In today’s post I present to you Evan ex-research physicist on alternative energy who loves her Probiotics. Her love on the subject is reflected on her website. In this article she introduce us about Probiotics, it’s uses and their side effects.
Probiotics are microorganisms, usually bacteria, which are healthy for the host organism and are similar to the microorganisms found in the human gut. When administered in sufficient amounts, they provide a health benefit to the host. Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria are the most common microbes that are used as probiotics. However, there are numerous other strains that can prove beneficial to treating, managing, and preventing certain diseases.
How Probiotics Work ?
Probiotics work primarily in the gastrointestinal tract. Human beings have a large amount of bacterial microbes inside the body, mainly the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and the vaginal tract. One of the main goals of probiotic bacteria is to make a barrier that prevents the multiplication of viruses and bacteria within the body. Probiotics also have other functions as well:
1) Breaking down food for digestion
2) Produce the lactase enzyme which helps break down milk and sugar
3) Producing vitamins essential in the in the intestinal tract
4) Altering the acidic environment within the intestine to make the condition less desirable to potentially harmful organisms.
What Probiotics Treat?
While the scientific understanding of probiotics and how well they treat and prevent health conditions is still in its early stages, the studies done have provided us with some information on what conditions they treat. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the evidence for probiotic treatment is beneficial in the following ways:
• The treatment of diarrhea
• The prevention and treatment in the female genital tract and the male urinary tract
• The reduction of the reoccurrence of bladder cancer
• The prevention and management of eczema in children
• The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome
• Shortening the duration of an intestinal infection caused by a bacterium called Clostridium difficile.
• The treatment and prevention of pouchitis
Other Areas of Treatment:
There are other health conditions that probiotics are known to treat. These include the following:
• The management of lactose intolerance
• Lowering cholesterol
• Lowering blood pressure
• The prevention of colon cancer
• The improvement of mineral absorption
• The improvement of the immune system
Where Can You Buy Probiotics ?
Probiotics are over the counter and can be purchased in just about any health food store location.
Side Effects of Probiotics :
As with any sort of treatment, there are probiotic side effects They are known to occur and the safety has not been thoroughly studied scientifically. Typical side effects of probiotic use tend to be mild and digestive such as gas and/or bloating. However very rarely there have been more serious effects of probiotic use such as infections that need to be treated by antibiotics.
In conclusion, probiotics have a number of substantial benefits. They have been scientifically proven to treat and prevent numerous diseases, and more studies further proving their efficacy are likely forthcoming. The side effects of using this treatment are very mild, especially when compared to the side effects of many prescription medications.
Posted by Sudeep