production of antimicrobial metabolites, mucosal conditioning, and immune modulation. The emerging use of probiotics in several gastrointestinal disorders (e.g.,inflammatory bowel disease) has led to increased interest in their use in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Probiotic bacteria favorably alter the intestinal microflora balance, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. People with flourishing intestinal colonies of beneficial bacteria are better equipped to fight the growth of disease-causing bacteria. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora by producing organic compounds—such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid—that increase the acidity of the intestine and inhibit the reproduction of many harmful bacteria. Probiotic bacteria also produce substances called acidophillin or bacteriocins, which act as natural antibiotics to kill undesirable microorganisms.
Foods with Probiotics
Beneficial bacteria present in fermented dairy foods—namely live culture yogurt—have been used as a folk remedy for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Yogurt is the traditional source of beneficial bacteria. However, different brands of yogurt can vary greatly in their bacteria species and potency. Some (particularly frozen) yogurts do not contain any live bacteria. Supplements, like those from UAS Labs, in powder, capsule, or tablet form containing beneficial bacteria are good sources of probiotics.
Some Probiotic-rich foods:
