I know you are asking yourself, "what the heck is a 'probiotic' anything", much less a probiotic supplement? What does one of these animals do and why should you even need to consider adding it to a health regimen?
If it makes you feel better, probiotic means something like "good for life", or "helpful for life".
I'll try to give you an answer about the rest of it, but first I will need to explain a couple of things about our bodies and how some friends in our digestive system help out.
OUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND THE BACTERIA WE HAVE LIVING IN IT
Our bodies, including evan the really healthy ones, have trillions of friendly microorganisms living in them. The vast majority of these are found in the large intestine, or colon. In fact, their activities in the colon are of prime importance to our health. One of their most important jobs is helping to control other, less desirable organisms. When these other, bad, organisms get out of control, we can experience all kinds of problems. The friendly and unfriendly microorganisms, by the way, are often referred to as 'intestinal microflora'.
Bill Cosby said, "I started out as a child."
The digestive tract of a fetus is sterile. However, its passage through the birth canal exposes the it to bacteria, and, once in the cold cruel world, this exposure will continue for all the days of its life. Billions of bacteria will shortly colonize the oral cavity and billions more will set up housekeeping in the small intestine. The biggest bunch, however, will form the largest concentration in the large intestine, where as many as one hundred trillion will settle down and raise their own families. Some, who didn't have anything better to do, estimated that the microorganisms in the colon will number more than the cells in the body itself!
The life of these bacteria is a bit like an old Clint Eastwood movie, only here, they are "The Good, The Bad, And The Indifferent". It seems a little strange with such large numbers of residents doing their things in our gastrointestinal tract that, even though there are 400 to 500 types of these bacteria living in our colons, most will have little or no effect on our overall health.
Like a spaghetti western, however, there are bad guys which can wreak havoc if they get out of control. Their escapades can cause illnesses, or set us up for takeover by other, usually long-term and opportunistic, health problems. All opportunistic means is that a healthy body might normally be able to fight off certain infections, but, if the immune system has been in some way weakened by the production of toxic substances in the colon, the infection might be able to establish a beachhead in the body and launching an attack, thus taking advantage of the opportunity presented it by the supressed immune system.
I think I drifted into a John Wayne war movie metaphor with the beachhead thing. Oh, well. Sorry, Clint.
FRIENDLY MICROORGANISMS OR THE 'GOOD GUYS'
Among all these countless microorganisms, there are two major players whose existence in the gastrointestinal tract acts as town marshal and deputy (back to the western again) who keep the rowdies under control and thus help the body stay healthy.
The two really important friendly microorganisms are the lactobacilli, who tend to hang out at the "Small Intestine Saloon", and the bifidobacteria who ride herd in the large intestine, or colon. Large, healthy colonies of these two bacteria tend to help protect us from the invasion of the bad microorganism body-snatchers.
Oops! I drifted into a horror movie genre for a second didn't I? I'll try to pay more attention from now on.
Anyway, the interesting thing, at least to me since I get into such things, is that the good guys beat the bad guys pretty much simply by outnumbering them! They don't really get into brawls with one another, it's just that if there are enough friendly microorganisms, they take over the territory and don't leave enough room for the bad guys.
Now, if you still want to think of it as some kind of battle, here's what lactobacilli and bifidobacteria do to win.
1. When there is a high enough concentration of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, they seem to enhance immune system function and help boost the natural abilities of the white blood cells, which are crucial to proper immune system functioning.
2. Friendly microorganisms help maintain the naturally low acid pH balance normally found in the healthy intestine. The metabolic byproducts of friendly microflora, help maintain this low acid pH balance and this discourages the growth of other, less desirable, microflora.
3. When it comes to getting to nutrients, a healthy population of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria can beat out the bad guys at the lunch counter, if not in the saloon, in effect starving the bad guys into submission.
DETOXIFICATION AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HEALTHY COLON
Remember that great James Garner movie, "Support Your Local Sheriff"? That's where I got the idea for that line.
Oh. You figured that out already. Was it that obvious?
Anyway, toxins from foods and various environmental pollutants are processed in the liver, and are released into the small intestine. However, they have been placed into 'jail cells' made up of bile and exist as detoxified elements which can no longer harm the intestinal community, and, by extension, your body. The bad microflora, unfortunately, have a habit of breaking these guys out of jail, allowing them to join the gang and shoot up the town...metaphorically speaking, of course. Fortunately, a large enough dietary level of lactobacilli can put a damper on these 'jail breaks'.
I'm going to skip a long, involved explanation about the effects of 'short chain fatty acids', and cut to the chase on the healthy colon thing or we would be here all day, and the sun's hot out here in the desert. Let's just leave it that much research indicates that lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, can help maintain a healthy condition of the colon cells and sustain the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal system.
THE PROBLEM...OR PROBLEMS, IF YOU WILL
A lot of attention these days is devoted to such 'unfriendly microorganisms' such as the evil Candida albicans, which is currently the poster child for bad things that can happen when we neglect our 'friendly microorganisms'.
Candida albicans is one of those bad guys we (okay, I) have been talking about which can take over the town when the marshal and his deputy are weakened and without the power to stop them. Candida overgrowth, which occurs in such a situation, is believed to be the direct or indirect cause of all kinds of problems ranging from gas and bloating to chronic fatigue. In the presence of such an overgrowth, the body may demand extra food, usually in the form of carbohydrates (Can you say, "put on weight"?), or simply fall prey to a host of those 'opportunistic' infections mentioned earlier. The really terrible part is that most people are walking around with a mass of these problems either present or waiting offstage and do not even know it. They just think that the way they feel and the way their body behaves is natural.
Several factors, some related to our modern lives, some simply a part of life, can contribute to a reduction of the friendly microorganisms, or impact their efficiency, thus allowing the growth of Candida albicans and other unfriendly microorganisms.
The three most important of these factors are:
*Antibiotics - These wonder drugs, which can be so beneficial to health, usually don't know the bad guys from the good guys. It's like walking into a knife fight with a Gatling gun. Everybody gets mowed down, including lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Even worse, many doctors will prescribe antibiotics even when they are not needed 'just to be sure'.
Here's an example. I once took my wife to the doctor where she was diagnosed with a viral infection which she had experienced before. Now, antibiotics have no effect on viral infections. However, she said to the doctor, "The last time I had this, my doctor gave me an antibiotic."
Here's the good part. The doctor said, "Well, an antibiotic won't do any good against this type of infection..."
I was nodding my head...but he continued...
"...but I'll write you a prescription for an antibiotic anyway if it will make you feel better."
Thud! Sound of jaw hitting floor.
*Age - Like so many other things, our two friends tend to die off with age. This just happens. Get over it and don't try to go to all the funerals.
*Diet - Particularly in the modern western world, but also in countries which are adopting the western diet, food tends to be high in animal fat and low in fiber. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria thrive on undigested dietary fiber, but suffer when animal fat, sugar (very common), and alcohol are introduced. The typical western diet, particularly when ordered at the local fast food establishment, can deliver a nearly lethal one-two punch to the marshal and his sidekick.
HERE'S THE SOLUTION
Fortunately, there ARE things that can be done to protect and support the friendly microorganisms. The last item we mentioned in the section on problems was 'diet' so let's start with that.
*Diet - Simply change over to a diet low in fat and high in fiber. Make sure you include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
*Exercise - Study after study has shown the link between exercise and a broad range of benefits to the health of the body. In addition to strengthening the immune system so that it might not be so badly affected by Candida albicans or other bad microorganisms, exercise seems to improve the overall functioning of all the body's systems, including the digestive system.
*The Probiotic Supplement - There are many good probiotic supplements available from many sources today. The benefit of the probiotic supplement rests in the fact that it returns lactobacilli and bifidobacteria to the intestinal tract, thus restoring the balance of power in the digestive system.
Anecdotal evidence also indicates that healthy people with no signs of Candida albicans overgrowth or other increases in unfriendly microorganisms often report experiencing improved digestive function, weight loss, increased energy, fewer illnesses, and protection from the impact of diets in undeveloped countries when they regularly take a probiotic supplement.
About the Author:
Donovan Baldwin is a 62 years young freelance writer, amateur bodybuilder, and mild-mannered health nut currently residing in the wilds of central Texas. He is University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa, and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. His interests include but are not limited to; health, fitness, yoga, meditation, bodybuilding, poetry, the environment, and his grandkids. Together, he and his wife are distributors of a line of natural products for home and health. You may view their website at http://shaklee.net/natural_health. They also offer a probiotic supplement at http://www.shaklee.net/natural_health/product/80638 .
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