Our Gut Flora & Probiotics:
Our gut, or intestines, has a rich environment filled with hundreds of different species of ‘good bacteria.’ These good bugs, called our ‘flora’ start to enter the gut and set up shop when we are born and begin to multiply and increase in diversity as we grow. They help us to break down the food we eat, and also aid the gut’s immune system to protect our body from ‘bad’ bacteria that enter our body’s through our digestive tracts.
Recent research into Irritable Bowel Syndrome has found that people who suffer from IBS have ‘disturbed’ or ‘different’ flora than those who don’t have Irritable Bowel syndrome. Therefore, probiotics for IBS supplements have been tried in IBS to help ‘regrow’ and repopulate the gut with ‘good’ bugs or flora.
Probiotics for IBS are very effective for some people in treating their IBS symptoms, and I have personally seen cases of complete remission with the use of probiotics.
Types of Probiotics for IBS:
What are Probiotics? They are ‘good’ bacteria that have been put into a capsule so we can take the in pill form. You can also get probiotics from fresh yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk, Kombucha tea, and fermented vegetables such as Korean Kimchi, miso and Sauerkraut.
The 3 Strains (or types) of ‘good bacteria’ usually used to make probiotic capsules are:
- Lactobacilii
- Bifidobacteria
- Saccharomyces
Where do I get Probiotics and How do I Store them?
Many probiotic capsules need to be kept cold in the fridge to stay active, although you can find brands that you can keep on the shelf, but the are often not as effective. A good health food store or Holistic or Natural Pharmacy should carry these products