Gut

When the Bacteria in Your Body Is Off Balance

The bacteria in your body can get off balance. This can be caused by the intake of antibiotics. This is because antibiotics don’t just destroy bad bacteria, they can also destroy good bacteria. Taking probiotics can help to keep the bacteria in your body balanced. Here are some parts of your body that may be affected by the imbalance of the bacteria, as well as the symptoms caused by the imbalance of bacteria.

Intestinal Bacteria

The majority of the bacteria is found in the large intestine where important functions are done. Bacteria like the bacteroides, bifidobacterium and blostridium help to stimulate the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. These bacteria can destroy toxic digestive by-products and can synthesize vitamin K. When your colon contains healthy colonies of bacteria, the colonies prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the food you eat.

The Colon

In some situations the good bacteria in your colon may die. As mentioned, this occurs when you take antibiotics. The amount of good and bad bacteria in your colon is then off balance and the pathogenic organisms can grow out of control. You will then experience diarrhea. When you have diarrhea, you colon fails to absorb the water as it should, resulting in a loss of fluids. Digestion is usually impaired causing you to lose electrolytes, proteins, and vitamins.

The Small Intestine

Usually, the healthy bacteria in your body is present in your colon with only a few in your small intestine. But if you have Crohn’s disease or diabetes, you might suffer from an overgrowth of microorganisms in your small intestine. This can cause some very serious digestion problems.

Bad bacteria in your small intestine needs nutrients to grow. This interferes with absorption and then destroy cells in your small intestine. This situation causes diarrhea because of the interference with digestion. You will have abdominal discomfort and if this persists, weight loss and malnutrition can occur.

Remedies

If the good and the bad bacteria in your body become off balance, there are things you can do to relieve any pain and symptoms. If you are experiencing digestive problems, it is recommended that you eat probiotic foods. Probiotics contain live cultures of bacteria similar to the healthy types that inhabit your colon.

Some examples of foods that contain probiotics. Yogurt contains plenty of probiotics. It might also help to consume prebiotic supplements. These contain indigestible carbohydrates which good bacteria use as food. Prebiotics can help to correct the imbalance of bacteria in your body and this will in turn correct your digestive tract.

Your body warns you when something is wrong. So if you have any difficulties digesting food, your body is trying to tell you something. Be sure to listen to it. Add some probiotics to your diet because it will help to correct any imbalances of bacteria in your body.

Understanding the Bacteria in Your Body

In your body you have a large amount of bacteria. Ever since you were born, bacteria have had a place to call home inside of your body. They have colonized your body and they live there happily with everything they could ever need. There are both good and bad bacteria in your body. They all have their own jobs and they all do their own thing. Here is a list of the most harmful and the most beneficial bacteria that inhabit our bodies:

The Most Harmful Bacteria

* Streptococcus pyogenes – This type of bacteria causes a sore throat and skin infections that may worsen. When an infection worsens, it could lead to life-threatening issues like toxic shock syndrome.

* Escherichia coli – This type of bacteria causes diarrhea. However, some pathogenic strains may lead to more of a bloody diarrhea and circulatory shock.

* Staphylococcus – This type of bacteria lives on the skin. It is harmless unless it enters the body. It can enter during surgery and then inhabit heart valves or artificial joints. That’s when it can cause very dangerous and serious infections.

The Most Beneficial Bacteria

* Lactobacillus acidophilus – This type of bacteria lives in many parts of your body. The most common place is your intestine, vagina, and oral cavity. It helps to ensure your vagina does not get an overgrowth of microorganisms and it’s responsible for the pH scale of the vagina to be slightly acidic. This bacteria has also been known to boost immunity.

Because of all the benefits it has, it is used in food supplements. It is also found naturally in foods like yogurt, tempeh and miso.

* Bacillus subtilis – This helps to normalize gut motility and metabolic functioning. It is found in foods like yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream, and fermented soybeans.

* Bifidobacterium animalis – This type is found in the intestine of both humans and animals. It aids in the digestion process. If you are constipated or have irritable bowel syndrome, you can take this in supplemental doses to ease and improve the symptoms.

* Streptococcus thermophilus – This type of bacteria can strengthen immunity and can strengthen the function ability of the gut. It can be obtained from dairy products like cheese.

* Lactobacillus reuteri – This type is found in maternal breast milk and will become a permanent part of the gut flora. It can also be found in foods like cheese and yogurt.

We have been trained to think that all bacteria is bad. But without the bacteria in our bodies, we wouldn’t be able to break down food or create nutrients needed for us to survive. The bacteria inhabited in our bodies also determines whether or not we experience diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain.

Health Issues Caused by Bacterial Imbalances

If you are experiencing digestive problems along with some discomfort, you could have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. Many ongoing health problems are overlooked, and the health problems the person is having can be related to many different things. And sometimes those things can lead to worse things if not treated.

Some health problems that are caused by an imbalance of bacteria include:

* An unhealthy digestive flora – This can be caused by the overgrowth of the bacteria candida. This can also result in a weakness in the gut membrane. Healthy gut by-products will then be produced which helps to keep the intestinal lining strong, but without enough good bacteria, the intestinal tract becomes highly vulnerable to damage. This will then lead to inflammation, which can result in an ulceration. This will destroy the mucosal lining of the intestinal wall.

* Bacterial vaginosis – A woman’s vagina has a natural occurrence of bacteria, but there’s an even mixture of good and bad. When that bacteria is disrupted and the mixture between the good and bad bacteria is uneven, it causes bacterial vaginosis.

Approximately 16% of expecting mothers have bacterial vaginosis. Some women who have bacterial vaginosis don’t have any symptoms. But the women who do have symptoms may experience discharge with a strong and foul odor, vaginal discharge that may be white or gray in color, vaginal itchiness, a painful or burning sensation when urinating, and/or vaginal odor that is very strong, and with a fishy smell after sex.

If bacterial vaginosis is left untreated, it can lead to more serious illnesses. These include:

1. Pelvic inflammatory disease – This is an inflammation of the female reproduction system. This includes the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the ovaries. Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to many difficulties, including ectopic pregnancy and infertility.

2. Pregnancy complications – Many expecting mothers have had underweight babies because of bacterial vaginosis. It is also known to cause premature ruptures of the membrane which means that your water breaks too early.

3. A greater chance at getting a sexually transmitted disease – Women who are infected by bacterial vaginosis have a greater chance at contracting HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.

4. Increased risk of infection – There is a greater chance that after surgery, women affected by bacterial vaginosis may develop an infection afterwards. Those infections typically attack the reproductive system.

If you experience any symptoms, consult your doctor. They’ll prescribe either oral antibiotics, or you’ll get medication in the form of a cream which will be inserted into your vagina. Be sure to use all your antibiotics and listen to what your doctor says. If you don’t, there’s a good chance that you’ll get bacterial vaginosis again.

If you suspect that you have any of these illnesses, see your doctor. It’s important to get the problem fixed before it gets worse and leads to something more serious.

Take care of your body. There are ways to prevent these things from happening. Taking probiotics will help. Bacterial imbalances happen when taking antibiotics, but probiotics can help erase the bad that the antibiotics can do to your body. There are also some probiotics specifically for women that are great to take.

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for your health but especially good for your digestive system. When we think of bacteria we think about how they cause diseases and about how harmful bacteria can be. But the bacteria found in probiotics are helpful to your body – most specifically, your gut. They will help food go through your gut properly.

Probiotics have even been shown to treat bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, and antibiotic-related diarrhea. Some people have also said that probiotics help skin conditions like eczema, urinary and vaginal health, help prevent allergies, and maintain oral health. Studies have also shown that while taking probiotics, there is an increase in the efficiency and function of the brain.

With the right amount of probiotics in your system, it makes it harder for any harmful bacteria to make their way into your body and make you sick.

Food Containing Probiotics

Probiotics are naturally found in your body. You find them in the food and the supplements that you eat. Probiotics are mostly found in foods like:

* Yogurt – This is one of the most familiar sources of probiotics. When buying yogurt, look for the ones saying “live and active cultures.”

* Sauerkraut – Eat the unpasteurized sauerkraut because pasteurization will kill the active and good bacteria.

* Sourdough bread – This is the best bread for you to eat because this bread helps the most with digestion.

* Sour pickles – Eating pickles without the use of vinegar in the pickling process is the best. Instead, look for pickles with a sea salt and water solution. This type of pickle will help feed the growth of good bacteria and will help with digestion.

Why Probiotics Keep Us Healthy

As mentioned, probiotics are so important for people to include in their diets because they has been shown to improve people’s health. They keep us healthy in a number of ways:

1. After taking antibiotics, some of the good bacteria may be lost. Probiotics can help to replace the good bacteria that you lost.

2. When taking probiotics, you are reducing the number of “bad” bacteria that can cause diseases in your body.

3. They help to balance the good and bad bacteria in your body, which will help your body to work like it should.

Types of Probiotics

There are different types of probiotics. These include:

* Lactobacillus – This is the most important probiotic. You’ll find this one in food products like yogurt and some other fermented foods. This type of probiotic can help with diarrhea and may help people who cannot digest lactose.

* Bifidobacterium – This type of probiotic can be found in most dairy products. This type will most likely help with any symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Probiotics have been shown to be very beneficial. They help to prevent future sicknesses and help to treat the symptoms of certain illnesses. To help keep your body as healthy as it can possibly be, incorporating probiotics into your diet should be something to consider.

How to Choose Probiotic Supplements

Finding the right type of probiotic for your body is very important. But unfortunately it’s not as easy as you want it to be. There is a large range of probiotics, all with different ingredients and different things they do for your body. To find the right probiotic, follow these steps and tips:

1. Read the Label

It’s important to read the probiotic label so you know exactly what types of probiotics are in the product. All labels should include:

* The species and strain of the microorganisms. Many labels only include the species, but the different strains provide different benefits.

* Number of organisms in a single dose and how often you should take it. Choose one with at least seven strains and five billion colony-forming units (CFU).

* Storage information. The label needs to tell you the best storage for the probiotics. Always keep your probiotics away from heat and moisture.

* “Live and active cultures”. When buying yogurt, look for the yogurt that has this on the label. If the label doesn’t have this, the probiotic bacteria could be dead.

* Encapsulated pills ensure that the bacteria can survive through the acidity in your stomach and be able to reach your colon.

* Certification by an independent third party. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate most probiotics. This means that the amount of bacteria stated on the container may not be accurate. Always be sure that everything has been tested.

2. Cure Whatever Symptoms That You Have

Probiotics help with our immune systems and our digestive systems. They will help with any yeast infections you may have and any digestive problems you have come across. Look for these things in a probiotic:

* Find a probiotic with multiple strains of bacteria. This is because the gut contains 30-40 strains. The more strains, the happier and healthier you will be.

Here is a list of different health conditions that probiotics can help with:

* If you’re traveling, take saccharomyces boulardii a couple of weeks before your trip. Taking this probiotic will help prevent traveler’s diarrhea. Many people get this by digesting food or water that has been infected with bacteria.

* If you’re lactose intolerant, you should take lactobacillus bulgaricus. This will help the gut to digest lactase.

3. Feed and Treat Your Gut Properly

Having the right probiotics is important for your gut, but now you have to keep it healthy. The bacteria in your colon thrive on non-digestible fibers. This is also known as prebiotics. Feed the bacteria two-four servings of garlic, bananas, artichokes, whole grains, and honey to keep your gut happy and healthy. Most probiotics already have prebiotics in them but they’ll be listed on the label as inulin.

Choosing the right probiotic for your body is very important. Probiotics have been known to get rid of any symptoms of sickness and it’s used to prevent illnesses from happening. This is one of the reasons why finding the right probiotic is so important. Doing some research on the perfect probiotic for you ensures that you get a good quality product. If you’re ever not sure on the best probiotic for you, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor.

How to Correctly Use Probiotics

Probiotics have been shown to be amazing for your body, especially your gut. Here are some tips to ensure that the probiotics you’re consuming aren’t going to waste.

1. Seek Out the Fermented Foods

Fermentation concentrates the vitamins in plants, such as B and C vitamins. When you eat fermented products, your gut is then filled with good bacteria. Foods in this category include yogurt, miso, sourdough bread, tamari, and Kombucha. These foods all contain natural probiotics.

Sauerkraut is also a great option. It’s one of the cheapest probiotics that you can buy. The best sauerkraut with the most probiotics is the one that is fermented in saltwater. Don’t buy the foods submerged in vinegar because the
vinegar disturbs the gut’s natural acidic level.

2. Be Selective When Purchasing Probiotic-Enriched Foods

The only foods with probiotics are the fermented foods. However, food manufacturers have recently started putting beneficial bugs into everything they make. Those foods include things like cereal, bread, and snack bars. When probiotic cultures are separated from their original source and then added to processed foods, the benefits of the probiotics do not transfer.

Extreme temperatures can kill any healthy bugs too, so the advantages of probiotics when added to things like ice cream, become debatable.

3. Buy and Store Any Probiotic-Rich Foods in Glass Jars

Don’t put your probiotics in a metal tin. The aluminum used in the tin can interfere with the lactic acid in fermented foods and create toxins. You also should never put your probiotics in soft plastics because loose chemicals could push
their way into your food.

4. Chill the Probiotics

After you open the probiotic food, place it in the refrigerator. If you keep your probiotics chilled, you can help prolong the life of the probiotic. If you place the food in the refrigerator, useful bacteria can multiply on the food as long as the container is not contaminated in any way. Live supplements can survive weeks, even months, in the refrigerator. They’ll survive even longer if they’re freeze-dried.

5. Analyze Your Foods and Supplement Needs

If you are trying to tackle a digestive issue, you might want to go for the probiotic supplement. Don’t just buy random foods with probiotics, though. Each type of probiotic does a different thing. You should know that the strain which
combats irritable bowel syndrome is different than the one that fights urinary tract infections, for example.

If you’re unsure, consult the supplement manufacturer. However, if you are simply just trying to improve your health, you might want to go with the high-quality, probiotic-rich foods rather than a supplement.

6. Eat Less Junk Food

Processed foods contain ingredients that irritate the gut, which makes it hard for the good stuff to flourish. An occasional cookie won’t do you any harm, but if you have junk food every day it can inflame the gut’s lining. Eventually the bad bacteria will rule the roost. This weakens the stomach acid, which will slow the nutrient absorption and concentrate bile. This can then prevent the necessary evacuation of toxins. The result is an increase in your risk of nutrient deficiencies and hormone-related cancers.

It is important to make sure that while taking probiotics you don’t do anything to prevent the probiotics from working correctly.

This topic would not be complete without touching upon parasites!  Parasites can wreak havoc in your body as well:  Here are some symptoms of parasites:

• Mood disorders
• Strong cravings for processed and sugary foods
• Anemia or iron deficiency 
• Skin ailments such as hives, rashes, and eczema
• Recurring yeast infections like candida
• Sleep apnea
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Teeth grinding 
• Food allergies/food sensitivities
• Loss of appetite
• Persistent digestive problems (cramps, bloating, gas, etc.)
• Sore/stiff joints
• Breathing problems
• anal itching

Most people have parasites although the type may vary.  Doing a parasite cleanse twice a year is best. These parasites are living off of you and stealing valuable nutrients from your body.  So you may be taking supplements but still not receiving the benefits of them due to parasites.  Sugar and other processed foods feed these parasites.  

To truly rid yourself of parasites you’ll need to do a few things.  Getting rid of parasites won’t do you any good if you keep an unhealthy diet.  Doing a parasite cleanse and taking specific herbs that address parasites is best.  You may have to keep this up for many weeks up to possibly a year as parasites come in cycles.  

 

Keep your immune system strong and eat healthy to avoid creating a breeding ground for parasites.