Peachy the Magazine October/November 2013 | Page 96
Probiotics 101
P
Probiotics have been called “health
miracles” claiming to help in the treatment of a host of medical conditions
from Irritable Bowel Syndrome to
antibiotic induced diarrhea to eczema
in children. Now these “miracles” are
lining store shelves and added to foods
like yogurt, beverages and supplement shakes. Most people don’t really
understand exactly what probiotics are
and become confused about how they
should even be taking them.
There are over 100 trillion microorganisms colonizing the human intestinal tract. Until just recently scientists
have identified the predominant
species and are relating many host
benefits to their presence. There are
over 15,000–30,000 diverse bacterial
species that generate metabolic and
immune functions that offer significant immune protection to the host.
A probiotic is typically a formulation
of one, or more commonly, a combination of many essential flora.
96
PEACHY
WRITTEN BY
Nancy A. Palermo, MD
It is believed that our processed, nutrient poor diets, overuse of antibiotics
directly or through our food, and
increased exposure to pathogens like
E.Coli, in our food, have depleted our
intestinal microflora and replenishing
it with probiotics is now believed to be
an essential process in the prevention of
disease and preservation of health. The
gastrointestinal tract houses the majority
of our immunity centers so the roles of
these species may play important role in
our immune functions. Probiotics organisms are now being studied extensively
in clinical trials and have shown to be
effective in a variety of intestinal and
extra-intestinal conditions. Besides prevention and treatment of GI disorders
like diarrhea and constipation, probiotics have shown benefit in the prevention
of vaginal infections, protection against
pathogenic bacteria, and immune function support by increasing circulating
disease fighting cells, vitamin productions, reduction of cholesterol and anticarcinogenic activity.