Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Winter can be harsh on your body and overall health. The cold, harsh weather can make your skin dull, your hair brittle, and can lead to sniffles and colds. Other than bundling up, it’s important to take some preventative measures to maintain optimal health. Winter …
Photo by Hean Prinsloo on Unsplash It is no secret that Probiotics are a necessity when it comes to keeping your gut (and skin and overall wellness) as optimized as possible. This is because the harmful bacteria in your body can lead to a number …
Bacteria is commonly thought of as negative. There are plenty of harmful bacteria that can lead to a number of risks when it comes to the bacteria inside of your body. But with harmful bacteria comes beneficial bacteria called Probiotics. Research suggests that choosing a quality probiotic will help with digestions and help you maintain a healthy gut. In today’s health-conscious climate, people are looking towards probiotics as something that can help them immensely with their bodily health. In fact, there are different types of probiotics that can help in certain ways for a variety of people’s needs.
Probiotics are friendly bacteria that make up the microbiome in your gut or digestive tract and are the key to good health, especially to good digestion and regularity. Bacteria, though naturally present in the body, accounts for two pounds of bio-mass in your intestines, which need a balance of beneficial bacteria to promote good health.
Levels of probiotics decrease with age and can also be affected by other factors, including a poor diet and obesity. As the levels of probiotics decrease, problematic bacteria in the gut thrive, which can lead to digestive problems like bloating and gas.
So how do you know that probiotics can work for you? You turn to the research.
Numerous clinical trials and meta-analysis have been published on the benefits of probiotics on many aspects of health, from brain health to urinary tract infections. Here are the most recent published analysis for the most popular uses of probiotics –
There is strong emerging evidence that your gut bacteria can influence central nervous system function and have a positive effect on your mood, including depression and anxiety. One study performed by Griffith Universities School of Medical Science and Menzies Health Institute in Australia found that, in people with preclinical symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress, probiotic supplementation resulted in a statistically significant improvement in symptoms compared to individuals taking a placebo.
Allergic conditions, including eczema and asthma, have been shown to produce antibodies in response to ordinary exposures to pollen and other allergens. And these incidences have increased significantly over the past 50 years.
5 Reasons to Take Probiotics and Why They’re So Good For You >>
In a news release published to the National Institutes of Health website, “The cause of atopic dermatitis [eczema] is unknown, but studies suggest that the skin microbiome – the community of bacteria and other microbes living on the skin – plays a key role.”
A meta-analysis of 17 clinical trials where a probiotic supplement was provided during pregnancy and early infancy showed that supplementation lowered the incidence of eczema.
Harvard Medical School’s website, Harvard Health Publishing, reports, “Under normal or “balanced” conditions, friendly bacteria in the gut outnumber the unfriendly ones. Probiotics can act as gut-beneficial bacteria that create a physical barrier against unfriendly bacteria.”
Respiratory infections are one of the main health problems seen in children. Because probiotics have been shown to regulate and support immune function and health, some trials have been performed to determine whether or not they can support a healthy respiratory system.
A meta-analysis performed by researchers from Sichuan University in China included 13 randomized controlled trials involving 3.720 individuals, which showed that probiotics performed better than placebos in approximately half of the participants. In addition, the duration of acute symptoms resolved approximately 1.89 days sooner when a participants was taking a probiotic supplement.
According to the University of Colorado’s department of Urogynecology, one area where probiotics have been studied is in women with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which occurs due to the transmission of pathogens (bacteria) from the rectum and/or vagina to the urethra or bladder.
According to a randomized, controlled trial (published to the universities website) involving treatment of UTIs with Lactobacillus probiotics, there was a 73% reduction in episodes of recurrent UTI compared with the previous year. The control group had six UTIs per patient per year vs. 1.3 UTIs per patient per year after intravaginal administration of probiotics.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) occurs when there is an imbalance of vaginal microbial populations. Since probiotics have been shown to be effective in replaced depleted probiotic strains, studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics in individuals with BV. One meta-analysis found that probiotic supplementation with vaginal lactobacilli proved to be crucial in hindering bacteria growth after antibiotic therapy.
? by Savs on Unsplash It’s a common thought that we only need to pay attention to our immune system during the colder, drier months. The weather may be warmer during the Spring and Summer but just because cold and flu season is over, doesn’t …
Written by Nicole Crane BS, NTP After water, green tea (along with its white and black variants) from the Camellia sinesis shrub, is the most consumed beverage in the world. There may be no beverage more salubrious. The tea plant is rich in valuable antioxidants …
NAC, N-Acetyl Cysteine, is an amino acid that has powerful antioxidant properties. Clinical studies have proved its benefit for a variety of health purposes including the support of the liver and kidneys, respiratory health, and immune system function. However, many are unfamiliar with this amino acid and its potential.
NAC stimulates production of the amino acids cysteine and glutathione. And, because of this, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, it works as a scavenger to remove free radicals in the body. We live in an increasingly polluted environment, loaded with toxins; the soil we grow our food in is often nutrient-depleted and many consume processed, factory-made foods supplying scant nutrients. Ironically, our bodies wind up requiring even more vitamins and minerals to effectively metabolize nutrient-depleted foods. For these reasons, according to Archana Gogna, MS, CNS, MBA of InVite® Health, healthcare professionals are advising their patients to being taking safe, reliably-made high quality nutritional supplements to fill nutritional deficits in their diet caused by free radicals.
Jerry Hickey, R.Ph reports, “In the lining of the lungs, you have this tiny, little hair called microvilli. They’re actually a remnant of bacteria, believe it or not. Inside your lungs, you also have a thin layer of mucousy-fluid that helps move dust particles and other things that don’t belong inside of the lungs. This hair and fluid must be rich in antioxidants to protect the lung lining. Otherwise, if you inhaled smoke from a fire, it would destroy your lung tissue.”
The University of Maryland Medical Center notes research that showed using NAC reduced flare-ups of both chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2010. NAC has been used as a mucous-thiner to break down mucous in the body, as well.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, doctors gave NAC through an IV to people who have overdosed on acetaminophen (Tylenol), to help prevent or reduce liver and kidney damage. Acetaminophen poisoning can also happen at lower doses if someone drinks alcohol or takes medications that may damage the liver on a regular basis. In another 6-month study, people who took 600mg of NAC two times a day had fewer flu symptoms than those who took a placebo.
Jerry Hickey, R.Ph explains, “NAC is good in the winter because it provides your immune system with the energy that it needs. The University of Genoa in Italy published their findings in the European Respiratory Journal about this, using almost 300 people over the age of 65 from 20 Italian medical centers. When they gave the participants NAC over the winter, it improved their immune function and strongly improved their resistance. This is because NAC energized their immune cells (white blood cells). Jule like the lungs have to be soaked and rich in antioxidants like NAC, your white blood cells do too so they can kill viruses and bacteria.”
When you take NAC, you protect your immune system from its own chemical weapons, so it can continue to fight against bacteria and viruses and be energized. It has more energy to do its job.