Probiotics Archives

10 Reasons Everyone Should Take a Probiotic

Digestive Health, Healthy Aging, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

With 100 trillion bacteria and many different species of microflora floating around in our intestinal tract, a balance of good and bad bacteria is necessary to maintain the normal functioning of our immune system and intestines, as well as to promote optimal health.

Considering the recent attention being paid to probiotics—many positive medical studies have been reported in the mainstream media—more people are asking why they need to take a probiotic to protect and improve their overall health.

Here are 10 reasons to take a probiotic for your good health:

1. Your body is under constant attack externally (from exposure to bad bacteria) and internally (our go-go lifestyles hinder our eating habits). Taking a good probiotic, ideally with multiple strains of good bacteria, is the safest, easiest and most effective way to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in your body.

2. The human body cannot replenish the various strains of live and beneficial bacteria your body needs every day to stay healthy just by eating foods like yogurt, miso soup, pickles and sauerkraut that usually contain limited amounts of a single strain of bacteria. This is especially true if you’re using probiotics to treat a specific health problem.

3. Probiotics containing multiple strains of beneficial bacteria are more effective in treating a range of health-based problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, immune function and respiratory tract infections, according to a 2011 analysis of studies.

4. A growing number of studies are showing how taking a probiotic can be beneficial for patients when they are prescribed a broad spectrum antibiotic. Antibiotics can often disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in patients’ bodies, causing unwelcome side effects like diarrhea.

5. Taking a good probiotic boosts patients’ natural defenses, protecting them from traveler’s diarrhea, too.

6. New moms can sidestep the prolonged crying and discomfort from their babies suffering infantile colic by giving them a high-quality probiotic.

7. Recent studies have been linked with taking a high-quality probiotic to beneficial effects on the gut-brain axis that may positively affect your emotions and help you beat depression.

8. The healthy bacteria contained in a good probiotic help maintain normal intestinal motility and lessen the problems of constipation.

9. Reducing your risks of colon cancer is as simple as taking a good probiotic.

10. Probiotics are a newfound weapon that may assist in lowering elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels that contribute to cardiovascular disease.

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Probiotics May Battle IBS-Induced Stress

Mental Health, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

You may recall a recent study I posted about the possibilities of an anxiety-free future by taking probiotics. Those possibilities are looking a little more like probabilities, based on the results of a University of Michigan study on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Although stressful emotions aren’t the primary cause of IBS, they can alter brain-gut interactions that trigger the intestinal inflammation that spurs diarrhea, belly pains (severe or chronic) or a loss of appetite.

In tests on mice, University of Michigan scientists discovered that stress may suppress an important element called an inflammasome, which is needed to maintain healthy gut microbes. The good news: Probiotics reversed the suppressive effect in these animals.

“This study reveals an important mechanism for explaining why IBS patients with probiotics makes sense,” said senior study author, gastroenterologist and associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan John Y. Kao, M.D.

During the course of the study, researchers found inhibiting inflammosomes changed gut composition, resulting in intestinal inflammation. However, pretreating some rats with probiotics reduced inflammation in animals with stress-induced, small bowel inflammation.

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Recover Faster from Stomach Flu with Probiotics

Disease, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

In addition to the regular flu and winter cold, the stomach flu, called a norovirus, is making the rounds. Noroviruses cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other stomach ailments. After one person in the family gets a norovirus, it quickly spreads to the other family members. In addition to staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, physicians suggest you take a probiotic to speed up your recovery.

By taking a daily probiotic, you are replacing the healthy bacteria that the virus is flushing from your system so you can fight it and feel better faster. A recent review of more than 60 studies involving more than 8,000 children and adults showed that probiotics can lessen the severity of the symptoms and improve recovery time without any harmful side effects. Controlled trials also found that probiotics can shorten the time you suffer from diarrhea by one day and decrease your risk of dehydration.

Before you catch a stomach bug, try taking EndoMune Advanced as part of your daily regimen. You might recover faster if you get a norovirus and reduce your chances of becoming sicker due to a loss of fluids.

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Counteract the Holiday Cold with Probiotics

Disease, Probiotics, Women’s Health / By Staff Writer

With the weather changing and people packing indoors, more and more people are contracting cold and cold-like symptoms. Now, during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, is the time to offset the spread of cold and upper-respiratory viruses.

A small study conducted by researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and published in the British Journal of Nutrition examined the connection between probiotics and reduced cold and upper-respiratory infection symptoms. In this double-blind study, nearly 200 students were divided into two groups, one receiving a daily probiotic supplement and the other receiving a placebo.

The results concluded that the study participants that took the probiotic supplement had a reduced length of cold by two days, missed less class days and had 34% less severe symptoms.

Adding a daily probiotic supplement, like EndoMune Advance, may help kick those coughs and sniffles away, just in time to enjoy the close company of family and friends.

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Probiotics Reduce Big Gut Problems

Disease, Drug interactions, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Obesity is a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world and can lead to health-related problems. A doctoral thesis published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that probiotic consumption may reduce the risk of developing obesity.

Three groups of rats were used for the study. The first group of rats were given lactobacilli plantarum, a lactic bacteria commonly found in most probiotics. The second group of rats, or the control group, were not given any bacteria or supplements. The third group was given E. Coli along with high-energy food that was given to all three test groups.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden found that the rats that consumed lactobacilli put on less weight than the control group rats. The rats given E. Coli gained body fat and caused a change in their gut flora.

But what does this study mean for humans? There are now a number of pilot studies researching the benefits of probiotics in lessening weight gain in obese individuals.

As the holidays approach with all the parties and delicious bake goods, you may want to consider taking a high quality probiotic like EndoMune. It will help to maintain the healthy intestinal bacteria and maybe even lessen adding extra inches around the waist.

Learn more about the study and its results here.

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Find the Right Probiotic for You

Drug interactions, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

There are numerous choices when trying to find a probiotic supplement. From supplements that contain one strain of bacteria to supplements that contain 10 strains, finding the right probiotic can be difficult. To assist you in making the best choice for your probiotic wants and needs, keep these three tips in mind:

Bacteria strains – When purchasing a probiotic, look at the amount of bacteria strains it contains. Supplements that have multiple bacteria strains have been proven to be more effective than supplements that contain one or two bacteria strains. EndoMune Advanced,
for example, contains 10 different bacteria strains.
Colony-Forming Units – The colony-forming units, or CFU’s, are also important to a probiotic purchasing decision. Probiotic supplements with 10 billion CFU’s might be more beneficial than probiotic supplements with one billion CFU’s.
Packaging – How a probiotic supplement is packaged directly affects its shelf-life. Those packaged in a darker container will generally last longer than supplements that are packaged in a lighter container.

Remember these tips when purchasing your next probiotic supplement. For more information, contact EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

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Guard Yourself Against Heart Disease With Probiotics

Disease, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Heart disease is caused by cholesterol-rich diets, right?

New research has shown that this common misconception may not be entirely true. Although science has not conclusively found the exact cause of heart disease, researchers have found connections between gut infections and heart disease. More so, scientific investigation into gut infections and heart disease has illuminated the consequences of a “leaky” gut.

A “leaky” gut, or a gut wall that becomes easily penetrable, is caused by several factors, including stress, over-eating or infections. Once the gut wall becomes “leaky,” it releases endotoxins into the blood stream that embed themselves inside tissue, eliciting damages.

Fermented foods and probiotics, like EndoMune Advanced, contain several strains of healthy bacteria that can heal a “leaky” gut wall, lower inflammation and decrease the risk of contracting heart disease.

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Antibiotics: Are They Helping or Hurting

Drug interactions, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found a link between increased antibiotic use and clostridium difficile, a diarrhea causing bacteria. According to the researchers, antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria that fight against infections and, as a result, cause a rise in c. difficile infections.

Data collected from the 13.7 million hospitalized children concluded that nearly 46,000 children that suffered from c. difficile infections were more likely to have an extended hospital stay. In addition, these children had an increased chance of partial or full colon removal and a greater risk of death.

The researchers also reviewed data from 1.3 million hospitalized adults with the same c. difficile infection that resulted in a similar conclusion. Adults 65 years of age and older suffering from the infection also had an increased chance of death.

All antibiotics are not bad. It is important to note that antibiotics are an essential treatment for varying illnesses when deemed necessary. Probiotics, like EndoMune Advanced, help lessen the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

For more information about the study and its preliminary conclusions, read the full article here.

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Probiotics: Naturally Good

Disease, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of the intestines’ microflora. The largest group of piobiotic bacterica, Lactobacillus acidophilus, is found in naturally in the intestines — as are many good gut bacteria used in probiotic suppliments.

Studies support the theory that probiotic supplements are not likely to harm the user. Rather, research suggests that probiotics can benefit the user by helping to create a balance digestive system and relieve the stomach pain or abdominal discomfort caused by diarrhea, gas, and cramping. They may also help to prevent the onset of vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections.

Although not a medical guarantee, probiotics have been seen to deliver a number of health benefits to those who take them. Read the full article here for more information, and consider trying a probiotics like EndoMune Advanced to see if probiotics could be right for you.

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Food Borne Illness Rears It’s Ugly Head

Disease, Drug interactions, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Just this past August, Middle America saw the second year in a two-year salmonella outbreak. This root of this most recent outbreak was contaminated cantaloupe, grown stateside.

In the past, most food borne illness epidemics found their origin in porous fruits grown south of the border in Central America. However in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have discovered more and more epidemics originating with homegrown produce.

Legal and consumer actions teams grow angrier and more outspoken with each contamination outbreak. While CDC standards continue to work in favor of these interest groups and the consumers they represent, the typical individual would do well to take safe consumption matters into their own hands, as an added precaution.

One of the best ways to prepare to withstand food borne illness is to take a probiotic. Doing so has the potential to strengthen your immune and digestive systems to withstand the painful, and sometimes fatal, food poisoning symptoms of acute diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramping.

To learn more on this recent salmonella outbreak and for information on how to avoid eating contaminated food, please read the full article posted here.

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