Probiotics Benefits

Today, scientists are finding that balancing the body’s flora produces changes in health and benefits that abound to many people. Not only is probiotic supplementation more popular in the world of health food enthusiasts, it has a firm footing in the medical community. Diseases once fought with antibiotics now receive treatment in a healthier manner, with probiotics. The reason is probably two fold. First, antibiotics create an imbalance in the body’s already frail ecosystem, killing more friendly bacteria as it kills the disease-producing bacteria. This imbalance of bacteria and yeast, combined with allergies to these drugs create conditions far worse than the original disease. Secondly, because of excessive administration of unnecessary antibiotics, the medical world is now seeing mutated forms of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These harmful bacteria play havoc in the body and are impervious to the drugs now available. Their appearance is cause for alarm.

The isolation and identification of not only the beneficial bacteria but also prebiotics, the food that encourages their growth has led scientists to focus on the study of how these microbes create supplementation to encourage the growth of those beneficial to the body. This new frontier of supplementation, prebiotic and probiotics, may take the place of antibiotics for many conditions. The reason for this is that probiotics have few side effects, unlike antibiotics.

Probiotics already show benefits to people with certain forms of diarrhea, particularly when it occurs after a round of antibiotics. There are many types of diseases and conditions where probiotics may be the simple effective method of containing and curing these ailments. The microbes don’t just fight disease creating bacteria, some produce vital nutrients necessary for our body to function properly.

A few of the newer areas of research include probiotics for the treatment of upper respiratory diseases, probiotics for the treatment and prevention of certain types of cancer, probiotics to increase bone and tooth strength, probiotics to reduce the occurrence of respiratory infections, probiotics for childhood eczema, IBS treatment with probiotics and even probiotics for weight loss. Several studies found that giving probiotics may increase not only magnesium absorption in teen girls but also calcium absorption also. Other studies point to the reduction of bladder infections.

A double blind study using three groups of preschooler age 3 to 5, showed that the addition of L acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis to milk decreased the incidence of fever by 72.7%, coughing by 62.1%, runny noses by 48% and the reduction in the use of antibiotics by a whopping 84.2% over the group taking milk with a placebo.

Another study at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine looks at the potential of using probiotics to decrease kidney stones. The probiotics would aid in reducing the levels of the substance that causes kidney stones.

Every day scientists find new ways that increasing the body’s bacterial level either through the administration of the bacteria, probiotics or the introduction of the food substances that encourage the growth of the existing bacteria, creates an improvement in health. It makes sense since humans have existed for thousands of years without the aid of science or medicine. If you can reproduce the perfect ecosystem for your body, then improved health naturally occurs.