Friendly Flora

Gut Flora?

• 100 trillion bacteria in our body

• Most are not harmful

• Why do we have bacteria in our gut? – Digest food– Protect against illness

What are Probiotics?

• “For Life”

• Health benefits to humans

• “Cultured” or “Fermented” foods

• Found in yogurt, kefir, some cottage cheese

• “Live and Active Cultures”

• Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium

Benefits of Probiotics

• Health benefits

• Different types of bacteria have different health benefits

• May help with:– Healthy digestive tract– Immune system

Health Benefits

- Replenish “good bacteria” in gut

- Immunity– Most of our immune system in our gut

– More “good bacteria” = less sickness

- Antibiotic-related diarrhea– Prevent or reduce length and severity

- Inflammatory and irritable bowel

conditions– Relieve constipation

Other Potential Benefits

• H. pylori

• Cancer

• Allergy (Milk)

• Cholesterol

• High Blood Pressure

Where Can I Get Probiotics?

• Yogurt

• Yogurt drinks

• Frozen yogurt

• Cultured soy products

• Kefir

• Cottage Cheese

• Sweet Acidophilus® milk

Lactose Intolerance

• Difficulty digesting sugar in milk (lactose)– Nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea

• Bacteria in fermented dairy digests lactose

• If you are lactose intolerant:– Introduce fermented foods slowly– Allergy is NOT the same as intolerance

• Those with milk allergy should not try any dairy products

Yogurt

• Must be made with starter cultures– Lactobacillus bulgaricus– Streptococcus thermaophilus

• Improve lactose digestion

• Additional cultures often added

• Not all yogurt created equal– Different amounts of live bacteria

• Look for yogurt with added bacteria

*with L. acidophilusand B. bifidum

Caution: High Sugar

Yogurt Drinks

Frozen Yogurt

• Some brands add live bacteria

• Not as many bacteria as regular yogurt

• Good alternative to ice cream

½ cup Frozen Yogurt130 calories1.5 grams fat

½ cup Ice Cream240 calories16 grams fat

Cultured Soy

• Cultured soy yogurt, smoothies, frozen yogurt made from soy milk

• High quality protein, B-vitamins, calcium usually added

• Good alternative for milk allergy

Kefir• Cultured drink

– With “friendly” bacteria and yeast

• Helps improve lactose digestion

• Can be made from any type of milk– Cow, goat, sheep, coconut, rice or soy

• Kefir has many nutrients:– Protein, calcium, magnesium, and others– Lifeway Foods® adds inulin

Cottage Cheese

• Some brands add probiotics

• Low in calories

• High in protein

Nutrition Facts½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese: 80 calories 1 g fat 14 g protein 300 mg sodium

Sweet Acidophilus

• Same nutritional value as milk from which it is made

• “Friendly” bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus added

• Tastes and looks like regular milk

• Helps ease digestion and symptoms of lactose intolerance

How Much?• Clinical studies show that at least 1 billion

to 10 billion bacteria per day are needed– 4 cups of acidophilus milk

• Health benefits of drinking smaller amounts have not been proven

• Problem: most food products don’t list the amount of bacteria they contain

• Consume probiotics regularly

Safety

• Generally recognized as safe

• Not recommended for people with delicate or compromised immune system

• Increasing probiotics may cause intestinal discomfort at first– Incorporate fermented foods into your diet

slowly

The Bottom Line

• Daily consumption is beneficial

• Health effects depend on the type of bacteria– Health benefits must be proven with more

research

• Supplements are questionable

• Moderation