Did you know that about 100 trillion bacteria – or a pound or two in weight – live in our gut every day? Not to worry, they are not all bad guys or unwelcome invaders! In fact, many of them are good soldiers essential to our health and wellness.
In fact, the “good” microbes give us vitally important benefits and are essential to our survival. It’s only when there is an imbalance caused by too much “bad” bacteria that our health can be compromised. These bad bacteria are synonymous with a number of unpleasant diseases such as inflammation[1], chronic heartburn, diverculitis[2], crohn’s disease[3] and other examples of digestive tract dysfunction that can manifest themselves as infectious diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and skin conditions. The job of countering these harmful bacteria and the diseases they cause resides with our barrier immunity. This is the first line of defense that consists of our skin and mucous membranes. We can help by maintaining the discipline of good personal hygiene, including diligently washing hands, disinfecting and wiping down countertops and high touch point areas.
The better a job we do to protect our first line of defense – our barrier immunity – by keeping harmful bacteria out of our gut in the first place, the better our overall health. That is keyed by the health of the mucosal moat in the tube that runs from our mouth to our rectum. Our daily mantra becomes feeding the good bacteria and allowing them to live in harmony and thrive in our bodies, which in turn helps fight off the bad bacteria in the digestive tract.
Good intestinal bacteria supports immunity
This is where probiotics come into play. The bottom line is that good intestinal bacterial are essential for optimal immunity. They protect us from harmful bacteria as well as enhance our digestion, breaking down and maximizing the nutrients we gain from our food and helping us harness the energy that we need to live happy and productive lives. We truly cannot function without the good bacteria in our gut.
One of the ways in which that can become an issue for us if we have been on antibiotics, which are known to kill off both good and bad bacteria. Post-antibiotics, it becomes important to re-instate your microflora. Healthy gut flora reduces the abdominal pain and discomfort associated with IBS, mitigates against anxiety, depression, bloating, abdominal distension, flatulence, constipation and diarrhea.
What to look for in probiotics?
Many of us have been programmed to believe that “more is better”, yet that is not always the case. In fact, often times, less is indeed more. When it comes to probiotics, the science has shown that it is more about the potency of the strains; particularly the targeted strains that have been developed for specific conditions and applications. Potency, consistency and targeting are three of the attributes that led PURICA to partner with Kaneka, one of the global leaders in probiotics and holder of an extensive bank of over 1,000 clinical probiotic strains human origin and fermented food samples which have not been adversely affected by western lifestyle, diet or medicine.
These proprietary strains generate multiple mechanisms of action in the human body which promote optimal well-being and aid in the prevention and treatment of multiple conditions. The line-up of PURICA Probiotic formulations includes Cardio, Intensive GI, Mature Immune Defense and Digest.
The specific health benefits of PURICA Probiotic
PURICA Probiotic Mature Immune Defense promotes a favourable gut flora and supports immune function, protecting against or reducing the oxidative damage and effects caused by free radicals. PURICA Probiotic Cardio blend promotes heart function and overall cardiovascular health. By producing BSH enzyme – which degrades bile salts — It improves the metabolism of cholesterol and hinders its absorption in the blood. It supports healthy Total Cholesterol LDL, HDL levels and Triglyceride levels already in the normal range and reduces oxidized LDL Cholesterol related to blood vein health.
PURICA Probiotic Digest is a symbiotic formulation supporting digestive function and overall gastrointestinal health. By providing a healthy digestive tract flora, it counters antibiotic-associated diarrhea and enhancing immune function. It contains homofermentative metabolism strains that do not produce gas. This formulation recovers the positive microbiota (Bifidobacterium and Lactic Acid) and enhances GI epithelial function. PURICA Probiotic Intensive GI promotes gut health in patients with IBS. It helps to maintain a healthy gut, diversity of microbiome and improves gut-related anxiety and discomfort (in six weeks). It reduces occasional gas and bloating, supports gut homeostasis, balance and regularity and helps improve quality of life in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Whichever the probiotic formulation used to maintain the balance of a healthy flora, think of these tiny little bacterial friends as our own personal army of health care workers. They’re literally 100 trillion of our closest friends and – given the role that they play in strengthening the barrier immunity created by our mucosal moat — we depend on them more than we realize.
For more, check out The Triskelion: The PURICA Podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-three-phases-of-immunity/id1501609676
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388779/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3625022/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29141885/
