Probiotics

[zill]

Does ingesting them help with intestinal health at all?

Haven't researched much about them but my opinion is that if you have a healthy diet then they shouldn't be needed. But if not then they might be helpful?

[mick243]

Does ingesting them help with intestinal health at all?

My opinion is that if you have a healthy diet then they shouldn't be needed. But if not then they might be helpful?

they can be helpful, if you need them, for instance after a course of antibiotics....... but if youre otherwise healthy with a decent diet, just like "vitamins", probably a waste of cash.

[eeksll]

@Oxford, do you eat your yoghurt at any particular time of the day? or just whenever?

[petie]

http://humanfoodproject.com/rebecoming- ... -gatherer/

This is only loosely related to your original question but does follow the same thread and refers to probiotics a couple of times. My take, as above, yoghurt is good enough and actually has dietary value.

[Parker]

Probiotics are a new thing, once upon a time, the py didn't exist

[mick243]

Probiotics are a new thing, once upon a time, the py didn't exist

They've always existed... Now they just have a name and marketing...

[Parker]

Probiotics are a new thing, once upon a time, the py didn't exist

They've always existed... Now they just have a name and marketing...

Really? I've never taken one

[zill]

Probiotics are a new thing, once upon a time, the py didn't exist

They've always existed... Now they just have a name and marketing...

Really? I've never taken one

Probiotics is defined to be bacteria that we consume in food or beverages that have health benefit. Surely you have subconsciously taken one (gazillion) of them!

My question was more if consumption of probiotic supplement was definitely helpful.

[Parker]

I've never taken a pro biotic in tablet form, I've never even thought oh wow, I need a pro biotic, in the chemist when they try to sell them to me I just roll my eyes

[kb]

Surely stomach acid destroys them? I was under the impression probiotics were really only effective taken in the .. er other way..

[eveready2]

My dad was part of a probiotics study. The results where positive but as a general rule you can get enough from some natural yogurt. Gut health is a new fad at the moment, regardless it is important to overall health.

[CKinnard]

Quality varies heaps between brands.

Any health problem that may benefit from probiotics will benefit more with multiple interventions - stress reduction, diet, cognitive behavior therapy, life goal setting, etc, etc.

[casual_cyclist]

I've never taken a pro biotic in tablet form, I've never even thought oh wow, I need a pro biotic, in the chemist when they try to sell them to me I just roll my eyes

Mostly, probiotics are not in pill form. Probiotics are simply bacteria that keep a healthy balance in your intestinal system. Probiotic foods include yoghurt, sauerkraut, miso, kefir, sourdough, tempeh, kimchi etc. You are right to roll your eyes at the chemist. We should be getting bacteria from food, not a pill.

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorder ... probiotics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://dailyhealthpost.com/top-probioti ... ot-eating/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To answer the OP's question, yes, it is good to eat these foods. They will put good bacteria into your system. Next question is what to feed them to keep them healthy. The marketing name for foods that feed bacteria is prebiotics. And it is good to eat them too.

You can find prebiotics in items such as asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, bananas, oatmeal, red wine, honey, maple syrup, and legumes. Try prebiotic foods on their own or with probiotic foods to perhaps give the probiotics a boost.

And a surprising one for Parker. Dark chocolate is a prebiotic food too.

"The good microbes, such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, feast on chocolate," she says. "When you eat dark chocolate, they grow and ferment it, producing compounds that are anti-inflammatory."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/274246.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Parker]

Commercialisation.

[casual_cyclist]

Commercialisation.

bananas

[Parker]

Picked up my antibiotics yesterday and automatically got handed some probiotics to which I said, "Oh I'm sorry, I don't believe they were on the script." She said, "You'll need them to maintain gut health." To which I said, "and what is it about my gut that you know personally?" She then said, "it will stop diarrhea... etc" And I said, "Did you ask if I had diarrhea?"

They didn't exist when I was a kid, we just ate normal food and we were fine.

It is ridiculous.

[casual_cyclist]

Picked up my antibiotics yesterday and automatically got handed some probiotics to which I said, "Oh I'm sorry, I don't believe they were on the script." She said, "You'll need them to maintain gut health." To which I said, "and what is it about my gut that you know personally?" She then said, "it will stop diarrhea... etc" And I said, "Did you ask if I had diarrhea?"

They didn't exist when I was a kid, we just ate normal food and we were fine.

It is ridiculous.

You should have given her a lecture about yoghurt! I eat yoghurt every day anyway, but I always have extra when I have to take antibiotics. Here are good foods to eat while you are taking them, or anytime really because they are great foods: yoghurt, sauerkraut, miso, kefir, sourdough, kimchi and eat bananas, honey and dark chocolate to feed the good bacteria. I eat at least 3 things from this list every day anyway, because .... yum!

[casual_cyclist]

Oh yeah, and I'm not sure how much she was trying to charge you but the last bottle I saw was $35 and I just though about how much real food I could buy for $35. It's a lot of food vs a useless pill. Not a hard decision at all actually.

[malnar]

Saw a doco on SBS a few months ago presented by Dr Michael Mosley. It looked into probiotics & concluded that oats were much better at improving your gut health (& financial situation).

[CXCommuter]

I get my probiotics by not washing my hands after going to the dunny

[lobstermash]

I get my probiotics by not washing my hands after going to the dunny

[CXCommuter]

But I never got into the closet in the first place

[casual_cyclist]

Saw a doco on SBS a few months ago presented by Dr Michael Mosley. It looked into probiotics & concluded that oats were much better at improving your gut health (& financial situation).

Cooked or raw? I should track it down and have a watch. Linky: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/article ... probiotics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chris meets surgeon James Kinross at Imperial College London who is studying this complex subject. He agrees that it is now known that whilst you are taking probiotic products, the live bacteria from them seem to survive the stomach and make it to the rest of the gut. However, it seems that when you stop taking them, they get flushed out of the system. He does recommend them for some of his patients who have conditions such as infective diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome, but he says that the evidence for them generally boosting the health of people without such conditions is lacking.

Looks like Parker is on the money with this.

Looks like it could a good show: Trust Me, I'm a Doctor.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01dgd9c/episodes/guide" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Parker]

I'm on the money about a lot of things... commercialization. Same with the science behind creating the potato chip, there's a reason why you can't stop.

[casual_cyclist]

I'm on the money about a lot of things... commercialization.

I have never bought a probiotic pill and never will. Hey, maybe you tell the chemist that next time they ask you to make your poo more expensive!