ALL ABOUT HEALTHY GUT BACTERIA: PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, AND YOUR MICROBIOME

Making themselves at home, inside your intestinal tract, are some 100 trillion living microorganisms. These gut bacteria, collectively known as your “microbiome,” are so abundant that they outnumber all the cells in your body by 10 to one.  The 400+ different strains of bacteria that inhabit your gut help you digest food and are essential in synthesizing essential nutrients including vitamins K, B12, thiamin and riboflavin. They also defend against infections caused by harmful bacteria.  But the function our microbiome goes beyond that of the digestive system.  Emerging research suggests that our microbiome has  a wide-ranging impact on our early development, our behavior, our susceptibility to disease and our ability to recover from disease. Imbalances in our gut bacteria appear to play a role in everything from diarrhea and stomach upset to conditions such as allergies and asthma, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, acne, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease and auto-immune disorders.  The more we learn, the more clear it becomes that maintaining a healthy gut bacteria is crucial to our overall health. Here's some things you can do to support your resident microbes.

Eat foods that contain probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that are either the same as or similar to the ones found naturally in your gastrointestinal tract. You can help replenish your beneficial bacteria by eating probiotic dairy foods such as yogurt, frozen yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk. Many fermented foods, such as miso, tempeh, and kimchi also contain probiotics.  Some yogurts such as Activia and DanActive have added probiotics but these are not necessarily better than other yogurts.  All yogurts, even those made from dairy substitutes such as soy or almonds, are made with live active bacteria.  The strains used in the product are always listed, usually with the ingredients.  Products made with a greater variety of bacterial strains may offer more probiotic benefits.

Feed your probiotics some prebiotics. Prebiotics are high-fiber foods that feed the good bacteria in your intestines and help them to flourish. Give your probiotics something to chew on by eating food sources rich in soluble fibers and digestion-resistant starches.  Some of the best sources of prebiotics are oatmeal, barley, cooked root vegetables, onions, garlic, beans, avocados, dark leafy greens, bananas (especially green bananas), chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), and asparagus.

Use antibiotics only when prescribed.  Antibiotics help to kill disease causing bacteria and can be life saving when you have a bacterial infection.  Unfortunately they also kill the healthy bacteria in our system.  Many people take antibiotics when they are sick even though most colds are caused by viruses.  Only take antibiotics when they have been prescribed by your physician.  When you do take antibiotics, it is a good idea to emphasize yogurt in your diet to help restock the healthy bacteria.  You may also want to take a probiotic supplement after a course of antibiotics.   

Consider a probiotic supplement. Talk with your physician or dietitian about whether a probiotic supplement is right for you.  If you suffer from recurring diarrhea or antibiotic-associated diarrhea or vaginal yeast infections, a probiotic supplement may very well help. There is also substantial evidence that gastrointestinal symptoms, such as those associated with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, are helped by probiotic supplements. 

Look for a probiotic supplement that has at least 1 billion CFU's (colony forming units) and that contains a variety of bacterial strains.  The potency of products diminishes over time so check the expiration date.  Products that are refrigerated and packaged in dark glass are likely to be best preserved.  At home, store you probiotics in the fridge, even if they were not refrigerated at the store.  Taking probiotics with food, especially foods that are not acidic such as diary may help them survive the acidity of the stomach.  There are many different types of healthy bacteria and certain strains appear to help with certain conditions.  The  following list is a brief guide to some of the best strains of some different conditions.

Diarrhea from antibiotic usage

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
• Saccharomyces boulardii
• Streptococcus thermophilus
• Bacillus clausii
• Lactibacillus acidophilus

Irritable bowel syndrome

• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
• Saccharomyces boulardii

Weakened immunity

• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Lactobacillus salivarius
• Bifidobacterium bifidum

Lactose(dairy)  indigestion

• Lactobacillus bulgaricus
• Streptococcus thermophilus