By: Janice Buckler, BSc, RHN, BSc Agricultural Chemistry, RHN (Registered Holistic Nutritionist)
Natural Legends Nutritional Consulting
Digestive health affects every system in the body.
Due to all the toxins around today, there is a decrease in function of our digestive systems. This affects our ability to utilize nutrients and rid ourselves of cholesterol. This triggers inflammation which causes many chronic conditions.
Our digestive tracts are critical to our health because 80% of our immune system is located in the gut. It is the second largest part of our neurological system and is called the enteric nervous system or our second brain!
Many people with health issues like thyroid imbalances, chronic fatigue, joint pain, psoriasis, autism and more don’t realize that these illnesses originate in the gut.
The secret to restoring digestive health is to balance the good and bad bacteria. If you are going to be healthy, you MUST consider consuming probiotic-rich foods and supplements daily.
Probiotics hold the key to a strong immune system, treating digestive issues, mental health illness and neurological disorders. It is proven that the benefits of probiotics go far beyond what was previously thought.
Probiotics are bacteria that line your digestive tract and support your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection. There are 10 times more probiotics in your gut than cells in your body!
A newborn in the birth canal is when a baby is exposed to the bacteria of his or her mother for the first time. This event starts a chain of events inside the baby’s GI tract, and the infant starts to produce good bacteria.
If you don’t have enough probiotics, things such as digestive disorders, skin issues, candida, autoimmune disease, and frequent colds and flus can arise.
Our food contains little to no probiotics today, and in some cases, actually contain dangerous antibiotics that kill off the good bacteria in our bodies.
Benefits of adding probiotics into your diet:
• Stronger immune system
• Improved mood, gut bacteria produce 95% of the body’s
seratonin
• Improved digestion
• Increased energy from production of vitamin B12
• Better breath because probiotics destroy Candida
• Healthier skin….probiotics naturally treat eczema and
psoriasis
• Reduced cold and flu
• Healing from leaky gut syndrome and inflammatory bowel
disease
• Weight loss
Beneficial Probiotic Strains:
Bifidobacterium bifidum
Most dominant in infants, supports vitamin production and immune system response, inhibits harmful bacteria, prevents diarrhea.
Bifidobacterium longum
Supports liver function, reduces inflammation, removes heavy metals.
Bifidobacterium breve
Good colonizer, crowds out bad bacteria.
Bifidobacterium infantis
Alleviates IBS.
Lactobacillus casei
Supports immunity, inhibits H.pylori, fights infections.
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Relieves gas/bloating, improves lactose intolerance, reduces E. coli and cholesterol, creates vitamin K, important in GALT immune strength.
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Fights harmful bacteria, neutralizes toxins, naturally produces its own antibiotics.
Lactobacillus brevis
Boosts cellular immunity, enhances natural T-killer cells, kills H. pylori.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Supports healthy skin, fights urinary and respiratory infections, reduces anxiety by reducing stress hormones and GABA neurotransmitter receptors.
Bacillus subtilis
Elicits a potent immune response, supports GALT, and suppresses growth of bad bacteria.
Bacillus coagulans
Improves nutrient absorption, reduces inflammation and symptoms of arthritis.
Saccharomyces boulardii
Improves intestinal cell growth, effective in treating IBS and Crohn’s disease.