Probiotics(women health)

3 new benefits of probiotics
1. Probiotics and weight loss.
The latest research shows that probiotics may
help you lose weight — up to twice as much
according to one study . While we’ve known for
a while that during weight loss there are
changes in intestinal bacterial composition, a
recent study focused on the possibility that
certain bacteria caused weight loss.
Researchers found a group of overweight adults
taking a probiotic lost twice as much weight as
the non-probiotic group. The 24-week study
followed 125 overweight people as they dieted
for 12 weeks and then followed a 12-week
maintenance diet.
2. Probiotics and improved mood.
Our gut bacteria is connected to how our brain
works — specifically to how we react
emotionally to specific stimuli. In the first study
of its kind, 45 healthy women took no product,
a non-fermented dairy product (placebo), or a
probiotic dairy product. Over four weeks they
were randomly shown pictures of negative
emotional faces while their brain activity was
monitored. Compared to the other groups,
women receiving probiotics showed
significantly less emotional arousal during the
experiment. Another small study showed a
probiotic formula containing Lactobacillus
helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum to
reduce psychological distress in test subjects.
3. Probiotics and allergy prevention.
Have you noticed that problems with common
foods like nuts or corn are becoming more
common? Gut flora imbalances may contribute
to the development of allergic hypersensitivities
to foods that are normally tolerated.
You may not realize that each day as you eat,
your body must deal with a huge load of foreign
material — an astonishing 25 tons of food over
the course of your life. Intestinal microbiota (or
gut flora), along with the immune system, help
sort of which foreign substances are friend vs.
foe, especially in the very early stages of life.
Poor digestion and/or microbial imbalance can
throw a wrench into this process, leading to
hypersensitivities or allergies.
What’s more, up to 50% of people with food
sensitivities may suffer from leaky gut — a
problem that can be helped by probiotics.
Disrupted gut microbiota is a major cause of
leaky gut, which then allows toxins and
incompletely digested food molecules to slip
past the intestine and trigger inflammation.
Should you take probiotics?
The short answer is most likely yes. The
natural bacteria in your digestive system can
easily be thrown out of balance by factors such
as stress, a junk-food diet, and antibiotics,
which don’t just knock out the bad bugs, they
also knock out those essential to our health.
Think twice before asking your doctor for
antibiotics, especially if your symptoms appear
viral rather than bacterial (your healthcare
practitioner can help you determine this).
A probiotic supplement increases beneficial
microorganisms in your system — especially
important if you eat lots of refined carbs,
experience chronic stress, have had more than
a few courses of antibiotics, have digestive
problems/Bowel symptoms, or have food
sensitivities.
Considering the amount of antibiotic-tainted
meats and poultry these days, most of us are
probably better off taking a probiotic regularly
and avoiding animal products that are not
antibiotic-free. Sadly, common herbicides like
Roundup® have also been observed to
compromise gut flora.
Keep in mind that probiotics are also found in
fermented foods like yogurt (live-culture, not
the cheap stuff), kefir, kombucha, tempeh,
sauerkraut and kim chee. Try to regularly
include naturally-fermented foods in your diet,
while minimizing your intake of sweets and
simple carbohydrates.
I realize that you may not want to think too
much about the bugs in your intestines. But it’s
high time you made peace with these
microbes! They deserve your support, and in
doing so, you’ll be taking an important step to
feel better.