What are Probiotics / Friendly Bacteria?
I’m sure you’ve all see the adverts on TV encouraging us to drink little pots of friendly bacteria, all packaged in a sugary gloop to wash it down easily. Do we really need that stuff? Don’t we want to get rid of bacteria from our body? And isn’t all bacteria bad for us?
The answers are yes, no and no. Let me explain.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live micro-organisms – or friendly bacteria – very similar to the micro-organisms found in the human body in the gut.
What do probiotics do for you?
They are a very useful and convenient way to keep your bowel and digestive system healthy. Not only that but they give your immune system a boost meaning it can fight off infections and ‘bad’ bacteria a lot more easily.
Functions:
- Dislodge accumulated decay from intestine walls and flush waste
- Split food into most basic elements allowing total absorption through the digestive system dramatically increasing overall nutrition
- Support the immune system
- Act against pathological moulds, yeast and fungi
- Help metabolise proteins and eliminate toxic waste
- Inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria
- Promote good digestion
- Increase resistance to infection
What to look for
Most probiotic yoghurt drinks only contain 2 or 3 of the 8+ strains of friendly bacteria and contain approximately 10 billion live bacteria.
Probiotic capsules contain up to 8 strains and 30 billion live bacteria but different brands vary so check the label!
Make sure any probiotics you buy DO NOT contain the following:
- Salt
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Artificial colours
- Preservatives
- Chemicals
Where can you get them?
You can buy probiotics in all good health food shops and some supermarkets. As I said, check the label for fillers and potency.
What’s the best way to take them?
Most probiotics from a health food shop will come in capsule form, carefully designed to dissolve in the right part of your body for maximum effect. So you can either just swallow the capsule with some water to wash it down, or open the capsule and mix the contents into a juice or smoothie so you don’t even taste it. One capsule per day is ideal.
Top Tip!
It’s always a good idea to double check with your doctor before taking any supplements of any kind, particularly if you are pregnant or on any medication.
And if you decide not to take probiotics on a daily basis, a great time to take some is after you finish a course of antibiotics to boost the level of ‘good’ bacteria in your system.
Watch this space …
for details of other food supplements that can add that extra little ‘wow’ factor to your health.
