When most people think of bacteria, the first thing that comes to mind is infection. The image conjured up is usually of colds or food poisoning and the dreaded consequences associated with it. It just plain makes you want to sterilize everything in sight with antibacterials doesn't it?

If you have accepted this as your “truth” then you are actually setting yourself and your family up for more infections, not less. Kind of ironic isn't it.

Bacteria are everywhere and on everything. They are in the air, in the soil and in or on every living thing. Without them there would be no life at all. We all know this, it's taught in school which everyone has to attend, so why is there such confusion about them?

As far as I can tell the answer is like many things, varied and complicated. The main factor is a fear which has progressed thru time. As we evolved we have slowly learned from the drastic times when plagues have hit and we searched for any way to survive.

One of the first lessons we thought we learned was cleanliness and the fact that if harmful bacteria and viruses are allowed to gain a strong colony then we are at higher risks. This is very true but can also be carried to an extreme which actually causes more risk than before.

When the focus on sanitizing everything becomes extreme, we face the problem of drastically reducing the colonies of those beneficial bacteria which we need to maintain our health. This is where the irony comes in. When the beneficial bacteria lose their ability to maintain their colonies, the harmful bacteria have an easier time taking over. Add in the stress on their colonies from all the synthetic chemicals which are in almost every product manufactured today and the problem becomes drastic, causing a major health care crisis.

It is this health care crisis which is driving people to look for better ways. There are many “probiotics” on the market with the claims of being able to reestablish these beneficial colonies. These products have brought about much controversy both for and against.

First we have to decide what probiotic means?

For a simple layman like myself, it means any bacteria which is beneficial to the human body. The term does not describe whether they are already within the body or are in a supplement, or how potent one is compared to another.

For much of the traditional medical establishment, the term probiotic refers only to a supplement product. The following is a definition used on medicinenet.com...

“Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria." Probiotics are available to consumers mainly in the form of dietary supplements and foods. They can be used as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). “

It is amusing to read some of the reports and studies like the one the above definition came from. They go out of their way to make any probiotic look like a marketing gimmick and in the next breath tout some of the amazing functions they provide. Notice the use of “similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut”. Someone not looking close or not understanding that probiotics are a threat to the traditional medical establishment, might get the impression that they are actually different animals altogether.

This particular report went on and on pointing out that one strain of bacteria might not have the same value as another and that even different colonies of the same strain can also have differing beneficial values. Well duh, they are living organisms, some are more potent, some are healthier and some are plain useless. Sounds to me like any group of animals.

Demanding all living probiotics to be exactly the same is like asking for all produce to look and taste exactly the same. The result would be just like the conventional food today, look good and last a long time but with very little actual nutrients and no taste.

I also especially like the way the idea of helping restore an imbalance of beneficial to harmful bacteria is called complementary and alternative medicine. Personally I don't consider making sure I get all the nutrients I need to be complementary or alternative anything, it is just plain good sense.

This is another example of how something we think we know as a fact is biased by the way we perceive it. The traditional medical establishment is completely focused on isolating symptoms and finding man made treatments to counteract each symptom. To me this borders on insanity, why continue to promote man made alternatives rather than finding out how to naturally help the body keep itself healthy the way it is designed to be.

Unfortunately each individual has to decide for themselves whether they agree with the traditional method of waiting till illness strikes to act or to provide for their bodies so that their bodies handle the attacks against it.

For those wanting to know more about probiotics (from this point on, I use my definition as any beneficial bacteria) here are some of the many functions that we know of and then some we are pretty sure of but not accepted as “proven” yet.

Sure of:

• Help the body break down the food we eat and produce enzymes which the body needs. Every cell in your body needs hundreds of thousand of enzymes to operate properly. Enzymes handle all the building and repairs in the body.

• Enhance the bodies' ability to absorb and use vital nutrients.

• Control the populations of harmful bacteria with each strain preforming different functions. Some make the body too acidic, some out compete for the available food and some just plain eat the harmful bacterial and viruses. The key here is making sure that the beneficial bacteria have the largest and most powerful army.

• Help the body breakdown toxins so they can more easily be eliminated.

• Enhance the immune system.

• Help keep the large and small intestines free of undigested or putrefied material.

Pretty sure of:*

• Reduce acne

• Help prevent cancer

• Reduce Cholesterol levels

• Alleviate allergies

• Help in maintaining chemical balances in the brain

• Provide relief for IBS, Acid reflux and other digestive disorders

• Alleviate lactose intolerances

• Boost strength of overall immune system

• Improve vaginal health and balance

• Help in maintaining oral health

• Just plain keep you healthy**

*referenced from usprobiotics.org/basics.asp#health

**My belief from Internet research – I have no documented scientific proof of this trait – all I have is my logical reasoning.

These things are just the tip of the iceberg with more being discovered every day. You can spend thousands of hours researching all about probiotics but it is not really necessary. The important thing to understand is the simple fact...

Your body needs probiotic or beneficial bacteria to be able to stay healthy. In a perfect natural world the balance of natural flora would be easily maintained thru the food we eat and from natural interactions with the environment.

Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect natural world. I almost added anymore to that statement but the truth is that there has never been a perfect world. However we are closer to one than ever before, we just need to learn how to recognize it.

We now know about these wonderful helper probiotics. We have learned how to grow them and how to put them in a form which can be easily adsorbed and utilized by the body. We have also learned that there are different strains, genius and species from all areas of the world each with their own wonderful benefit. In previous times, people from one area did not have the advantage of those probiotics from other areas. Today they do.

This is very fortunate for us because of the strong need to replenish the natural balance of the beneficial bacteria. Not only is there a natural cycle of the colonies of probiotics, we are also faced with a host of man made products which play havoc on them. There are some who say that all our current explosion of diabetes, obesity, digestive diseases and cancers are directly related to the overall lack of probiotics in our systems.

Just a few of the everyday things which destroy probiotics:

• Antibacterial soaps

• Chlorine

• Carbonated Drinks

• Antibiotics

• Stress

• Preservatives

• Synthetic Additives in cosmetics, shampoos, toothpaste etc

• Pesticides

• Synthetic Fertilizers

• Radiation from microwaves

• Fluoride

• Birth control pills

• Energy drinks

• Alcohol

• Household cleaners made from synthetic chemicals

As you can see, pretty much every product you come in contact with is hurting the bacterial balances creating the need to rebuild them.

When you decide to start rebuilding your probiotic balances, you should find a product which you trust. The product should contain a variety of different strains in as natural of form as possible. To prevent competition for food as the colonies start to build, the product should contain adequate food for each strain.

Vegetable gelatin capsule or powder form is usually considered the most effective since they are much easier to dissolve than pills. A liquid would be the most effective but most liquids require pasteurization before they can be sold in the US so the bacteria would be degraded,

Some individuals with compromised digestive systems encounter unpleasant reactions when first starting on a probiotic supplement. These reactions are generally the process of the body getting rid of the harmful bacteria and cleaning out the undigested gunk. Many of these individuals find starting out real slow and building up to normal levels is the best course.

Last note on replenishing the probiotic bacteria is to understand that this alone will not keep you healthy. Along with maintaining a healthy balance of probiotics you should follow up with good nutritious food, an excellent nutritional supplement product and exercise. You should keep yourself and your surroundings clean but not sterile and you should strive to maintain a positive attitude.

Good health is the result from all of these things working together. When they do work together your body can handle almost everything life throws at it and do so with happiness and enjoyment.