Why We Need Probiotics and The Benefits of Kefir

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NaturalNews.com

October 13 2008

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/024477.html

 

Why We Need Probiotics and The Benefits of Kefir

by Barbara L. Minton (see all articles by this author)

 

 

(NaturalNews) Do you cringe when someone mentions probiotics because

you really don't want to think about those zillions of bacteria

living in your gut? Swallowing down some more to add to the pile may

not sound like an appealing thought, but the truth is that taking

probiotics is probably one of the best interventions you can do to

stay healthy or regain your health. That's because those four pounds

of little critters in your gut are to a very large degree your immune

system. They hold the keys to your very existence.

 

Beautiful symbiosis

 

The perfect relationship between you and your bacteria is the one

where you keep them happy and they keep you happy. They are easier to

please that you are. All they want is some light. You can pick that

up when you are in the sun or even in artificial lighting, and your

chryptochrome cells will take it down to them. A little sugar makes

them happy too, and current thought is that they also like

reproductive hormones. Give them these three things and will be happy.

 

What you want from them is to be your unpaid personal bodyguards, to

be willing to go to war against unfriendly bacteria, viruses,

pathogens and foreign invaders to defend you. When they are up to the

task of winning those wars you will stay healthy and able to maintain

your positive outlook. You also want your bacteria to help you out

with digestion of the food you eat, and to make sure that the

nutrients from it are absorbed so you can use them well.

 

What can go wrong in the relationship between you and your bacteria

 

Probably the worst thing that can happen to ruin this happy

relationship is taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill off your

bodyguards along with your enemies. When your bodyguards are lying

dead you have no defense. Your digestion will suffer and you will

experience the digestive blues characterized by rumbling in your

digestive tract, gas, belching, and even more things too gross to

mention here. If your digestion gets really bad you will become

malnourished. Your body will not have the nutrients it needs to keep

you healthy and your health will deteriorate. This downward spiral

can set you up to be a prime candidate for degenerative disease along

with leaving you wide open to be infected by parasites and other

unwanted microorganisms.

 

Even if you aren't a taker of antibiotics, your herd of bacteria can

become so depleted that it can no longer do what you want it to do.

Pesticides in the food you eat and chlorine in the water you drink

will slowly poison bacteria and over time your intestinal tract can

become just as devoid of them as if you had taken antibiotics. When

this happens, unfriendly microorganisms such as disease-causing

bacteria, yeasts and fungi set up shop in your digestive tract. Then

you've got a problem because it is very difficult to evict them.

 

Why probiotics are so important

 

Probiotics are friendly bacteria similar to those found in people's

guts, especially in the guts of breastfed infants who have been

provided this natural protection against many diseases by their

mothers. Most friendly bacteria come from the Lactobacillus or

Bididobacterium groups. There are several different species of

bacteria in each group. Some probiotics are also friendly yeasts.

 

Taking probiotics is a way to keep your friendly bacteria population

up to full strength so it is always at the ready to defend you. It is

a way to replenish the bacteria that are killed off by the pesticides

and chlorine. If you have taken antibiotics, taking probiotics is

even more important because you probably have unfriendly

microorganisms living in your gut that your reduced levels of

friendly bacteria are having difficulty handling. Taking probiotics

will increase and strengthen your friendly bacteria population to a

level that will allow it to oust the intruders.

 

Kefir may be the best way to take probiotics

 

Kefir is a creamy, drinkable yogurt style fermented milk that tastes

something like buttermilk. Before you say " yuck " please note that

kefir is available at health food stores in natural fruit flavors and

sweetened with evaporated cane juice, as well as in a plain,

unsweetened variety. If you make it at home, it can be made to taste

like whatever appeals to you and out of whatever type of milk you

like, such as almond milk or coconut milk. It's full of naturally

occurring bacteria and yeast living in symbiosis as the result of the

fermentation process. Kefir is loaded with vitamins, minerals and

easily digested protein. It can even be consumed by the lactose

intolerant because the yeast and bacteria provide the enzyme lactase,

an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing

process.

 

Kefir is fermented by kefir grains that contain the bacteria and

yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk protein) and complex

sugars. The bacteria and yeast mixture can actually colonize the

intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match. Several of the

strains of bacteria in the kefir culture are not found in yogurt. The

yeast in kefir is able to deal effectively with pathogenic yeasts in

the body. The bacteria/yeast team cleanses and fortifies the

intestinal tract making it more efficient at resisting pathogens.

 

Because kefir is a balanced and nourishing food, it has been used to

help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes,

and cancer. It has a tranquilizing effect on the nervous system and

is beneficial for people with sleep disorders, depression and ADHD.

Kefir promotes healthy bowel movements when used regularly, and helps

reduce flatulence. It also helps reduce food cravings by allowing the

body to feel more nourished and balanced.

 

Recent studies document some of kefir's benefits

 

Although kefir is as old as ancient time, it has only recently begun

to be studied. In the June edition of BMC Immunology Journal,

researchers evaluated the effect of probiotic fermented milk on the

offspring of nursing mice. They found that the milk consumption

either by the mother during nursing or by the offspring after weaning

modified the development of bifidobacteria population in the large

intestine of the mice. These modifications were accompanied by a

decrease of enterobacteria population. The administration of the milk

to the mothers improved their own immune system and this also

affected their offspring.

 

Offspring from mice that received the milk increased S-IgA in

intestinal fluids which mainly originated from their mother's immune

system. A decrease in the number of macrophages, dendritic cells and

IgA+ cells during the suckling period in offspring fed with the

fermented milk was observed. Researchers thought this could be

related to the improvement of the immunity of the mothers, which

passively protected their babies. At day 45, the immune systems of

the babies reached a maturity that reflected the effects of the milk

on the stimulation of their intestinal mucosal immunity. This study

suggests that kefir would be of great benefit to both nursing mothers

and their babies.

 

The Journal of Medicine and Food, June edition, reported an

investigation to determine probiotic properties of kefir. Researchers

used a carbohydrate fraction isolated from kefir to test for anti-

inflammatory activity both in vitro and in vivo using rats. Results

indicated a significant reduction in rat paw edema and overall trauma

after treatments with kefir compared to the control rats.

 

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a naturally occurring fatty acid

found in kefir and other ruminant products that has been shown to

possess anti-cancer activities in in-vivo animal models and in vitro

cell culture systems. The BMC Cancer Journal, July edition, reports a

study to determine the effects of CLA on apoptosis (programmed cell

death) in human breast tissue. Researchers found that CLA induced

apoptosis through estrogen receptor alpha in the breast cells. These

findings suggest that the affect of estrogen on breast tissue is

modulated by CLA.

 

More about kefir

 

Kefir has many other nutritive features in addition to bacteria and

yeast. It is loaded with minerals and essential amino acids. Its

protein is partially digested in the fermentation process making it

easily utilized by the body. Kefir contains significant amounts of

tryptophan, the amino acid that promotes relaxation and sleep, making

it a good choice for a nightcap. It is also rich in vitamin B-12,

vitamin K and biotin.

 

Whole Foods Market has a good selection of ready to drink kefir.

Starters for kefir are available online.

 

Source:

 

www.kefir.net

 

 

 

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About the author

Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of

personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using " alternative "

treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all

things natural.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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