STUDENT FORMULA

Why Healthy Bacteria (Probiotics) Are Important to Our Health and How To Make Sure We Get Enough Of It

By James Jordan, J.D., C.N.C.

Why Healthy Bacteria (Probiotics) Are Important to Our Health and How To Make Sure We Get Enough Of It

We hear it all the time from nutritionally based healthcare practitioners - you are what you eat. Actually it is more accurate to say you are what you digest, absorb and assimilate. My personal health challenges stemmed from a seriously compromised digestive system. It took many years before I finally woke up and addressed this basic area of health and along with detoxifying heavy metals, chemicals and other core toxicities it was the turning point in my health and my life.

Most people have compromised digestive tracts and assimilate much less of the nutrients in their foods than they realize. My experience in viewing live blood for the past eight years has also confirmed that most people are in a perpetual state of auto- Intoxication due to bowel toxicity, intestinal permeability ("leaky gut") and overall poor digestion and elimination.

The number one factor contributing to poor digestion and elimination, leaky gut and nutrient deficiencies is an insufficient quantity of beneficial bacteria (Probiotics) in both the small and large intestine.

What Causes Probiotic Deficiencies?

Poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle, environmental toxins and medications contribute to depletion of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, the following being the most important factors:

Chlorinated Water
Colonics - which wash out some of the beneficial bacteria
Chemical additives, pesticides and antibiotic residues found in the environment and food
Child birth factors including: caesarean section and/or delivery in a sterile hospital, use of disinfectant at birth, formula fed infants
Drug use including: alcohol, antibiotics, steroids, birth control, cortisone
Eating disorders
Antibiotic herbs such as goldenseal or large amounts of garlic
Spermicides
Pollution: air, water and food
Radiation
Stress
Excess consumption of refined sugar and carbohydrates
Heavy metal toxicity

As you can see from the above list most of us will have to actively enhance our probiotic levels just to cope with daily life. Health problems related to probiotic deficiencies fall into five categories:

1. Stomach/intestinal tract, which include: bloating/gas, digestive upset, elimination problems, malabsorption (weight loss).

2. Fungal Overgrowth of the Reproductive System including: vaginitis, yeast overgrowth and jock itch.

3. Mouth/throat including: gingivitis, thrush and cold sores.

4. Infant health problems including: weight gain and growth difficulties, yeast overgrowth, chronic digestive and immune system problems.

5. Other chronic health problems including: weakened immune system, liver problems, premature aging, hyperactivity and mood swings.

The steps you can take to replenish healthy levels of beneficial bacteria

Remember that all our actions have a cumulative effect so keep in mind the following and you will be well served:

Avoid drinking chlorinated water - which destroys beneficial bacteria.
Women who want to avoid pregnancy should find other options to birth control pills, which severely deplete levels of healthy bacteria.
Don't use antibiotics unless there is no alternative.
Reduce or avoid refined sugar and other refined carbohydrates which feed bad bacteria, fungus and parasites which then compete with good bacteria for the valuable real estate of your intestinal lining.
Eat plenty of cultured foods like: live cultured yogurt, kefir and cultured vegetables.

Why take a probiotic supplement and what qualities should you look for in a probiotic supplement?

The major reasons to take a probiotic supplement are:

1. The overwhelming need to increase probiotics in our intestines due to the depletion from the causes listed earlier: diet, toxicity, medications, stress.

2. Cultured foods often have low levels of beneficial bacteria due to the fact that most are not grown with the purpose of enhancing digestion and health, rather more with the purpose of enhancing taste and shelf life. One capsule of Trenev Trio from Natren has the equivalent levels of healthy bacteria as 60-80 servings of yogurt.

3. More importantly than potency is the strain of bacteria. There are over 300 strains of Acidophilus yet only 3 or 4 have been scientifically tested to have therapeutic value. With cultured foods you don't know which strain you are getting. Many have no therapeutic value at all.

4. Therapeutic value of Probiotic strains found in humans include:

a. Acidophilus: Resident bacteria most specific for the small intestines benefits include:

b. Bifidobacteria: Resident bacteria most specific for the large intestine, benefits include:

c. Bulgaricus: Transient microorganism found in traditional Bulgarian yogurt, benefits include:

Over the years I have investigated many probiotic supplements and have found that the following criteria are the most important in selecting a product that will deliver excellent results for your intestinal health:

1. Strain of Bacteria: make sure to select a product that uses only proven super strains of bacteria such as DDS-1, NAS, Malyoth, LB-51 and infant bacteria strain NLS. These strains have been clinically proven to protect the intestines. Weaker strains have substantially less benefits to your health.

2. Culturing Medium: stomach acids can destroy beneficial bacteria if they are not protected by a viable culturing medium. Dairy-based products are often better protected and survive stomach acids longer. Also certain oil-matrixed multi-organism products are equally protected from stomach acids.

3. Potency guarantee at consumption: most products have potency guaranteed at the time of manufacture. Unless the product guarantees potency through the products expiration date you will likely be short-changed in your beneficial bacteria levels.

4. CFU: colony-forming units are the actual levels of bacteria in a product. Many products use centrifuges to make their products which damage and destroy many Of the bacteria. Find a brand that does not use centrifuge and has guaranteed CFUs (at the time of consumption) in the Billions.

5. Exposure to light and Moisture: these exposures rapidly destroy potency. Find products sold in dark glass bottles.

Around 1990 I had the good fortune to come across a nutritionist and health coach named Gary Carlson who helped me improve my health. A part of his program included taking large amounts of probiotics to replenish the beneficial flora in my intestinal tract. He insisted on Natren probiotics for his clients. I used the Natren products for a couple of years and my health improved substantially. Natren products are the only probiotic supplement that I am aware of that meets all of the above criteria.

After my health improved and I moved out of the Chicago area whenever I felt a need for intestinal support I would use either Natren probiotics or a soil-based bacteria product. Since I started my own private practice I have been recommending Natren probiotics to my clients and have found excellent results with all varieties of digestion and elimination problems.

There are a variety of probiotic products that have different function in the body. The Natren product that is best to start with is Trenev Trio which has all three strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in one oil- Matrixed capsule. Other probiotic products can be added or used in place of Trenev Trio depending on particular health conditions.

For more information, please visit James Jordan’s Web site, www.createvibranthealth.com.

By James Jordan, J.D., C.N.C.