Probiotics, for a rich health

If probiotics aren’t something you incorporate into your daily routine, I hope that by after reading this you’ll have a better understanding as to why probiotics are so necessary for our bodies to stay healthy.   The way we live our lives today really can alter our microbiome (the microorganisms in the body). I know for a long time I never did. ‘Why do I want to eat and drink bugs??’  After all we wash food within an inch of its life. If we drop things on the floor it goes straight in the bin, unless we invoke the ‘5 second rule’ (This time can be extended in certain circumstances).

Did you know our bodies are comprised of trillions of bacteria, many providing health benefits to the body? Our body is a microbial melting pot, home to bacteria that help keep us healthy and regular. And for decades, scientists have shown their importance by stating this fact: (please read in an important sounding voice) ‘The bacteria in your body outnumber our own cells ten to one’. But more recent studies have estimated that it is a tie between our own cells and bacteria. There are as many bacteria in our bodies as we have cells.

These bacteria are unique to each of us; we all have our own bacterial make up. They help make up an internal ecosystem, otherwise known as our microbiome. Our microbiome is actually what helps to determine our DNA and continues to evolve as we age. Environmental factors like the foods we eat, how much sleep we get, the amount of stress we’re under, and antibiotics all play a huge role in shaping our microbiome.

One way to keep our microbiome functioning properly is to create a balanced environment of bacteria, or symbiosis (a fancy word for the balance). The gut flora should be approximately 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria. We can do this by supplying our bodies with more beneficial bacteria called probiotics. 

Probiotics are live microorganisms (or "good bacteria") that aid our digestive processes and help our digestive organs function well. We often think of bacteria in a negative light. Trying to wash, bleach and kill all known ones dead. But in fact we need these bacteria in order to properly break down the foods we eat. The bacteria in our gut can be one of our strongest allies in getting healthy…or it can be one of our worst enemies. It’s no wonder why probiotics play a critical role in immune function– nearly 80% of the immune system lies within the gut!! Most people don’t realize it, but what they eat and how they live are changing the makeup of their gut bacteria.

Gut Disruptors
Things like antibiotics, sugars and chemicals are big disruptors of the gut microbiome.

Nowadays, instead of turning to natural remedies we largely turns to antibiotics to combat sickness and disease. Doctors are only too happy to prescribe a course of antibiotics for the slightest sniffle. But in fact antibiotics are a big killer of gut bacteria because they aren’t selective in which bacteria they kill, they kill everything. Did you know,it used to be the norm to have broth for two weeks after a course of antibiotics to support the replacement of good gut bacteria?  So although the antibiotics cure us initially they actually weaken our immune system making us more and more susceptible to other inflections. Have you noticed how the sniffles are lasting longer, and we seem to get them more often? In addition to prescription antibiotics, many of us are ingesting antibiotics through our food without even realizing it. Livestock and cattle are commonly given antibiotics to treat diseases and infections like humans, or to prevent sickness in the first place. So when we eat this livestock we also take in the antibiotics that have been fed to them.

Although there is definitely a place for antibiotics, for certain infections, we far too quickly take antibiotics they are overly used. To the point where now they are some bacteria are antibiotic resistant.

So what does that mean?

We need to replenish our good gut bacteria to support the healthy function of our bodies but perhaps most importantly to support a strong immune system.  One way we can do this is by having probiotics. These come in many forms.

Probiotics

Some examples of foods that already contain these helpful bacteria are yogurt, kefir, miso soup, kimchi, bone broth and more.  Fermented foods are also a good source of good bacteria. There are also fermented drinks that you can take including kombucha and Jun tea. These too are good sources of healthy bacteria supporting the body’s immune system and healthy function.

If you aren’t a big fan of these foods, you can also get probiotics through different types of supplements.  

More health practitioners are beginning to recommend probiotics—not just nutritionists. Probiotics have been on the forefront of digestive health for a while, but in recent years, there has been increasingly more evidence to support the theory that these “good bugs” may do more for us than solely aiding digestion. Studies suggest that probiotics may also help promote weight management, immune support, mental health issues, oral health, and even cholesterol management.

I hope that was helpful and you learned something. If you have any questions at all on what I have talked about, definitely reach out to me in the comments of this post and I will get back to you!  I need to go now and brew some Jun Tea. A probiotic fermented tea. Not had a cold in 3 years!! Yay!!