By Emma Norton, ND
Salud Integrative Medicine
Q. What are Priobiotics?
A. Probiotics are friendly, good bacteria that live in our intestinal tract. Fermented foods can also be considered probiotics (like yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut) because they naturally contain the probiotic bacteria lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. The work probiotic literally means “for life” in Greek. A better definition as the word is used today is “organisms and substances which contribute to intestinal microbial balance.”
Q. Why does our body need them?
A. Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria enter the intestinal tract from the mother and the environment during the birthing process. Probiotics help keep our intestines healthy. There are many reasons why, first being that when present in adequate amounts they help crowd out the bad guys (bacteria, parasites) and prevent them from making a home for themselves in our intestinal tract. Secondly they make chemicals that can act to directly kill the bad bacteria and thus prevent them from taking over our intestinal tract. Thirdly they have a positive effect on our immune system, stimulating the production of a variety of different players in the immune defense process, again keeping the bad guys from growing in abundance and possibly making us sick. Lastly, probiotics compete with the bad guys for food supply, using up the available nutrients faster than the bad guys, leaving them with not much to eat.
Q. What are the benefits of taking a probiotic?
A. A good quality probiotic can make all the difference in resolving many symptoms and problems, not only those in the digestive tract like constipation, IBS, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but also help in the resolution of eczema, vaginal infections and bladder infections. They are also an important addition to any antibiotic therapy, especially after the antibiotic has been discontinued as it can damage the good bacteria that were there before the antibiotic was introduced into the system.
Q. What should I look for in a priobiotic?
A. If you decide to supplement your diet with probiotics, research the source/company. Not all products available contain probiotics with all the actions listed above to keep our intestines healthy. It is beneficial to consult with a health professional that knows which companies are selling probiotics that will actually give real health benefits.
There are three major things to look for in a probiotic.
1. The probiotic has to be able to survive the digestive process
2. It has to have the ability to adhere to the lining of the intestinal tract and colonize (grow/make a “home”)
3. It needs to be able to make the chemicals that are damaging to the “bad” bacteria
Dr. Emma Norton, ND is a naturopathic physician practicing in Farmington, CT. She specializes in nutrition and herbal medicine.
