Probiotics for Health and Vitality

Study after study from many of the most prestigious universities in the country support and advance the concept that probiotics are as important and basic to our health as a balanced diet and exercise. If you are like most people you say "wow, great, but what are probiotics"? Probiotics are simply micro-organisms (bacteria and yeasts) that live in our intestinal tract and contribute to our good health in exchange for a warm cozy place to live. In scientific terms this is considered a symbiotic relationship, both organisms are helped by the relationship and neither is harmed. Probiotic means "for life". These "friendly" microbes are found naturally in breast milk, foods such as yogurt, kefir, real sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, and Kombucha tea (Emperor's Best). Not all bacteria and yeast found in our digestive tract are good, some are bad or pathogenic (cause disease), other are neutral, others are good in limited amounts but bad at higher levels. Most microbes in our intestines can not be grown in a test tube; only about twenty percent are currently able to be cultured successfully. It is thought that we have over 500 different kinds of bacteria as a normal part of our digestive tract, and thousands and thousands of viruses. The make up or quantities of the different bacteria, what we refer to as intestinal flora is affected by diet, drugs (especially antibiotics), stress, and possibly even the water you drink. Studies show your health can be dramatically impacted by these shifts in flora; health can deteriorate or be regained.