You are aware that bacteria surround you
on a daily basis. Your body is even made up of ninety percent bacteria
cells and only ten
Your gastrointestinal (GI) microflora is made up of
three and a half pounds of bacteria – good, neutral, changing and bad.
All of these make up major parts of your digestive and immune systems.
When the balance of these bacteria are in harmony, your body will
operate in peak form. It is when this optimal balance is disturbed that
problems can arise.
The idea of beneficial bacteria to preserve foods has
been around for centuries. Even the ancient Sumerians painted about the
use of fermented cheese in 2500 B.C. However, the idea of beneficial
bacteria aiding us in life wasn’t thought up until the early 1900s when
Dr. Elie Metchnikoff traveled to Eastern Europe. He was surprise to find
so many people living to be 100 years of age or older and concluded
that this was due to the large quantities of yogurt they consumed.
Metchnikoff investigated the benefits of lactic acid
bacteria, which flourish in milk. He found that many disease-producing
organisms died or could not develop in milk containing these powerful
bacteria. This, along with his other research on the immune system, lead
Metchnikoff to connect lactic acid bacteria to improved immune
function, which relates to optimal health and vitality.
Probiotics, according to the World Health
Organization, are “live organisms, which when administered in adequate
amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Probiotics literally mean
“for life” and are coming to the forefront of medicine as beneficial
bacteria supplements to help restore our vital microflora.
But consumers need to be wary, not all probiotics are
created equal. Just how can you tell if a probiotic will beneficial to
your health? First, you need to know if the strain is beneficial for
you. Within each family, or genus, of bacteria, there are many species
and each of those species has hundreds of strains. Lactobacillus is
the family (genus), acidophilus is the species, and NAS or DDS-1
are strains.
Not all strains provide health benefits. This is
where you must trust a reputable probiotics manufacturer to research
and formulate their probiotics with the best and most beneficial
bacteria available.
The following tips the most important things you need
to look for when purchasing a probiotic supplement:
percent human cells. However, there is no need to
worry; many of these bacteria are beneficial to you and are necessary
for your optimal health.
Look for the International Drug Good
Manufacturing Practice certification, which will ensure that you are
receiving the highest quality probiotic that meets pharmaceutical
standards. This also guarantees that the product has been tested for
potency and safety in all stages from the culturing of the bacteria
through the printed expiration date.
You must also look for a potency
guarantee for each strain is listed on the bottle label through the
printed expiration date. The listing must include the strain, not just
the genus and species. Without the strain listed, you may be getting a
worthless bacteria.
Probiotics must be refrigerated for the
bacteria to live. Several probiotic companies claim that they have
shelf-stable products but these have never been proven effective.
Purchase only a probiotic with its
supernatant (culturing medium). This provides nourishment for the
probiotic and has been found to increase the benefits of the probiotic
by up to 50 percent.
The packaging is an
important way to keep the bacteria protected. Dark glass bottles and tin
lids protect the probiotics from the damaging effects of light and
moisture.
