PROBIOTICS
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PROBIOTICS
When I first mentioned to a friend that I intended including a page on Nutrition and in particular, Probiotics, she asked me why? Wasn't my first interest in bio-electronics? How come a website section dealing with nutrition? It was a logical question and both she and future readers should at least understand the rational behind the article. Here it is:-
A long time ago a kindly and benevolent government taught me how to regiment my thought processes in order to produce the single most effective course of action from a mish-mash of apparently unrelated facts (for anyone watching, the above contains both an oxymoron and a pun. Both were intended!).
The most effective course of action was defined as the 'AIM'. The apparently unrelated facts were known as the'COURSES OPEN' and the end result was a workable 'PLAN'. What it really did was to refine the unrelated facts which may have dealt with a dozen or more potential and secondary minor aims to the single most important 'AIM' that offers the greatest possibility of success. The 'PLAN' is the consideration of the facts that previously led to the establishment of the primary aim and if these are implemented, will result in its achievement. An interesting and highly productive exercise in logic.
The most effective course of action was defined as the 'AIM'. The apparently unrelated facts were known as the'COURSES OPEN' and the end result was a workable 'PLAN'. What it really did was to refine the unrelated facts which may have dealt with a dozen or more potential and secondary minor aims to the single most important 'AIM' that offers the greatest possibility of success. The 'PLAN' is the consideration of the facts that previously led to the establishment of the primary aim and if these are implemented, will result in its achievement. An interesting and highly productive exercise in logic.
My own plan is quite simple and can be expressed in two words. I wish to achieve-
QUALITY LONGEVITY
To do this it is necessary to delve into many different methodologies. Naturopathic Medicine, Allopathic Medicine, Bio-Electronics, Nutrition and Probiotics to name but a few. Even pharmaceutical products have a place, along with exercise (both mental and physical), life-style and many more,all of which are dependent upon your own particular requirements, and the considered goals and needs of such an aim.
QUALITY LONGEVITY
To do this it is necessary to delve into many different methodologies. Naturopathic Medicine, Allopathic Medicine, Bio-Electronics, Nutrition and Probiotics to name but a few. Even pharmaceutical products have a place, along with exercise (both mental and physical), life-style and many more,all of which are dependent upon your own particular requirements, and the considered goals and needs of such an aim.
Well, such is the philosophy of this site and one of the reasons for a discussion on Nutrition and initially, Probiotics. The rationale is simple. Once you have established the aim and see how it can be achieved then it would be almost pathetically stupid to concentrate on only one aspect (bio-electrical devices for example) and to neglect other aspects that may be equally (or perhaps even more) important.
One last observation! this Probiotics page is really the portal to another totally different section of the website. It will lead you (eventually) to other pages covering both probiotics as well as some essential nutrition material. You can travel within this section by using regular menu bars at the side of this page and return to the main section, Bio-Electronics, by clicking on any 'Home' marked text or buttons.
Probiotics is defined as "A live microbial feed supplement, which beneficially affects the host by improving its intestinal balance". The microbes, or microflora it refers to are residents of your gastrointestinal tract which consists of the stomach, the small intestines, the large intestines (colon) and terminates with the rectum. The tract itself is really nothing more than a long, flexable, leathery tube. It's purpose is to process, separate, absorb and finally excrete ingested material and in an average lifetime it processes over sixty tons of food!
If it were to be removed and stretched out to its full length, the tract of the average adult would measure between twenty five and thirty five feet in length and the working surface area would be almost equal to the surface area of a tennis court. It is the home of about two pounds of viable bacteria, about 85% comprising 'good' or beneficial intestinal flora and about 15% pathogenic virus, fungi and protozoa - that's the bad stuff - and these percentages are at best, only just acceptable. Generally, the percentages are far less, sometimes even completely reversed!
If it were to be removed and stretched out to its full length, the tract of the average adult would measure between twenty five and thirty five feet in length and the working surface area would be almost equal to the surface area of a tennis court. It is the home of about two pounds of viable bacteria, about 85% comprising 'good' or beneficial intestinal flora and about 15% pathogenic virus, fungi and protozoa - that's the bad stuff - and these percentages are at best, only just acceptable. Generally, the percentages are far less, sometimes even completely reversed!
HUMAN GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
This percentage reversal can be responsible for a frequently deadly imbalance and is caused by a variety of external factors - the toxic rubbish that is foisted upon us under the guise of 'Food', the consumption of alchohol, our age, the fluorine in our city water supply and even our toothpaste and birth control pills. Most diet soft drinks and even prescription anti-biotics we ingest are just as bad. The very word 'antibiotic' is from the Greek and means 'against life' just as probiotic means 'for life'. That gives you a clue, doesn't it? It should!
So, let's have a closer look at the circumstances created by your gut flora imbalance. There are about one hundred trillion active and viable bacteria (both good and bad), comprising some four hundred different species in the G.I. tract, (and you thought you were the only one wearing those denims, didn't you?).
When the probiotic flora are able to maintain an acceptable balance (eubiosis), the health of the host is maintained. Probiotic flora, in addition to primary function, prevent the increase of pathogenic flora by competing with them for both nutrients and locale. Ideally they are able to create and maintain a gut environment unfavourable to the increase (and subsequent imbalance or dysbiosis) caused by pathogenic virus, bacteria and protozoa. This eubiosis constitutes a major factor in the overall efficiency of your Immune System! It's Important. Very important.
When the probiotic flora are able to maintain an acceptable balance (eubiosis), the health of the host is maintained. Probiotic flora, in addition to primary function, prevent the increase of pathogenic flora by competing with them for both nutrients and locale. Ideally they are able to create and maintain a gut environment unfavourable to the increase (and subsequent imbalance or dysbiosis) caused by pathogenic virus, bacteria and protozoa. This eubiosis constitutes a major factor in the overall efficiency of your Immune System! It's Important. Very important.
So, you can see that dysbiosis favours the increase of pathogenic material, reduces and weakens the effectiveness of your immune system, it throws the balance of vaginal microflora out of kilter, encourages the incease of E. coli, salmonella, the fungal Candida and the development of a host of other unpleasant conditions you can well do without.
E. coli
Bifidobacteria
Lactobacilli
Candida Albicans
I thought you might care to take a look at some of the inhabitants of your very own gastrointestinal tract, 'goodies' and ' baddies' together, so here they are (above). Reading from left to right, we first find Bifidobacteria. Next is Lactobacilli. In addition to being the most abundant gut flora, they are also the most beneficial. The remaining two are Candida Albicans and E.coli. Definitely some of the 'baddies' and both with potentially lethal capabilities.
Look at an extreme case of gut flora imbalance. You get very, very sick and you are smart enough to know the reason why. What do you do? What can you do? You can't talk to the good flora, which is just as well because you might get really upset when you find that their numbers have been reduced due to enemy action by about 75%. Of the remaining 25%, most of them are manning the rifle platforms and hoping against hope that they still have the capability of beating off the next attack and the remainder are too traumatized to even tell you what happened!
You are on your own, the stakes are high. What are you going to do?
You are on your own, the stakes are high. What are you going to do?
You have three choices:
First, you can visit your allopathic doctor. He will run an extremely efficient series of diagnostic tests and will define your symptoms with accuracy and precision. He will prescribe drugs or antibitics (or both) to treat these symptoms. The symptoms will be controlled, the antibiotics will knock about half of the remaining PBI (' Poor Bloody Infantry') off the rifle platforms and what happens to you after that is in the hands of God. You may not be cured, It's just that you won't have any more warning symptoms!
First, you can visit your allopathic doctor. He will run an extremely efficient series of diagnostic tests and will define your symptoms with accuracy and precision. He will prescribe drugs or antibitics (or both) to treat these symptoms. The symptoms will be controlled, the antibiotics will knock about half of the remaining PBI (' Poor Bloody Infantry') off the rifle platforms and what happens to you after that is in the hands of God. You may not be cured, It's just that you won't have any more warning symptoms!
Second, you can visit a naturopathic doctor. In all probability, he will know what has happened and will not be content to simply treat symptoms. He will provide probiotic suppliments that may or may not cure your condition. Either way it's expensive and the results can seldom, be guaranteed. Microflora replacements are available as a supplement in pill or powder form. Quality and content varies a lot, but it is a source.
The third choice is exclusively yours. Take the bull by the horns, replace the missing gut flora yourself and you will know if you have successfully treated the shortage of microflora within the week because you will get better and you still have your other choices as backup if you don't.
How to do this? Well, many of the essential microflora are available in fermented products such as Kefir, Yoghurt, Viili and the like and by ingestion are quite capable of replacing and reinforcing the missing gut flora. Fermented foods have been prepared and consumed by our kind for thousands of years and as late as the 19th. century (before the emergence of Allopathic Medicine) were used to prevent and cure diseases. The fact that their properties are still known and their production is still practiced for the same reasons, speaks well of their capabilities.
Since the very best examples of any of them are produced in the home, the cost is minimal. Other foods have similar properties in their degree also - bananas, onions, miso, garlic, tempeh and some of the cheeses. You have to research these yourself, but that is why you have a computer!
The only problem with any external preparations used to treat disease ( and that includes pills and other supplementaries) is that all too frequently they must constitute an ongoing process of replacement for an indefinite period, but that is really not a drawback. Rather than viewing any self-help program as a chore, consider it for what it really is, an ongoing preventative program designed specifically to allow you to achieve your aim.
Since the very best examples of any of them are produced in the home, the cost is minimal. Other foods have similar properties in their degree also - bananas, onions, miso, garlic, tempeh and some of the cheeses. You have to research these yourself, but that is why you have a computer!
The only problem with any external preparations used to treat disease ( and that includes pills and other supplementaries) is that all too frequently they must constitute an ongoing process of replacement for an indefinite period, but that is really not a drawback. Rather than viewing any self-help program as a chore, consider it for what it really is, an ongoing preventative program designed specifically to allow you to achieve your aim.
My own choice of treatment is an ancient fermented milk product called KEFIR (pronounced Keefer). I drink four ounces daily and among the other benefits its use confers, my GI tract is in top shape. I'm not recommending that you follow suit, that is a decision that you will make following your computer research. However, there will be a website page here dealing with the production and use of Kefir as soon as I get it finished and in place.
I also propose to devote a further page to KOMBUCHA, a fermented tea that is a an excellent cellular cleanser and another to ALOE VERA, a plant with the well known capability of cellular regeneration! Plus one or two more. Keep watching this page for additions!
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The sands are running out!
Finis.