How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

julspt — Wed, 16 May 2007 21:11:32 GMT

My husband and I are still very much learning about what it truly means to be healthy. I am very grateful for the information on this site and several others. I have recently convinced him that probiotics are needed in our diet, as we do not eat ideally yet. I just placed the order for this brand yesterday. My question though is, what probiotic is appropriate for our 15 month old? The children's one that Dr. Mercola recommends is for ages 3+. I know there are ones specifically for infants, but he's not really an infant anymore. Another complication is that he is allergic to cow and goat milk protein. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

julie

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Dr Rik — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:41:42 GMT

Consider another source of bacteria. Dirt! When I raised my kids, I let them get dirty, sandy, muddy, completely grubbed out. The clothes went into the laundry and the kids went into the tub (and cleaned up just fine). A number of our friends and neighbors thought I was irresponsible to let my kids get so dirty. No asthma, allergies or digestive problems. Problem is, no profit in this kind of advice. Dr. Rik Cederstrom D.C.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Rogway — Wed, 16 May 2007 00:40:16 GMT

These little guys has a pretty good track record with me and mine. I have been taking a certian kind of these little bugs for about two years now. My 4 yr old grandson for some reason or the other just could not get rid of the sniffles, snoting, coughing, choking and on and on. His family doctor stated (and I quote) I really don't know what his problem is, but I guess it is drainage. The little boy will just have to live with it. I cannot do anything for him, except may give him some medication. Of course, for me, that was totaly out of the question. SO HERE GOES-My statement-lets just see if something can be done for the little boy. With a constant supply of the bugs, and a slight change of diet, and a couple of other supplements, this little 4 yr old grandson of mine has yet to have a sniffle or cold or anything else now for about a year and a half. Pretty good huh! I believe that all of the previous medication along with the wrong food and other things, allowed a home for bad bacteria while wiping out the good. I don't have enough room to write all i would like about this. Mercola stated, maybe one kind dosn't help everyone, but these little guys i keep on hand has helped in one way or the other everyone that has took them. Now, some of my realitives think something is wrong with me because i never get sick. You see, my way is to try to keep on hand the few things to kill out these innvading diseases when they try to get to me, and so far i have done a pretty good job of kepping them in tact!

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

N. C. — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:58:23 GMT

I can't afford probiotic pills on a regular so I eat l fermented cabbage and miso daily and I never use antibacterial anything except natural compounds like garlic etc.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

peggysue777 — Tue, 15 May 2007 14:51:20 GMT

I believe Pro-biotics and changing what I eat for breakfast has really changed my life. I was diagnosed with Diverticulitus last October, and instead of following what my regular Dr. wanted me to do, I went out to my favorite health store (Vitamin Cottage) and talked to the nutritionist there. She recommended Pro-biotics (Country Life brand) and also to start cooking and eating Millet every morning with a Tablespoon of Coconut Oil on it. I have not eaten anything else since. It has totally taken care of any problems that I had. I have fallen in love with Millet! I cook it (about 4 days worth) then just put some in the wave each morning and add a Tbls. of Coconut oil to it, and eat it just like that. She told me you could actually live on it three times a day. My regular Dr. wanted to take 1/4 of my intestines out!! And all I had to do was eat Millet and take pro-biotics. I know I will never tire of it and will eat it the rest of my life. I have also lost 25 pds. and don't know what else it could have been if not the Millet, Coconut Oil and Pro-biotics.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

EmmyJ — Tue, 15 May 2007 14:42:05 GMT

Can anyone suggest a good probiotic for a 5 year old. She has eczema that I would love to clear up naturally.

Thanks.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Brenda Mac — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:28:49 GMT

Great article, probiotics should be taken by everyone, in my opinion and experience they heal you from the inside out. I would love to see Dr. Mercola do a video on preparing kefir at home with the actual mother culture, kefir grains. This is something so easy to do and so affordable that everyone in the general public can do it. The grains are a living symbiotic life and they multiply. Therefore, the grains are free from people who currently make kefir, all you have to do is put them in milk and they will ferment. Kefir has a very broad spectrum of good bacterias, beneficial yeasts, live enzymes, and the fermentation enhances the natural occuring vitamins that are present in the milk. It makes the best smoothies imaginable, just add fruit and some honey or stevia and you have the best milkshake going. You can also strain the kefir and make a sour cream, soft cheese, hard cheese and you can use the whey to ferment vegetables, perfect nutrition and so easy and affordable for all. Google Dom's kefir site and you will find out all you ever wanted to know about kefir including the details on the beneficial microorganizms in it. Google yahoo Kefir groups, tons of information and people willing to help and send grains. A new research study abstract posted on the group list this week states, "suggesting that milk kefir may be considered among the more promising food components in terms of preventing food allergy and enhancement of mucosal resistance to gastrointestinal pathogen infection." So nice that the research is confirming what my family has already found. My husband has not had active Crohn's disease for over 12 years because of beneficial bacterias, omega 3 and organic diet. After drinking kefir for 8 months he no longer has an anaphalytic type reaction to fruit fruit and nuts, which he had since he was a child, awesome!!!!!

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Timo — Tue, 15 May 2007 08:33:57 GMT

I use a probiotic from Healthspan (Channel Islands mail order business). Capsules needing no refrigeration contain lactobacillus acidophilus (50%), bifidobacterium longum (30%) and lactobacillus rhamnosus (20%). A cool 5 billion bacteria in every capsule. But are they doing me any good? Subjectively, I would say yes. I now hardly ever get a stomach upset or flatulence. Other health benefits are harder to gauge. Like many people I guess I tend to trust the health experts when deciding which supplements to take.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Timo — Tue, 15 May 2007 08:12:08 GMT

My interest is in the way we scrupulously clean and disinfect our food before we dare eat it! Isn't it possible that by doing this we are removing: beneficial bacteria, beneficial moulds, trace minerals, and a potential stimulus to our immune system, among other things. Obviously our prehistoric ancestors ate their food without all this cleaning and preparation and, if I have understood Dr Mercola correctly, we stand to benefit if we return to the diets and eating habits of early mankind (no grains and sugars!).

Assuming you can find food free of insecticides and industrial pollution, wouldn't it be better to eat at least fruit and vegetables untreated. If you've ever eaten an apple straight from the tree or a blackberry right out of the hedgerow then you'll understand what I mean.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

SkyWatcher13 — Tue, 15 May 2007 06:35:08 GMT

I am a do-it-your-selfer. I love making delicious foods with the whey from goat's milk kefir (gingerale, sauerkraut, kefir milk shakes, kim chi, etc.). My only concern is overdoing it--and making my system too acidic.

A good place to learn about kefir is http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Paul Kapricki — Tue, 15 May 2007 06:00:37 GMT

My story is this: I am ex personal trainer, student of Health Care Administration ( graduate program ) and I am in top shape mentally, physically but....

I have had this strange lower stomach thing...not an ache but I felt I always ate too much even though I rarely over ate....

So I have by accident started buying this yoghurt at Whole Foods. I didnt even know what pro-biotics are or what they do.

What I noticed almost instantly is that my stool was coming out of my bowels as though it was lubricated. It felt so good - I am embarassed to say it but I felt like everything was coming out at once.

I am 30 years old and I eat only organic food ( USDA organic for that matter ). I am cynical about everything and what goes into my body is under scrutiny every day.

But I overlooked the priobiotic label on the yoghurt ( SEVEN Stars Frarm Organic Yogurt with Acidophilus and Bifidus ) and now I buy this every single week. Its a big 32 oz container that I mix with salads, I put it on bread with jelly. I mix it with tuna salad.

I just love it and cant get enough of it. I use the plain one.

It did help me.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

MercolaFan — Tue, 15 May 2007 04:56:59 GMT

I'm Confused.
How does my Lever 2000, and my Dawn detergent affect the bacteria in my stomach? I don't drink the stuff.....

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

mykD — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:40:20 GMT

kind of new to this.a big thanks and heaps of encouragement to Mercola to keep going. never forget, those with the most honorable intentions get demonized.May God watch over you.I use mainly my home made kefir. Can anybody comment on turmeric?I'd appreciate a cognizant opinion.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

helpingheart — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:46:48 GMT

I enjoy a good probiotic right now, it has really helped me while being on a digestive tract cleanse, it is by drnatura.com

I've learned something new from Dr Mercola's video on Complete Probiotics and I will be ordering some.

I've read it is best to take them on an empty stomach, away from food so they don't digest in the stomach, and instead go directly to the small intestine. Also to take them in the evening closer to bed time, where the good bacteria can populate the small intestine all night, without the hinderance of food.

re: How You Can Use Your Body's Bacteria for Better Health

Witch Doctor — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:29:07 GMT

I take probiotics once in a while. Let the body have a chance to establish it's preferred domain of bacteria. Still don't know why giving a few strains stimulates the rest - or at least it'd better! There's hundreds or thousands of strains down there, let alone everywhere else in your body. Maybe it's not the probiotics - maybe its the probiotics FOOD (prebiotics) that is in the capsule! Same for kefir, yogurt, etc...? Hmmm....