Monday, February 1, 2010

PRObiotics are my friends!

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".[1] Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.




Probiotics, in my opinion, are one of those things that more is better. I try to consume as many foods with these healthy little immune boosting organisms as possible. Some ways that I get probiotics are through:

Probiotics are good for everyone to take young and old, but have been shown to help things like irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, diarrhea and Crohn's disease. Most importantly though, gut-dwelling bacteria keep pathogens (harmful microorganisms) in check, aid digestion and nutrient absorption, and contribute to immune function. Researched from here!



3 comments:

Barbara said...

I have a serious obsession with Kumbucha and the company sent me coupons!!! SCORE!

M. Hopson said...

You should try making your own! I make my own yogurt and sometimes kefir as well. Here's a video that explains why homemade is better : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neHbUI2JiPw I haven't tried making my own kombucha, although I've already seen the procedure to make one. :) I might give it a try for variety.

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of probiotics! :) But I prefer taking it from supplements. Been trying one from http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics.html and it's really worth all the benefits I get from it. Has anyone tried it?