Probiotic Bacteria Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

Probiotic Bacteria Assist With Digestion

By Tracy Kerr-Walshe

Our society has become increasingly more conscious of preventative health methods used to avoid heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening conditions. The news is full of stories about the benefits of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, flax seed, whole wheat and probiotic bacteria.

As we walk down the supermarket aisles, staring at the wide array of choices before us, we review our options and consider foods that are functional, as well as tasty. Why not buy the cholesterol-fighting cereal rather than the sugary cereal?

Why not purchase yogurt probiotics like Dannon Activa, rather than just regular yogurt if they both taste equally good? Of course, the label doesn’t tell you everything. Many people are wondering, "How exactly does something like probiotic bacterium work?"

Triggering The Production Of Digestive Enzymes

When food enters the mouth, our chewing action triggers the production of digestive enzymes used to break down the food. Small particles travel down the esophagus and into the stomach, where the food mixes with gastric juices and stomach acids before passing down through the small and large intestines.

Most food gets broken down into necessary proteins, fats or carbohydrate energy and distributed accordingly, while undigested material slips off to the colon for excretion. In the body, bacteria can be good, bad or neutral.

There are very few microbes present in the stomach or upper small intestine, but high traces are discovered in the lower small intestine, where they play a role in digesting lactose, producing vitamins and creating barriers against pathogenic bacteria.

Friendly Bacteria Lower The pH Of The Intestines

The byproducts of friendly bacteria are lactic and acetic acids, which lower the pH of the intestines and create conditions that are undesirable for pathogens. Probiotic bacteria like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are present in healthy intestines, so it’s no surprise that these same microbes are marketed in popular probiotics supplements.

Early research on probiotic bacteria concluded that the friendly bacteria must be able to attach itself to the gastrointestinal lining if it were to have any affect on the human host. It was also found that, as probiotic microbes age, they became less effective at sticking to the lining of the intestinal tract as well.

Competitive Inhibition

Without probiotics in the intestines, food-borne pathogens could escape into the rest of the body. However, more recent research suggests that the probiotic acidophilus and lactobacillus go to work via "competitive inhibition."

Dr. Robert Martindale of the Oregon Health and Science University asserts that, as with any living thing, bacteria must compete to survive. Therefore, it would make sense that probiotics naturally work to destroy harmful bacteria that threaten their survival.

Americans, by nature, have a rather large dose of gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, acid reflux, poor nutrient absorption, lactose intolerance, etc.

Adding Probiotic Products To Your Diet

Taking an evolutionary perspective, Goran Molin wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that since lactic acid fermented foods (used in ancient/developing world preservation methods) have been a significant part of the human diet for a long time; the body has come to expect such sources of live active bacteria.

Now that the Western world has moved on to other preservation methods and stopped eating such large quantities of probiotic bacteria, we see a host of ailments. Surely adding some more probiotic products to our daily diet can only be a good thing, in that case.

This Article was about Probiotic Bacteria.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

About the Author:
Tracy Kerr-Walshe is an author of articles on nutrition, healthy food, diet and weight loss including Protein Diets, Organic Foods, Healthy Snacks, Effective Weight Loss, Full Body Detox, Juice Fasting.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

More Facts About Probiotics...

What are probiotics?
Probiotics are supplements of live yeasts and bacteria. They are thought to be healthy for the body. These are often the ones that are found naturally in your body and in the foods that you eat. You probably have been ingesting them for years and just did not recognize it.

Thanks to the latest trend toward more healthy living, many people are touting the term "probiotic" as a way for people to try to attain a better health through natural sources. The thought process behind the use of a probiotic is to get rid of the harmful microbes found in your system and instead replaces them with useful microbes.

If you have ever been on a long course of antibiotics your doctor probably recommended you eat a daily serving of yogurt that contained live cultures. This was to replenish the good flora in your digestive system.