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Note: New Leaf does not endorse any form of treatment, nor does it encourage you to undertake any such treatment on your own. We urge you to see your family healthcare practitioner before undertaking any kind of medical treatment. Supplements are to be taken with an appropriate diet, exercise program and advice from a qualified healthcare practitioner. |
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Probiotics - the good gut bugs Probiotic supplements contain beneficial micro-organisms that can assist with the health of your digestive system. The adult digestive system contains more than 500 species of resident bacteria mostly in the large bowel. These bacteria live in harmony with your body and help keep out disease causing bacteria, support the health of your immune system, and maintain the lining of the bowel. In certain circumstances the normal balance of these bacteria can be disrupted and probiotic supplementation can help restore this normal balance. |
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Why should I use Probiotics? There is evidence that probiotics can be of most benefit in the following situations: · Restoring the natural bacterial balance of your digestive system after taking oral doses (or even just one dose) of broad spectrum antibiotics or the long term use of the contraceptive pill. · The incidence of traveler’s diarrhea caused by irritants in food and water can be reduced by taking probiotics. · The severity of acute viral infectious diarrhea, especially the rotavirus, can be shortened by probiotics. Note, probiotics are ineffective where diarrhea is caused by bacteria. · Helps improve general wellbeing.
How much does your body need? Most people can get by without a probiotic supplement by keeping their digestive system healthy simply through eating foods that are high in fibre including fruit, vegetables, legumes, and wholegrain breads & cereals. Where this is not possible, you need to ensure that your probiotic supplements contain enough of the right strains of “good” bacteria for the treatment to be effective. An effective dose of probiotics requires about 10 billion colony forming units per day.
Supplements: Probiotic supplements vary a great deal in the dose of bacteria and the variety of included strains. Supplements such as Inner Health probiotics contain about 25 billion live “good” bacteria including medical strength Lactobacilus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Lactis organisms. Inner Health comes in vege-capsule and powder formulations, and also has a dairy free variety.
Summary: Evidence has shown that probiotic supplementation is safe for normal healthy people. However, to be of benefit check the labels of the product to ensure the dose is high enough and contains the appropriate strains.
References · “Probiotics: eat your bugs”, Peter Lavelle - The Pulse, ABC - 6-Mar-2008. · “Why is Acidophilus Good for Me?” - Inner Health website · “Beneficial Digestive Tract Bacteria” - Hyperhealth Pro 2006 (v6.0) |
