Probiotics Found to Help Your Gut`s Immune System
Probiotic bacteria, which are living microorganisms that have
beneficial effects on human health, have mostly been studied as
treatments for different gastrointestinal diseases and allergies.
However, not much is known about what kind of effects they have on the
immune system in healthy adults.
A new study shows that probiotics can modulate immune responses via
your gut's mucosal immune system.
It was found that probiotics have an anti-inflammatory potential. They
caused a decrease in serum CRP levels, and a reduction in the bacteria-
induced production of proinflammatory cytokines.
Sources:
Eurekalert June 11, 2008
World Journal of Gastroenterology April 7, 2008; 14(13): 2029-2036
(Free Full-Text Re****t)
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Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Most people, including many physicians, do not realize that 80 percent
of your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a
healthy gut a major focal point if you want to maintain optimal
health. Remember, a robust immune system is your number one defense
system against ALL disease.
Although I do not recommend taking supplements on a regular basis (as
food is your best source of vital nutrients), a high quality probiotic
is one of my exceptions. In fact, it=92s the one supplement recommended
to all new patients in my clinic.
This is because the nutritional root of so many health concerns are
related to an imbalance of intestinal bacteria (the optimal balance is
about 85 percent =93good bacteria=94 and 15 percent =93bad=94).
Proper food choices will help ****ft the bacteria. But, just like your
lawn, sometimes you may need to "reseed" areas that have become barren
for whatever reason.
Normally, you don=92t need to take probiotics forever, but I have found
them to be incredibly helpful at certain times, such as when you stray
from the food program and consume excess grains or sugar, or if you
have to take antibiotics.
I also take them when traveling to foreign countries or when eating at
suspicious restaurants, and I=92ve found that using a high-quality
probiotic every 30-60 days will typically help maintain a well-
functioning digestive system.
The Vital Functions of Probiotics
The friendly bacteria that reside in your gut have a number of very
im****tant functions, including:
Digesting and absorbing certain carbohydrates. Without good gut
bacteria, your body cannot absorb certain undigested starches, fiber,
and sugars. The friendly bacteria in your digestive tract convert
these carbohydrates into primary sources of im****tant energy and
nutrients.
Producing vitamins, absorbing minerals and eliminating toxins.
Probiotics help in the production of both vitamin K and B vitamins,
and promote mineral absorption. They also aid in metabolism and the
breakdown of toxins.
Keeping bad bacteria under control. A large part of the influence of
the "bad" bacteria is on your intestinal lining (mucousal barrier)
that is over 300 square meters, or about the size of a tennis court.
Simply stated, friendly bacteria compete with the bad guys for room
and board, but since beneficial bacteria are more at home there, they
win most of the battles for nutrition and attachment sites within your
colon.
The good bacteria tell your body how much nutrition they need and your
body responds by supplying just that much and no more - so that any
excess bad bacteria are starved out. The helpful bacteria also produce
a substance that kills harmful microbes.
Preventing allergies. Friendly bacteria train your immune system to
distinguish between pathogens and non-harmful antigens, and to respond
appropriately. This im****tant function prevents your immune system
from overreacting to non-harmful antigens, which is the genesis of
allergies.
Providing vital sup****t to your immune system. Beneficial bacteria
have a lifelong, powerful effect on your gut=92s immune system and your
systemic immune system as well. The bacteria play a crucial role in
the development and operation of the mucosal immune system in your
digestive tract. They also aid in the production of antibodies to
pathogens.
As you can see, probiotics perform a wide variety of functions, which
renders them useful and beneficial for a number of health concerns,
including the prevention or control of:
Food and skin allergies in children
Vaginitis
Premature labor in pregnant women
Inflammatory bowel disease
Recurrent ear and bladder infections
Chronic diarrhea
Probiotics Found Beneficial for Athletes as Well
Another recent study that confirms the use of probiotics to boost your
immune function was published in the British Journal of S****ts
Medicine earlier this year
In that study, probiotic supplements were able to significantly reduce
the number and length of infections suffered by long-distance
runners.
Strenuous training can affect your immune system and make athletes
vulnerable to coughs and colds. But athletes in the study were able to
cut the number of days they showed symptoms in half, by taking
probiotic supplements.
Are All Probiotics the Same?
Not necessarily, which was also confirmed by this latest study in the
World Journal of Gastroenterology. Here the researchers looked at
three different kinds of probiotic bacteria:
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis
Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii
They concluded that probiotics seem to have strain-specific anti-
inflammatory effects in healthy adults.
In this case, the CRP (a sensitive marker of inflammation) was lower
in the Lactobacillus and Propionibacterium groups, showing greater
effectiveness as anti-inflammatories, compared to the groups receiving
the Bifidobacterium or placebo.
In addition to checking out which bacterial strains are included,
other main features you should look for when purchasing a probiotic
supplement are:
No need for refrigeration
Long shelf life
Can survive stomach acid so that it reaches your small intestine
Stays resident in your digestive tract long enough to be effective
Even though I=92ve come to the conclusion that no one solution works for
everyone, the Bacillus Coagulans strain has been proven highly
effective. It=92s the one I use personally, and the one we recommend in
my Natural Health Center. Its main benefits are that it is present in
s****e form, and survives the acidic environment of your stomach --
making it to your small intestine where it does the most good. They
also survive high temperatures and do not need to be refrigerated,
which adds convenience.
What=92s Even Better Than a Probiotic Supplement?
Historically, people used cultured or fermented foods to sup****t their
intestinal and overall health, way before the invention of the
probiotic supplement.
Cultured foods like yogurt, some cheeses, and sauerkraut are good
sources of natural, healthy bacteria. And fermented foods, such as
natto, can give your body the similar benefits of consuming a whole
bottle of good bacteria, at a fraction of the cost.
One of the best and least expensive ways to get healthy bacteria
through your diet is to obtain raw milk and convert it to kefir, which
is really easy to make at home. All you need is one half packet of the
kefir start granules in a quart of raw milk, which you leave at room
temperature over night. By the time you wake up in the morning you
will likely have kefir. If it hasn=92t obtained the consistency of
yogurt you might want to set it out a bit longer and then store it in
the fridge.
A quart of kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly
purchase in any probiotics supplement, and it is very economical as
you can reuse the kefir from the original quart of milk about ten
times before you need to start a new culture pack. Just one starter
package of kefir granules can convert about 50 gallons of milk to
kefir.
Don=92t even think of using pasteurized milk, however, as pasteurized
milk has its own set of negative health ramifications and should be
avoided at all cost.
Related Articles:
The Benefits of Probiotics
100 Trillion Bacteria in Your Gut: Learn How to Keep the Good Kind
There
Finally -- Probiotics Becoming More Popular
URL:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/05/probioti=
cs-found-to-help-your-gut-s-immune-system.aspx?source=3Dnl
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