Knocking out a belly beast
You don't normally think of bacteria inside of your body as being your allies, but in the case of your stomach, there's a strain that's considered especially beneficial: probiotics. They do a phenomenal job of promoting a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut.
On the flip side, there's another strain of bacteria that gets out of hand and is a threat to your health. They're little bacteria with a big name—Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori for short. Unlike other bacteria, they actually thrive in an acidic stomach environment. Once established, they pose a serious health threat, causing ulcers and excess acidity, and worse, they have been linked to stomach cancer.
Because H. pylori are such a threat, researchers are looking for the most effective way of ridding the system of them. But it's a tough nut to crack. A study was set up to see how a balancing agent, such as probiotics, could favorably affect the outcome of eradication therapy. There are extremely resistant strains of H. pylori that dig in, making it difficult to rid the body of them.
Patients of various ages who had never been treated for H. pylori and who had taken part in randomized, controlled trials were the subject of the study. The test group had been given an eradication therapy regimen that consisted of two proton-pump inhibitors (acid- blocking drugs), two antibiotics, and also included probiotics. The control groups either received the therapy with a placebo in place of the probiotics, or received no additional treatment (meaning neither placebo nor probiotics were added to the basic therapy).
The elimination of H. pylori was confirmed after approximately four weeks of therapy.
The research supports the theory that supplementing with probiotics during eradication therapy for H. pylori can increase the rate of elimination. And it could also prove helpful to those patients who have been unsuccessful in removing the bacteria from their systems. There was also a benefit shown in reducing the common side effects of H. pylori infections, such as nausea and vomiting.
If you're suffering from any digestive problem, I recommend you try a probiotic formula. I'd aim for at least 10 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) per day. Nature's Way has a good product that I like called Primadophilus. You might have to take a couple of single doses per day to reach that number.
Other good choices that are widely available include a product called PB8 and one from Kyolic called Kyo-Dophilus. I also recommend Healthy Gut from Pure Country Naturals, which I helped to develop. It contains 21 billion live active cultures, as well as an additional 100 mg of FOS (blessedly short for "fructooligosaccharides"). FOS is called a 'prebiotic' because it helps feed the beneficial bacteria. As a result, this ingredient is actually the first step in keeping your colon and intestines healthy. To order, go to www.northstarnutritionals.com/p/Healthy_Gut.htm. Or, call 1-800-684-8835 and use Order Code MEDHG. (If International, call (915) 855-5417.)
The great thing about probiotic therapy is that it confers general health-supportive benefits by supporting a healthy immune system and playing an important role in general disease prevention.
