Monday, December 31, 2007
Have you Fed your 'Good Bugs' Today?Most consumers have heard of probiotics and know that theyare foods containing live, beneficial bacteria. Foods suchas yogurt, buttermilk, miso or kefir are the most recognizedfoods providing `good' bacteria for the gut.But are you aware of the health benefits of prebiotics? In anutshell, prebiotics are the food to help the probioticsgrow and multiply. They are the food for your `good bugs'.A quick review of probiotics will help in understandingprebiotics. The advantage of beneficial living organisms infood, particularly lactic acid bacteria, has been known forcenturies. In fact, the Roman historian, Plinius, in 76 BC,recommended fermented milk for treating gastroenteritis. Inthe early 1900's, a Russian zoologist, Elie Metchnikoff,wrote about the health benefits of "friendly bacteria" andhypothesized that consumption of fermented milk productswere responsible for the long, healthy lives that Bulgarianpeasants enjoyed.Probiotics means "pro-life". The digestive tract is home toover 400 species of microorganisms. Some are `good bugs' andare `bad bugs' or unhealthy bacteria. Probiotics are the`good bugs'. Two of the most common strains are lactobacilliand bifidobacteria. It is believed that if a positivebalance of good bacteria is maintained, the bad bacteria areless able to cause disease and irritation.Here are some health benefits to taking probiotics:- inhibits growth of `bad bugs', or bacteria that causedisease- synthesizes vitamins, primarily B vitamins- increase availability of nutrients- decrease lactose intolerance- decrease symptoms of GERD (gastro-esophagealreflux disease)- decrease prevalence of allergies- boosts the immune responseAs mentioned earlier, prebiotics are food for probiotics.Consequently, the more you can feed and care for your `goodbugs', the healthier you can be!The Japanese have known the benefits of prebiotics foryears. In fact, a commercially prepared prebiotic("Neosugar") is currently used in over 500 Japanese foodproducts, from infant formulas to health products. The twomost common prebiotics are inulin and oligofructose. As asupplement, it will be listed as either inulin or FOS(fructooligosaccharides). Inulin or oligofructose arepresent in over 36,000 plant foods as plant storagecarbohydrates. Excellent food sources are chicory andJerusalem artichokes. In fact, most commercially preparedinulin comes from chicory, or else synthesized from sucrose.Other food sources include wheat, barley, rye, onions,garlic and leeks.Because flatulence, bloating and abdominal cramps can be anundesirable consequence of taking prebiotics (and evenprobiotics), it is recommended that anyone consideringtaking these in supplement form contact a healthcareprofessional familiar with such products for individualizedrecommendations. Those who could benefit from takingprobiotic and prebiotic supplements include:1 û People taking antibiotics which kill off the `goodbugs'in the intestinal tract.2 û People who suffer from diarrhea, constipation,gastrointestinal distress, and/or irritablebowel syndrome.3 û Women who suffer from chronic yeast and/or Candidainfections.Probiotic supplements are available as freeze-dried,powdered, capsules, wafers and liquids. Doses of Acidophilusand Bifidobacteria are expressed in billions of liveorganisms and a typical dose, unless otherwise recommended,is between 3 billion to 5 billion live organisms. Becauseprobiotics are living organisms and are fragile, they shouldalways be refrigerated. Products found on a shelf,therefore, are not going to contain live organisms and notbe as effective. The product label should guarantee acertain number of live organisms by the expiration date ofthe product. There should always be an expiration date.Prebiotics can be found either with a probiotic product orseparately, because FOS and inulin are food for theprobiotics. If purchased separately, they can be takentogether. Some people, because of the high number of `badbugs' in their gastrointestinal tract, cannot handle the twoproducts taken together in the beginning. This is where anexperienced healthcare professional can be beneficial. Thesuggested intake of FOS is 2-3 grams per day. Productscontaining vitamin C, whey protein, or cysteine may improvethe effectiveness of probiotics.This information is not intended to substitute for medicaladvice or care that you would receive from your healthcareprofessional, so always check with your provider. If you aretaking medications, or have health issues, make sure youstart these products under the care of a professional. Somepeople will notice no harmful effects and these products aregenerally very safe, but individual sensitivity can alterthe effects of such products.If something as simple as providing and feeding your `goodbugs' in the intestinal tract can improve subtle or severehealth issues, it's certainly time to start feeding our`good bugs' today!About the author:Marjorie Geiser has been teaching health, fitness and nutrition since1982. She is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personaltrainer and life coach. As the owner of MEG Fitness, Marjorie'sgoal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy eating andfitness into their busy lives. You can learn more about Marjorie fromher website, www.megfit.com, or contact her via email tomargie@....
Take Your Vitamins, but Don't Overdose on Them
We all know people who go to the local health store like GNC or High Health to get their supply of vitamins. They often go to these places because they feel or even know that they can get a better grade of vitamin there than at the local drug store or supermarket. While this is not a bad idea, a lot of the vitamins sold at the health stores come in much too high of a dose per pill or capsule. Sometimes it is just the person's belief that more is better, but all too often they purchase these mega-dose vitamins at the beckoning of the sales person working there who recommended them.
Long ago the U.S. government set the guidelines as to the proper levels of vitamins and minerals people should take and not exceed to help prevent overdose. Many people think that these assessed levels are too low, and believe that it is better to take much higher doses than what is recommended. The question is, is this safe to do?
Of course it is a good idea to take a vitamin and mineral supplement, but as it always was, it is still recommended that you get more of your vitamins and minerals from whole food sources. It is not a good idea to think that a poor, improper diet can be made up for by simply taking a handful of vitamin and mineral pills. While it is true that it is hard to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need daily from food alone, vitamin and mineral pills are only meant to fill these little gaps, not totally replace them.
When the Food and Nutrition Board of the Academy of Sciences set the recommended daily allowances for each vitamin and mineral, it was done based on studies that determined how much of each vitamin and mineral our body needed and how much we could reasonably obtain from food. It was determined that taking extra vitamins and minerals within the recommended guidelines was safe.
It is important to take vitamins and minerals because aside from being needed for normal bodily functions, they are important in fighting disease and helping to cure many ailments. Some people believe that they can prevent cancer, stop aging, ease arthritis, and help with lots of other conditions with vitamins. Billions of dollars are being spent on vitamins and minerals to be taken in mega-doses with the belief that they can cure many of their ailments.
There are many people who think that the RDA's should be increased because they believe that the current recommended doses are too low. Recently, the RDA's of some vitamins and minerals has been increased, such as vitamin C. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not been too eager to increase the RDA's of others because there are studies that indicate that taking more is not better. In fact, taking too much of some vitamins and minerals can cause both a toxin buildup as well as a mineral imbalance in the body.
Taking vitamin E at more than 1000mg for example increases the risk for possible bleeding. It had always been believed that taking mega-doses of vitamin C can cure a cold and even prevent cancer. The FDA however believes that too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea. There are also studies being conducted that are beginning to hint that if you take too big of doses of anti-oxidants while being treated for cancer, you may be feeding the cancer cells, making them resistant to chemotherapy.
The best approach to taking vitamin and mineral supplements is to stay within a moderate dose. This means that you do not need the "super huge mega size" multi-vitamin pills often sold in the health stores. There are plenty of multi-vitamins sold at these health stores that are within good, moderate, acceptable levels of vitamin and mineral content.
Remember this also, when the sales person working there attempts to sell you the outrageously big vitamin pills, they are doing so because those vitamins are usually more expensive and will bring in higher commissions. The vast majority of the people who work in these health stores do not have any degrees or certifications's in any area of nutrition and so are NOT qualified to determine how much of any vitamin or mineral you need.
If you think you may need more of any vitamin or mineral, the best approach is to consult with your doctor. Your doctor can assess your blood work results and determine whether you need more or even less of any of the vitamins or minerals.
About The Author:
Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com
Have you Fed your 'Good Bugs' Today?
Have you Fed your 'Good Bugs' Today?Most consumers have heard of probiotics and know that theyare foods containing live, beneficial bacteria. Foods suchas yogurt, buttermilk, miso or kefir are the most recognizedfoods providing `good' bacteria for the gut.But are you aware of the health benefits of prebiotics? In anutshell, prebiotics are the food to help the probioticsgrow and multiply. They are the food for your `good bugs'.A quick review of probiotics will help in understandingprebiotics. The advantage of beneficial living organisms infood, particularly lactic acid bacteria, has been known forcenturies. In fact, the Roman historian, Plinius, in 76 BC,recommended fermented milk for treating gastroenteritis. Inthe early 1900's, a Russian zoologist, Elie Metchnikoff,wrote about the health benefits of "friendly bacteria" andhypothesized that consumption of fermented milk productswere responsible for the long, healthy lives that Bulgarianpeasants enjoyed.Probiotics means "pro-life". The digestive tract is home toover 400 species of microorganisms. Some are `good bugs' andare `bad bugs' or unhealthy bacteria. Probiotics are the`good bugs'. Two of the most common strains are lactobacilliand bifidobacteria. It is believed that if a positivebalance of good bacteria is maintained, the bad bacteria areless able to cause disease and irritation.Here are some health benefits to taking probiotics:- inhibits growth of `bad bugs', or bacteria that causedisease- synthesizes vitamins, primarily B vitamins- increase availability of nutrients- decrease lactose intolerance- decrease symptoms of GERD (gastro-esophagealreflux disease)- decrease prevalence of allergies- boosts the immune responseAs mentioned earlier, prebiotics are food for probiotics.Consequently, the more you can feed and care for your `goodbugs', the healthier you can be!The Japanese have known the benefits of prebiotics foryears. In fact, a commercially prepared prebiotic("Neosugar") is currently used in over 500 Japanese foodproducts, from infant formulas to health products. The twomost common prebiotics are inulin and oligofructose. As asupplement, it will be listed as either inulin or FOS(fructooligosaccharides). Inulin or oligofructose arepresent in over 36,000 plant foods as plant storagecarbohydrates. Excellent food sources are chicory andJerusalem artichokes. In fact, most commercially preparedinulin comes from chicory, or else synthesized from sucrose.Other food sources include wheat, barley, rye, onions,garlic and leeks.Because flatulence, bloating and abdominal cramps can be anundesirable consequence of taking prebiotics (and evenprobiotics), it is recommended that anyone consideringtaking these in supplement form contact a healthcareprofessional familiar with such products for individualizedrecommendations. Those who could benefit from takingprobiotic and prebiotic supplements include:1 û People taking antibiotics which kill off the `goodbugs'in the intestinal tract.2 û People who suffer from diarrhea, constipation,gastrointestinal distress, and/or irritablebowel syndrome.3 û Women who suffer from chronic yeast and/or Candidainfections.Probiotic supplements are available as freeze-dried,powdered, capsules, wafers and liquids. Doses of Acidophilusand Bifidobacteria are expressed in billions of liveorganisms and a typical dose, unless otherwise recommended,is between 3 billion to 5 billion live organisms. Becauseprobiotics are living organisms and are fragile, they shouldalways be refrigerated. Products found on a shelf,therefore, are not going to contain live organisms and notbe as effective. The product label should guarantee acertain number of live organisms by the expiration date ofthe product. There should always be an expiration date.Prebiotics can be found either with a probiotic product orseparately, because FOS and inulin are food for theprobiotics. If purchased separately, they can be takentogether. Some people, because of the high number of `badbugs' in their gastrointestinal tract, cannot handle the twoproducts taken together in the beginning. This is where anexperienced healthcare professional can be beneficial. Thesuggested intake of FOS is 2-3 grams per day. Productscontaining vitamin C, whey protein, or cysteine may improvethe effectiveness of probiotics.This information is not intended to substitute for medicaladvice or care that you would receive from your healthcareprofessional, so always check with your provider. If you aretaking medications, or have health issues, make sure youstart these products under the care of a professional. Somepeople will notice no harmful effects and these products aregenerally very safe, but individual sensitivity can alterthe effects of such products.If something as simple as providing and feeding your `goodbugs' in the intestinal tract can improve subtle or severehealth issues, it's certainly time to start feeding our`good bugs' today!About the author:Marjorie Geiser has been teaching health, fitness and nutrition since1982. She is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personaltrainer and life coach. As the owner of MEG Fitness, Marjorie'sgoal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy eating andfitness into their busy lives. You can learn more about Marjorie fromher website, www.megfit.com, or contact her via email tomargie@....