Wednesday, February 19, 2014

The Benefits Of Using Organic Probiotics

By Marcie Goodman


A probiotic is a supplement containing live bacteria which is ingested to restore beneficial bacteria to the gut. The effectiveness of a probiotic in restoring balance varies according the various factors like dosage, strain and species. Some of these supplements contain sugar, preservatives or fillers and that is why organic probiotics are favored by health practitioners.

One tends to think that all bacteria are bad but this is far from true. The human gut is home to millions of bacteria that are vital to health. There are many factors like diet, aging, medication and illness that can destroy the balance. This can cause all sorts of health problems for the individual.

The digestive tract is lined with sites to which bacteria adhere. The idea behind using supplements is that beneficial bacteria are introduced which adhere to these sites. When the good bacteria dominate, they present a barrier against harmful bacteria.

A probiotic comes in many forms such as tablets, powders, capsules and even in foods like yoghurt. Whatever the form, the importance is that it contains enough organisms to survive and grow in the intestines. The amount of live cells per dose varies considerably and this can also determine effectiveness.

The best advice when choosing products is to buy from well-known companies. Reliable products should have been tested in research studies and should name the ingredients they contain, as well as how many organisms are provided in a single dose. A general purpose variety is available for maintenance of health and boosting the immune system but others are designed for specific purposes.

The clearest benefit, backed up by scientific study, comes in the field of gastrointestinal conditions like inflammatory bowel conditions and diarrhea associated with use of antibiotics. When antibiotics are used, the useful as well as the bad bacteria is destroyed and need to be replaced. However, interesting research is being done on their effect on much more than just digestive issues. One of the main benefits appears to be in stimulating the immune system.

Researchers are exploring whether the disease-causing bacteria, yeasts, fungi and parasites that upset the balance in the gut could actually be halted by taking these supplements. If they were already there, taking them would help to suppress their growth. This would help with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, vaginal infections and many others.

As there are an abundance of suppliers of these products, it can be difficult to choose the right product. Reputable online suppliers often give information about the research done in developing the product and what it contains. The dosage, strain and species are all important factors to consider.

A scientific understanding of the probiotic and and its potential for preventing and treating health conditions is still at an early stage. However, the fact that they appear to have a strengthening effect on the immune system is undisputed. Organic probiotics are those that do not contain any added ingredients that may actually affect the growth of the healthy bacteria.




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