Boost Health With Gastric Stable Acidophilus
By Darrell Miller-1603
Have you ever thought about what goes into your body each and every day? If not, you should. One of the key ways to ensure that you feel good and are healthy is by eating nutritious food and making sure your GI tract has the tools it needs to digest and absorb nutrients as best possible. The GI tract, which includes the stomach and intestines, works to digest food and eliminate waste. A variety of “good” intestinal bacteria, called probiotic bacteria, can help to keep the digestive system running by helping to digest food, process waste, and keep the “bad” bacteria in check.

Although some kinds of bacteria do cause illness and diseases in humans, the majority of bacteria do not cause disease. There are actually types of bacteria that are beneficial. Probiotic bacteria are used in the manufacturing of food and beverages and can be found in buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, sausage, and acidophilus milk. The same probiotics can be found in our intestines, where they help to keep the digestive system running by digesting food and processing waste. Probiotics are live bacteria that are non-toxic and do not cause disease. Some of the best known probiotic bacteria include members of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium groups. These probiotic bacteria are also known as lactic acid bacteria because they have the ability to break down lactose. Both of these types of probiotic bacteria are well studied and are available in both food and dietary supplements. The bacteria that are found in yogurt, our intestine, and most natural supplements are the same types of probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria longum. Because of this, these bacteria are referred in a generic sense as probiotics or “good” bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria can be found naturally in milk. The probiotic bacteria used in food and natural supplements are harvested through a highly controlled fermentation process which results in high numbers of quality bacteria.

Normal microflora (intestinal bacteria) is associated with good health, while an imbalance if frequently associated with various disease states including yeast infections and colon cancer. Eating foods or taking a nutritional supplement that contains probiotic bacteria can help support and modify the large intestine microflora, which assist digestion by making the intestines more inhospitable to invading bacteria species, protection against disease-causing bacteria, and stimulation of the immune system.

Lactose, which is an important sugar that is converted to lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria, can lead to lactose intolerance when the body is unable to digest lactose which results because of genetics, gastrointestinal disease, or a decline in the amount of intestinal lactase levels. Those who are deficient in lactase accumulate non-absorbed lactose in the GI tract, which draws water and electrolytes into the gut and speeds water through the intestines, causing bloating, cramping, and diarrhea. About 50 million people in the United States have some form of lactose in tolerance.

Digestive enzymes, which consist of protease, amylase, and lipase, act upon food by breaking it down into similar components that are used by the body for energy. Without these enzymes, digest could not take place and the food we eat could not be absorbed and utilized by our bodies. Probiotics help the enzymes in our bodies digest food and process waste, ensuring that the digestive tract is running smoothly. When taken