Dr. Leia on Benefits of Probiotics for Weight Loss
Question for Dr. Leia: I have heard about the benefits of building friendly bacteria and
want to take the best probiotic.
I have a bit of extra weight and would like you opinion of probiotics for weight
loss. Can the condition of your digestive abilities speed weight loss?
Or is weight loss really about calories
and exercise? Perhaps there is an ultilmate probiotic complex that will help me with my weight loss goals and improve
my health digestive health too. Thank you, Paula.
Dr. Leia’s Answer: Dear Paula, probiotics, also commonly referred to as acidophilus or
lactobacillus, are very important supplements for staying healthy in our modern world. They are versatile, inexpensive,
safe, effective, and have virtually no side effects and can be taken for long-term.
Their main function is on the
gastrointestinal tract, creating a balance and restoring the natural microflora of the gut. They are absolutely necessary
if one has to take an antibiotic. Antibiotics wipe out most bacteria from the body, including the good along with
the bad bacteria, so restoring the good bacteria via probiotics is important after finishing a round of antibiotics.
Probiotics
have helped many people with gas, bloating, indigestion, stomach problems, diarrhea and constipation, immune disorders,
irritable bowel and colon problems, vaginitis, food intolerances, allergies, and food assimilation.
You asked about
the connection between acidophilus and weight loss. There is really no easy way to lose weight, except by exercise,
counting calories, and watching your food intake and making healthy diet choices, but probiotics for weight loss
can assist the body in absorbing the required nutrients which it needs during a diet. Probiotics are important for
maintaining the normal healthy flora of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and as such, they are major players in optimizing
one’s health.
Since
old-time naturopathic doctors have told us that all disease begins in the gastrointestinal tract, it is important
to make sure that it is functioning properly. Luckily, we have many signs and symptoms which tell us that our GI
system is not functioning properly. It is important to note that not all probiotics are created equally. It is important
that the product you buy be standardized for the highest number of good lactobacillus, and usually, it is a good
idea to check the expiration date on the bottle to make sure that the product is fresh. And it is best to have the
product refrigerated to ensure the potency of the product.
Today’s modern science has found many different beneficial
strains of lactobacillus, so it is best to find an ultimate probiotic complex which contains the largest variety
of strains in it. Usually, I recommend a product which contains FOS or fructo-oligo-saccharides, in addition to the
various lactobacillus strains. FOS help to “seed” the
product in the gut or gastrointestinal tract, and thus insure that the good bacteria will continue to populate
and grow there, rather than be quickly washed away.
Good luck on your weight loss goals. Using the best probiotic products will contribute not only to your balanced
digestive health, but also to promote your overall general health and well being and enhanced immune system, too.
By Dr. Leia Melead
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