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How can bacteria possibly be useful when
all our lives we have been told they cause disease? Well, bad bacteria
do cause problems, but there are many good strains (useful bacteria) that are essential to
our health. Of the numerous useful bacteria that live in our
intestine, the most talked about are the Lactobacillus acidophilus,
lactobacillus bulgaricus, bifidobacterium bifidum and bifidobacterium
infantis bacteria.
The beneficial
actions of these useful bacteria, also known as Probiotics (the
opposite of "antibiotics") include:
- Manufacturing B vitamins
- Providing the enzyme lactase which
allows digestion of milk or milk products
- Enhancing digestion and nutrient
absorption
- Acting as an anti-carcinogenic
factor with anti-tumor potential
- Controlling and deactivating
growth and activity of bad bacteria and viruses
- Maintaining bowel function and
elimination
- Reducing ill effects of antibiotic
and radiation therapies
- Maintaining immune function
- Helping in the development of
young children's gastrointestinal health (specifically
bifidobacteria)
Increasing the population of useful
bacteria deters growth and colonization of potentially dangerous
bacteria by blocking them from attaching themselves in our gut,
effectively thwarting their existence.
There are many probiotics on the
market. You can choose between powdered and capsule forms. Check the
label though to see that the product contain prominent bacteria, namely
lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium bifidum and lactobacillus
bulgaricus.
Health professionals normally suggest
taking one to two billion colony-forming units per dose. And it is
better to take probiotic supplement before meal since stomach acid is
usually lowest at that time. This aids the useful bacteria in passing
through the stomach and implanting in the intestine.
Eating commercially-made yoghurt may
not be an effective mean of obtaining useful bacteria, due to the
difficulty of ensuring bacterial stability and count.
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