There are many, many health benefits attributed to supplementation with healthy intestinal bacteria such as bifidobacterium longum and lactobacillis acidophilus, commonly referred to as acidophilus. First, let’s address why supplementation is necessary. We’re born with these good guy bacteria in the intestinal tract. What happens to them such that we have to replace them? Well, they have a host of enemies and we routinely bombard our bodies with these enemies. Things like stress; antibiotics (either taken for medicinal purposes or consumed in meat and dairy food products); alcohol; a low-fiber or high fat or high animal protein diet; pollution; pesticides, herbicides and insecticides in our food supply; and over the counter drugs all destroy good probiotic bacteria. Even the inevitable process of aging brings with it a natural decline in the numbers of bifidobacterium longum and lactobacillis acidophilus in our guts.
Let’s focus for a minute on the role of antibiotics in diminishing healthy intestinal microflora. Perhaps you have heard the term probiotics in referring to good bacteria such as bifidobacterium longum and lactobacillis acidophilus. Get the contrast? Pro-biotic and Anti-biotic? Antibiotics are not discriminate killers. So while their purpose is to kill bacteria that make animals or humans sick, they kill the good bacteria throughout the body at the same time.
And what becomes of our intestines when these good guy bacteria are no longer present in force? The bad guys have an opportunity to move in. Icky sounding bacteria like candida, e. coli, clostridium, pseudomonas, salmonella, staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus, and many, many more. The presence of the unwanted bacteria are responsible for many negative consequences. They are varied and individual (meaning not everyone experiences the same results) but can include flatulence and bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, irritable bowel issues, allergies, candida overgrowth, acid reflux, recurrent ear infections, and immune system challenges. The decline of the good bacteria can even contribute to cancer (including colon cancer) and elevated cholesterol.
So what might we expect when we restore the healthy intestinal bacteria? Let’s first consider the impact of the good bacteria on the overall environment of the gut. Bifidobacterium longum and lactobacillis acidophilus thrive in the normal, healthy, low pH (acidic – not to be confused with stomach acid) environment of the gastrointestinal tract. Research shows that the metabolic byproducts of these friendly microflora help maintain this healthy, low pH intestinal environment. This same acidic environment discourages the growth of undesirable bacteria and helps maintain a healthy balance of intestinal microflora. We are then in a position to enjoy acidophilus health benefits that include improving mineral absorption, targeting candida and bacteria that cause infections, overcoming the bacteria that cause traveler’s trots, cancer prevention, strengthening the immune system so that the body is better equipped to deal with many health challenges, including recurrent ear infections and urinary tract infections, easing constipation, lowering cholesterol, converting good nutrients for absorption, countering the digestive upset that can result from antibiotic therapy and even chemotherapy and radiation, and promoting general colon health. A fairly impressive list, don’t you think?