RESEARCH PAPER EIGHT

LACTIC ACID BACTERIA
Keeping You Healthy Within!

A Paper Provided by: Koshy Philip, Ph.D.
TECHNICAL MANAGER: OMX MARKETING, SDN. BHD. (1998)
"Maintaining a Balance Between the Good and Bad Flora in Our Intestines is Vital For Good Health. Here's How Live Lactic Acid Bacteria Can Help."

Although we cannot see it with the human eye, another world flourishes all around us, populated by billions of bacteria. From our earliest days, we are taught to fear these microorganisms, viewing them as the cause of disease, infection and suffering. A large part of our modern medicine is based on the "germ theory"--the idea that germs cause diseases. And the only way to be cured of diseases is to kill the germs usually with a potent pharmacological "magic bullet."

Manufacturing companies make billions, selling a variety of disinfectants, antiseptic and personal hygiene products all designed to keep "germs" at bay. But is this the best solution? Do we really want to "kill" and rid ourselves of all bacteria?

While it is true that bacteria can cause health problems, there is another side to the story. Now is the time to hear that other side and give the "good" bacteria some long-overdue favorable publicity!

The Battle of the Bugs

Inside your gut (especially in the large intestine or colon) rages a never-ending bacterial battle. Hundreds of different types of bacteria fight to establish dominance in the warm, moist environment so conducive to their growth. In fact, the average human large intestine plays host to over 400 different species of bacteria. With numbers that outnumber the cells in your body, gut bacteria serve several important digestive functions. These functions include breaking down fiber or other food residues, producing some of the E vitamins and breaking-down and destroying some toxic chemicals that may have been ingested with your food.

In the "ideal" body consuming the "ideal" diet, the different strains of bacteria compete with each other and hold each other in check, preventing the excessive proliferation of any one strain. In the real world, though, problems do occur. Many different internal and external factors have an impact on your gut bacteria. These include your diet, your mental and emotional state, environmental and food toxins, and frequent use of drugs such as contraceptive pills and antibiotics. Did you know that if you live in a fairly constant state of anger and frustration, the walls of your intestinal tract secrete a different type of mucus, which encourages the proliferation of a less desirable breed of bacteria?

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

What happens when the less desirable types of bacteria multiply out of control? Well, huge colonies of "bad guys" usually mean ever decreasing colonies of "good guys" and that can spell problems for you, including intestinal irritation, cramps and spasm, excessive flatulence, chronic diarrhea, diarrhea alternating with constipation and a seriously compromised immune system. As the friendly strains of bacteria diminish, it also leaves the way open for fungus and yeast living in the gut to propagate. Severe yeast overgrowth can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms that we call the Candida Syndrome. Yeast overgrowth in the gut can be responsible for chronic exhaustion, skin problems, multiple allergies, chronic vaginal thrush, digestive and bowel problems, PMS and menstrual irregularities, to name only a few.

So, what can you do to encourage strong, healthy, friendly bacteria colonies? The answer is plenty! One of the traditional ways to achieve this has been the regular consumption of fermented foods. In China, Japan, India and Eastern Europe, fermented products have been dietary staples for centuries.

The fermentation process allows certain bacteria from the air and local surroundings to grow in the food and subsequently, in the gut of those people who consume it. This is good!

Yeast Syndrome

Vaginal thrush, a condition of excessive yeast in the vagina, is an ongoing and irritating problem for many women, especially resulting from pregnancy and the use of contraceptive pills. High estrogen levels in pregnant women or women using contraceptive pills, alter the acidity of the vaginal mucus, making it more hospitable for the proliferation of yeast organisms. Often these yeast organisms are originally transferred from bowel movements. Many women suffering from vaginal thrush find that taking friendly live lactic acid bacteria to change the type of gut bacteria greatly decreases the frequency of vaginal thrust attacks. Research has verified that OM-X Probiotic Capsules contain the type of live lactic acid bacteria beneficial to women suffering from vaginal thrush.

Whenever you take antibiotics, you will benefit greatly from also using friendly live lactic acid bacteria during the course of the antibiotic medication and for a couple of weeks afterwards. Antibiotics tend to kill off the "good" as well as the "bad" gut bacteria, which often results in diarrhea and, in women, vaginal thrush infections. Using friendly live lactic acid bacteria, such as those contained in OM-X Probiotic Capsules, re-establishes the friendly gut bacteria and prevents these common antibiotic side effects.

Acidophilus for Kids

Infants and children can also benefit from the regular intake of live lactic acid bacteria, especially those suffering from digestive disorders, infant colic, loose stools, excessive flatulence or constipation.

Babies and children have strains of friendly bacteria in their guts that differ from those in an adult. They also need friendly bacteria strains that can only be found in balanced live lactic acid bacteria supplements such as OM-X Probiotic Capsules.

So now, you see that bacteria can work for you as well as against you! In many, many instances, bacteria are your friends!