How to Select Probiotics
If you have ever experienced food poisoning, a yeast infection or you have recently finished a course of antibiotics, your physician or nutritionist may have suggested you take probiotic supplements. After food poisoning, your digestion may be sluggish. A yeast infection is an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a strain of bacteria that develops when the immune system is compromised and there is an excessive intake of sugars (including fruit sugars) or yeast from bread, beer or mold from cheese or exposure to moldy environments. Antibiotics wipe out much of the friendly bacteria in the gut that helps us to digest food and absorb its nutrients. Probiotics are live cultures grown in a lab or found in live-culture yogurt that help reestablish these friendly bacteria in the gut.
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Instructions
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Begin by consulting your physician or nutritionist if you experience diarrhea or any of the conditions described in the introduction. Make certain you do not have a more serious medical issue before proceeding.
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Look for live cultures that are not sweetened with sugar, cane juice or maple syrup or fruit. Read the label to look for the live cultures Lactobacillius acidophilus or bifidus. These probiotics are only viable if the foods or supplements are kept under refrigeration. Once exposed to heat or cooked in any way, they no longer are viable.
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Shop for probiotics in the refrigerated section of most health food stores. There are different variations for those who can and cannot digest diary. There are vegetarian caps for those who do not want to ingest capsules made from gelatin (which is made from cow’s hooves).
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Read the labels to see what the potency and quantities are of each live culture. For example, some probiotics might include two or more different types of live cultures and up to 3 to 4 million cultures per capsule. Take these supplements according to their label. Generally, they are taken between or after meals with a cold liquid.
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Tips & Warnings
Many well-known yogurts have no live cultures and are essentially a fancy milk pudding. If you are looking for live cultures, read the labels.
Do not self-diagnose if you have diarrhea or severe food poisoning. Consult your doctor if you have any chronic diseases or have blood in your urine or in your stool.
