Cultured bacteria that can potentially promote health are called probiotics.
Probiotics administered during pregnancy and lactation appears to promote the immune system protective potential of breast-feeding.
The probiotics also protect infants against eczema during the first two years.
There is a growing incidence of allergic diseases in the Western world and researchers acknowledge the need to offer primary protection to reverse the trend. The ideal source of infant nutrition to provide protection from these diseases is breast-milk. Its role, however, is elusive.
Pediatricians in Finland undertook a double-blind, placebo controlled study to determine the potential for protection against allergic diseases by administering probiotics.
Mothers who received probiotics during pregnancy and lactation improved their anti-inflammatory transforming growth TGF in their milk.
In addition, it was shown that the risk of developing eczema during the infants first two years was significantly reduced compared with the placebo group.
Researchers concluded that maternal allergies were a positive risk for eczema in the infant. In addition infants who appeared to benefit the most from maternal probiotics supplementation were those whose cord blood Immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration was elevated.
Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2002 Vol 109 No 1 pp 119-121
This is another variation of one of the best studies I have ever reviewed on this topic that was published last year in the Lancet.
There are only two supplements that I routinely recommend for ALL new patients, probiotics and cod liver oil.
Exposure to sugar and chemicals will disturbs our gut microflora and contributes to long-term illness. The answer of course is not to only use probiotics, but to use them in conjunction with changing one's diet.
There are 3 POUNDS of bacteria in our gut and some investigators state there are from from 6 to 60 trillion actual bacteria in our guts. As the article above references, they outnumber us ten to one.
So it is not to much of a stretch to think that balancing one's gut flora has quite a bit to do with health.
I am still in the process of facilitating the distribution of a one of the most potent sources of probiotics for sale in the US and I hope to have that available later this year.
Update: We now offer Probiotics! Please check them out if you are interested in high quality probiotics.
Related Articles:
Beneficial Bacteria (Probiotics) May Halt Allergies In Babies Probiotics In Primary Prevention of Atopic Disease
Beneficial Bacteria (Probiotics) May Halt Allergies In Babies
Probiotics In Primary Prevention of Atopic Disease