I've been using
Bio-K lately as has my son. I am all for human strain bacteria's and am quite selective to the probiotics we use. In fact he's been drinking
Bio-K's Strawberry and a great little tip I learned while getting to know Bio-K is if you dip baby's soother in it, it can help reduce and even treat colic!
Before you know it, September will roll around and kids will be back in school. Wait am I talking about school starting when today is the last school day? LOL!
Well, consider
prepping your child's immune system for a hopefully
less sick school year. Probiotics strengthen the immune system but not all probiotics are created equally. Check out
my Q&A with Bio-K and learn some new things you may not have known before.
Clean up and re-balance your immune system as well!
Parents this is for you to be healthy as well and less sick. Check out Bio-K's
capsules.
Q. How does the body absorb animal, human or plant based bacteria's? And which one is the best and most beneficial to the gut?
Answer: At Bio-K, we use human strains. Which is the best and most beneficial to the gut is an entire subject on its own, and would really only be interesting to a more scientific audience. I would though, be happy to have our Director of Fundamental Research Mathieu Millette talk to you about it if you’re interested.
Q. Marketing for probiotic yogurt and beverages. How much of it is hoopla? What kind of strain are they using really to have an affect on us?
Answer: Very few. You have to check if any of these products have clinical studies proving the efficacy of the “added probiotic” on their packaging. There are two main bacteria in the production of yogurt, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. These yogurt bacteria cannot be called probiotic because they are yogurt bacteria. So yogurt bacteria and probiotic bacteria are two different things and they play different roles. Probiotic bacteria, as per the WHO’s definition, are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Many years ago, the scientific community and WHO declared that yogurt bacteria cannot be considered as a probiotic because of a lack of health benefits when evaluated in clinical trials. However, yogurt bacteria can benefit people suffering from lactose intolerance.
Q. Does the body absorb plant and animal based bacteria in the same way?
Answer: The body doesn’t absorb plant, animal or human based bacteria, it hosts them. Think of it like this: the body is the hotel and guests are the bacteria.
Q. I have heard that human strain bacteria is very safe? How true is this?
Answer: Very true, because human bacteria is in a familiar environment. Think of it as if you’re going back home. The majority of safety concerns published in scientific literature are when ICU patients or patients with other diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases or immunocompromised patients or patients that had recent gastrointestinal surgeries, consumed a probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii. Consumption of Lactobacillus acidophilus or bifidobacteria is considered to be really safe.
Q. Sometimes the gut is viewed as the second brain. How important is it to have a healthy gut for a healthy brain in growing children?
Answer: Numerous scientists have focused their research on the interactions between gut bacteria with systems outside the digestive tract such as the nervous system. It reveals intriguing connections between the brain and the gut, called the brain-gut axis. Animal studies demonstrated that mice and rats fed with different probiotic strains exhibited fewer signs of anxiety. It was also observed that mice pup harboring “normal microbiota” in their infancy have a correct brain development while the germ-free mice were more active and demonstrated risky behavior. It was also demonstrated that intestinal microbiota has an impact on the gene expression of brain cells involved in memory, learning and motor control. There is a lot of data that points to the role of the gut bacteria and especially probiotics on the brain development, mood balance and anxiety.
Q. How does the immune system work with probiotics and the gut, and why should we take them?
Answer: Probiotics act like a barrier for the immune system. The inner lining of the gut, when it’s colonized with good bacteria, such as the ones contained in Bio-K +, acts as a barrier against germs because good bacteria crowds out the bad bacteria. The more good bacteria you have in your gut, the better you feel. That’s why you should take a probiotic supplement every day to replenish your flora with good bacteria. Probiotics interact with the immune system which lies directly below the intestinal lining. In fact, it is said that 70% of the immune cells are located in Peyer’s patches (intestinal lymphoid organ). These cells are constantly detecting the good and the bad microorganisms in your gut. A correct intestinal microbial balance is really important for the balance of the immune system and probiotics contribute to the development, maturation and tolerance of the immune system.
Q. What are some health issues that can be treated with a good quality, human strain bacteria probiotic such as Bio-K?
Answer: It’s generally recognized that probiotics can help to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases, eczema, dermatitis, allergies, control intestinal transit, prevent infectious diarrhea, gastroenteritis, flu, cold, control mood, etc., but today, Bio-K+ probiotics are used in hospitals and as well to treat issues such as antibiotic associated diarrhea or used as a supplement after a patient has just gone through a treatment of antibiotics. In that particular situation, Bio-K+ will be used to protect the integrity of the intestinal microbiota otherwise destroyed by antibiotics. Also, probiotics like BioK can be used to help reduce the incidence of side-effects associated with antibiotics such as Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections.
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