Gut Health at its best

19Jul

Probiotics

We hear and see this word so often today, just about every second product in the chiller section of the supermarket has probiotics added and it is most definitely used as a marketing tool.  So, what exactly is probiotics and what is the relationship with the gut?

We all have good and bad bacteria or yeast in our bodies, yes I know, it’s hard to believe but our bodies are essentially a compost bin! The good bacteria is called probiotic bacteria and lives in our digestive system.  It keeps your gut healthy, your body functions the way they should be and ensures food moves through the gut like it should.

There are two main types of probiotics – Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus is the most common type and found in yogurt and fermented foods and Bifidobacterium is found in some dairy products. But we won’t go into that today!

Probiotics or gut bacteria, like us humans need to be kept alive with food! Probiotic is kept alive by resistant starches’, yes they are part of the starch family.  Starches are long chains of glucose which are found in grains, potatoes and other food but not all starch is digested. Resistant starch feeds the friendly gut bacteria by turning into a by-product that supports the function of the colon.  In the colon it reduces the PH levels of the body resulting in reduced inflammation and various digestive disorders.

It is so important that we eat a balanced fresh diet in order for our body let alone our gut to operate at optimal levels. At the conference in August we will be talking more in depth about this plus loads more.