Restore the balance

Feeling low on energy? Bloated? Down with a case of the blahs? It could be that you don’t have enough bacteria in your digestive system. No, we’re not talking about the harmful bacteria that are in the news every so often. We’re talking about the friendly bacteria that help regulate your digestive system.

Your digestive system is where your body breaks down foods into basic nutrients and where these nutrients are absorbed. But you’re not doing all the digestive heavy lifting all by yourself. Shortly after we’re born, bacteria start living in our guts in a mutually beneficial relationship with our bodies. These bacteria help our immune system, break down some of the foods we can’t digest on our own into simpler substances, and even help us win the fight against harmful bacteria by crowding them out and competing for nutrients.

So you definitely want to keep the good bacteria around to feel your best. But sometimes things get out of balance and you need an extra boost. That’s when probiotics come in.

Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization as live microorganisms which, administered in the right amounts, have a positive impact on the host. Studies have suggested that probiotics can be helpful in:

• Treating diarrhea, especially diarrhea that follows treatment with certain antibiotics
• Preventing and treating vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
• Treating irritable bowel syndrome
• Speeding treatment of certain intestinal infections
• Preventing and treating eczema in children
• Preventing or reducing the severity of colds and flu^*

The best part is, the benefits of probiotics are easy to enjoy. Probiotics are common in fermented foods, from dairy products like yogurt and kefir to soy products like tempeh and miso, and even sauerkraut. And for an extra probiotic boost, you can try products like Activia^® with Bifidus Regularis^® as part of a healthy lifestyle to help keep your digestive system in great shape.

^* http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/probiotics/AN00389

^* This article is for information purposes only and is not intended as health or nutrition advice. For more information please contact your health care specialist or nutritionist.