Probiotics and Prebiotics

The Complete Guide to Understanding Probiotics and Prebiotics

The human gut contains a myriad of microorganisms which form a well-orchestrated ecosystem known as microbiota.

Human microbiota plays a vital role in the human body via regulation of immune and inflammatory responses, production of certain vitamins and biologically active substances, scavenging of non-digested food components and human body metabolites (for example, uric acid causing gout) and feeding the intestinal lining.

Disturbances in the human microbiota caused by antibiotics, excessive carbohydrate consumption, prolonged use of birth control pills, immunosuppression and anti-inflammatory drugs can result in colon inflammation, yeast overgrowth, leaky gut syndrome and eventually trigger chronic fatigue, brain fog, insomnia and headaches.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that improve intestinal microbial balance and suppress pathogenic microorganisms. They can be consumed in the form of food supplements or as a part of live fermented foods such as pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, live yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, kimchi and gluten-free soy sauce.

Clinical and research data demonstrate that probiotics benefit people with chronic diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Certain probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactococcus lactis) may help with the digestion of lactose, soy and animal proteins (Lactobacillus plantarum). Probiotics (Lactobacillus salivarius, Bifidobacterium bifidus,  Bifidobacterium lactis) can be used for prophylaxis of colon cancer  and to lower cholesterol and blood pressure (Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei).

Another important aspect of probiotics (Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus acidophilus) is their ability to eradicate Helicobacter pylori – a microorganism causing gastric and duodenal ulcers and to reduce symptoms of antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to Clostridium difficile.

Recently, a particular probiotic, Bacillus coagulans, was shown to possess strong anti-inflammatory activity and benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Finally, probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) can be used to treat various skin diseases like eczema.

Selecting probiotics for individual use may be tough to navigate due to the broad variety of strains, strengths and brands available in the market.

Commercially available probiotics come in the form of single-strain or multiple strain preparations. For general purposes, it is preferred to use multiple strain products to imitate the diverse environment of the human gut.

The amount of consumed probiotics is counted in Colony Forming Units (CFUs).  In general, if you take probiotics just for maintenance of intestinal health, you should take 20-25 billion CFUs a day.  During antibiotic therapy, increase consumption to 100 billion CFUs a day. Treatment of chronic yeast (Candida) infection, leaky gut syndrome and colitis quite often requires the daily dose of probiotics in the range of 100-500 billion CFUs a day.

The use of probiotics is not recommended in individuals with acute and chronic pancreatitis, in individuals undergoing stem cells and organ transplantation, as well as in individuals with a severely compromised immune system.
What are prebiotics and why are they important?

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrate-based food ingredients that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria) in the gastrointestinal tract. In contrast to probiotics, prebiotics are not live microorganisms but rather heat-resistant fiber like substances.

The health effects of prebiotics are mediated via increased production of short-chain fatty acids by the stimulated bacteria, which feed normal gut microbiota and provides the energy supply to the epithelial cells that form the intestinal lining.

Natural products rich in prebiotics include various vegetables including asparagus, garlic, leek, onion, and artichoke. Another valuable source of prebiotics is brewer’s yeast.

My preferred prebiotic is mannan-oligosaccharides or MOS, a product derived from the cell wall of the brewer’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. MOS is not only a prebiotic but also an immune polysaccharide—a molecule possessing one of the strongest stimulatory effects on mucosal immune responses. Another unique property of MOS includes its inhibitory effects on the attachment of pathogenic bacteria to the intestinal lining, restoration of intestinal villi and stimulation of digestive enzymes.

Other helpful tips:

Initial consumption of pre- and probiotics, especially at high doses and high CFUs, result in excessive gas formation, bloating and associated abdominal discomfort. Be patient– these problems typically disappear in 3-4 days.

In general, we recommend taking probiotics on an empty stomach. If you take probiotics at a dose equal to or above 100 billion CFUs, divide their consumption between AM and PM.

You do not need to take pre- and probiotics together. Prebiotics can be taken with meals.

Try to use non-refrigeratable probiotics, such as Bacillus coagulans, when you travel.

If you take antibiotics, separate the consumption of prebiotics from the antibiotics by at least 2 hours.

More read at... http://blogs.naturalnews.com/the-complete-guide-to-understanding-probiotics-and-prebiotics/

Banned Raw Milk

Urgent: Big Ag group trying to ban raw milk sales in South Carolina - your help needed to stop this tyranny
(NaturalNews) It has come to our attention that the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), a national non-governmental organization that claims to represent the interests of American farmers, is right now attempting to covertly eliminate the freedom of South Carolina farmers to sell raw milk at the retail level. One of only a few states that currently recognizes the freedom of individuals to buy and sell raw milk legally, South Carolina is basically being accosted by this Big Ag front group, which will attempt to eliminate raw milk freedom in the Palmetto State at a special meeting to be held on Friday, January 25, 2013, at 12:00 pm.

According to an insider alert we just received, the South Carolina Dairy Advisory Committee (SCDAC) will consider a proposal made by AFBF, which is strongly and vocally opposed to individuals having the freedom to buy and sell raw milk, to eliminate an existing state statute that recognizes the freedom of South Carolina farmers who are properly permitted to sell raw milk at the retail level. In its place, AFBF wants SCDAC to implement policies that reflect its own biased views towards raw milk, which for all intensive purposes would ban the sale of raw milk for human consumption throughout the state.

"Delegates approved a new policy that states only pasteurized milk and milk products should be sold for human consumption," states the heinous proposal that AFBF is pushing SCDAC to adopt. "Delegates approved the measure in light of the potential risks to public health and food safety posed by consumption of raw milk."

Science reveals raw milk is safe

Based on AFBF's track record of lobbying, it is hardly surprising that the organization would side with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in clinging to a completely unscientific and outdated view of raw milk safety. After all, AFBF is the same organization that back in 2012 aggressively opposed reasonable restrictions that would have limited the use of antibiotics in factory-farmed animals, erroneously claiming that doing so would somehow negatively affect public health (when quite the opposite is true).

Now, AFBF is making similar inaccurate claims with its surreptitious attack on raw milk in South Carolina. Based on data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raw milk is linked, at most, to causing only 42 sicknesses nationwide every year. And most of these cases cannot definitively be linked to raw milk -- they are merely assumed to be the cause of illness, as the government has a unabashed and completely irrational bias against raw milk.

But even if all 42 of these annual cases could be conclusively linked to raw milk, the overall risk associated with raw milk consumption would still be ridiculously low, as roughly 10 million Americans consume raw milk on a regular basis. The federal government's own data proves that Americans are 35 thousand times more likely to get sick from many other foods legally sold at grocery stores than they are from raw milk (http://www.westonaprice.org/press/government-data-proves-raw-milk-safe).

Take Action

Since the meeting takes place in less than 24 hours, it is crucial that the health freedom community band together as one to immediately oppose this assault on raw milk. NaturalNews readers are urged to contact both David Winkles, Jr., President and CEO of the South Carolina Farm Bureau, and Bob Stallman, President of AFBF, and urge them not to infringe on the freedom of South Carolinians to buy and sell raw milk. In your calls and emails, be sure to explain to these gentlemen that:

1) Raw milk is a safe food, rich in living enzymes and beneficial probiotic bacteria, that can actually improve health. People have been safely consuming raw milk for millennia, and many countries today allow raw milk sales without issue, including in Europe where raw milk vending machines can be spotted on street corners.

2) Scientific data supports the safety of raw milk that is properly regulated.

3) A movement away from regulated raw milk will adversely affect the citizens of South Carolina who rely on it for health.

4) If raw milk is made illegal, other potentially unsafe avenues like underground sales will quickly emerge, similar to what occurred during alcohol prohibition.

You can contact David Winkles, Jr. at:
dwinkles@scfb.org
(803) 936-4211

You can contact Bob Stallman at:
bstallman@fb.org

Remember to be polite, but assertive, in your correspondence. Without enough push-back, we can stop this blatant attack on raw milk from succeeding. But we must act now to show these bullies that we are paying attention, and that we will not succumb to their attempts to steal even more food freedom from Americans.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com

http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038828_raw_milk_South_Carolina_farm_bureau.html#ixzz2J57hqgUB