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::FoodSmarts
Gut Check
Probiotics can help boost your health andweight-loss efforts.
BY ANDREA PLATZMAN, MS, RD
IN TODAY’SWORLD OF FOOD-SAFETY scares, antibacterial kitchen cleaners and bacteria-resistant cutting boards, the message is clear: Eradicate bacteria if you want to stay healthy. Sound advice? Yes, unless you are talking about a different breed of bacteria—the good kind. These “friendly” bugs, which natu- rally inhabit the intestinal tract, have taken on the term“probiotics.” Coined from two Greek words mean-
ing “for life,” probiotics are the bacteria you need. In fact, not having enough of them can signal some trouble ahead. At the same time that food-borne illnesses are posing more of a problem, allergies, intestinal conditions and autoimmune diseases are also on the rise. “Though no one knows why, some researchers suggest there is a link between these conditions and our modern lifestyle, which affords less exposure to benefi- cial bacteria,” notes Kristin Latzo, MS, nutrition health and wellness consultant in Seattle. Probiotics are not a new concept.
Europeans have been taking them for years, buying everything from fruit juices to cheeses to yogurts that have been injected with friendly bacteria. Recently, these products have been making their way into the U.S. market in increasing numbers. However, a recent national survey carried out by Opinion Research Corporation revealed that only 15% of American adults were familiar with probiotics.
14 IHRSA |
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It’s always a good idea to get some culture in your life.
MEET THE GOOD BACTERIA
Healthy bacteria in the form of intestinal flora flourish naturally in the gastroin- testinal system, where they limit the ability of harmful bacteria tomultiply and thrive. But when we encounter stress or ingest antibiotics, the populations of these good bacteria tend to diminish inside the body, leaving us more suscep- tible to stomach problems and other diseases. By consuming probiotics and prebiotics (nondigestible fibers), you can replenish the needed supplies of the good bacteria. A typical person’s intestines harbor
more than 400 species of bacteria at any one time, totaling 100 trillion cells!
Of the many species, Lactobacillus (L.) and Bifidobacterium (B.) are the most well-researched and commonly used probiotics. Lactobacillus is a common culture
found in yogurt. “The relevance and usefulness of these probiotics is that they are able to convert sugar and other carbohydrates into lactic acid, which helps lower gut pH, enhance mineral absorption and assist the body’s naturally occurring gut flora to restore balance. This is why yogurt is well-tolerated even by people who are lactose-intolerant,” explains Latzo. Probiotic consumption has been linked tomany disease-preventing and health-
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