Use of Probiotics is Becoming More Important Every Day For You & Your Pet

Posted on June 13th, 2014

In today’s world, it is becoming more important to help those humans and animals that are exposed to all the daily, adverse, environmental exposures that help create many diseases.

The natural microbes that live in the body are also being slowly destroyed by the abundant use of antibiotics, whether prescribed or included in the foods we eat and feed our pets.

Probiotics are designed to help restore the normal microbes to the body and at the same time help reduce the effects of various disease processes that occur in people and in animals.

What is a probiotic?

Wikipedia says a probiotic is an ingested form of microorganisms which help create better health in humans and animals. The word probiotic came from the Latin word pro (for) and the Greek word Bios (life).

The concept of probiotics was introduced in 1907 by a researcher by the name of Eli Metchnikoff. According to Wikipedia, he suggested the following: “The dependence of the intestinal microbes on the food makes it possible to adopt measures to modify flora in our bodies and replace the harmful microbes with useful microbes”.

The World Health Organization’s definition of probiotics in 2001, according to Wikipedia is “Live micro-organisms, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits for the host.” In 2002, another group looked at various issues and designed “The Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Foods”.

NOTE: It must be remembered the probiotics must be alive to work!

The scientific world is concerned about the manufacturing techniques that will allow a probiotic viability, reproductivity, stability and the ability to survive an intestinal environment.

Any microbe that is included in probiotics, must list the following:

  1. Genus
  2. Species
  3. Strain

To determine if a probiotic and its microbes are safe to use, the following are the minimum requirements listed in Wikipedia:

  1. Determination of antibiotic resistance patterns
  2. Assessment of certain metabolic activities
  3. Assessment of side effects in human studies
  4. Epidemiological surveillance (Adverse incidence in consumers)
  5. The strain must be tested for toxin production
  6. Test for hemolytic activity

PROBIOTICS ARE USED TO HELP THE FOLLOWING DISEASES

  1. Allergies - Works best in infants with inhalant allergies
  2. Diarrhea - Especially diarrhea caused by infection
  3. Antibody induced diarrhea
  4. Lactose intolerance - Specific strains
  5. Lowering cholesterol - Limiting the breakdown of bile in the gut
  6. Blood pressure - Fermented milk and lactic acid bacteria, but they reduce blood pressure very little.
  7. Immune function with infection – Helps reduce the pathogens due to the immune dysfunction. It has also been reported that probiotics increase the number of plasma cells in the gut that produce the protective antibody IgA. Also it helps provide an increase in the T cells, the killer T cells and in phagocytosis.
  8. Helicobacter Pylori – Which is thought to cause peptic ulcers
  9. Inflammation - Some strains of lactic acid bacteria help with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and milk intolerance
  10. Sress induced bacterial growth - aids in reducing stress induced pathogens
  11. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Colitis
  12. Eczema - Specific strains may be of help
  13. Vitamin production - Certain strains of probiotics synthesize Vitamin K, Folic Acid and Vitamin B 12.

PROBIOTICS COME IN VARIOUS FORMS

  • Live culture usually comes from fermented dairy products and probiotic fortified foods.
  • They can also come in a freeze dried form in tablets, capsules, powders and sachets.

PROBIOTICS OCCUR IN CERTAIN FOODS

Wikipedia lists the following foods:

  • Pickled vegetables
  • Fermented bean paste - tempeh, miso and doenjang
  • Kefir
  • Buttermilk or karnemilk
  • Kimchi
  • Pao cai
  • Sauerkraut
  • Soy sauce
  • Zha cai

Hopefully you can somewhat understand what a probiotic is and what a probiotic does.

As our world progresses, so do the environmental contaminants. The exposure to radiation, damaging heavy metals, insecticides, GMO foods, anesthesia, vaccinations, antibiotics and various other medical prescriptions and procedures can all lead to an alteration in the protective microbes in the body, and when these various environmental insults alter their activity and their availability, diseases can begin.

The probiotic of today is meant to help prevent disease while also providing help for those who have already suffered from the damaging effects of their environment.

Hopefully this article will indicate to you how important it is to have a biologically active probiotic that contains those strains of microbes that will help protect and treat both you and your pet. For further information on which probiotic to use, please consult with your health care professional.

These are only my thoughts and I hope they help you and your pet live a healthier life.