Probiotics.  Probiotics.  Probiotics.  They are advertised on the TV, at bus stop shelters, in magazines… but does anybody know anything about them?  Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that inhabit our gut.  They compete with bad bacteria in the gut for attachment sites, and when the ratio between these two types of bacteria goes out of balance, illness (over many parts of the body), can take hold.

A total of about 1 hundred trillion bacteria live in our digestive system (not an exaggeration!).  According to some experts, there are more bacteria in our gut than cells in our body.  There are 400-500 types of bacteria in our digestive system, each of which has many strains.  But the main bacterial families in the gut are Lactobacillus and Bifidus.  The bacteria in our digestive system weigh almost 4 pounds – the size of the liver.  Every day we produce several ounces of these microbes in our gut and eliminate several ounces in the stool.

These bacteria increase the acidity in the gut by producing lactic acid and acetic acid.  They also inhibit undesirable micro-organisms by competing against them for attachment sites.  The more good bacteria in your gut means a better immune system.

Probiotics become depleted in the digestive system in many ways.  Constant high levels of stress, exposure to manufactured chemicals, poor food choices, oral contraceptives, surgery, low stomach acid, constipation, antibiotics and pain killers are just some ways in which the healthy balance of the digestive system gets changed.

It can sometimes be quite difficult to repopulate the digestive system with good bacteria once the bad bacteria have taken a stronger hold.  But as general guidelines
-    Avoid sugar and sugary foods, as this feeds the bad bacteria, which will displace the good bacteria.
-    Eat natural, live (and preferably organic) yoghurt every day.  Make sure there is no sugar added.  This yoghurt contains plenty of good bacteria.
-    After taking a course of antibiotics take a months course of probiotics.  Probiotics and advice on the different brands can be found at your local health food store.
-    Follow the advice from the previous Cully & Sully nutrition article ‘Good Eating Habits for Better Digestion’, dated April 4th.