Do you ever think about your digestive or colon health? Not many people do until they have a problem like stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, irritable bowel, gas, and constipation that is recurring. It is something to think about. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States and the third most common cancer in both men and women. In the last few years, spending on probiotic products as digestive aids has been climbing steadily in the United States. Many people use probiotics as a complementary or alternative medicine regimen to maintain good digestive health and to prevent disease.

What is a probiotic? Probiotics are beneficial or “good” bacteria present in the digestive tract. Natural supplements containing probiotics are recommended as they are thought to promote health by suppressing the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, improving immune function, enhancing the protective barrier of the digestive tract, promoting regularity and less waste toxins, and helping to produce vitamin K.

So how can we benefit from paying attention to digestive health and using probiotics? Many of us could benefit especially when we are stressed. Stress affects every part of the digestive system. When you are stressed digestion can shut down because your central nervous system shuts down blood flow, reduces contractions of your digestive muscles, and decreases secretions needed for digestion. Stress can also cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal system, and make you more susceptible to infection. “Good” bacteria offer protection against agents that could cause disease, and interfere with the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients.

Also consider probiotics in the healthy aging process. As we age, digestion tends to slow down, and your digestive system may not work efficiently or as quickly as it once did. The muscles in the digestive tract become stiffer, weaker, and less efficient. New cells aren't forming as quickly as they used to and your tissues may become more damaged.

Recently, the value of probiotics to reduce the risk of disease or illness has become appreciated. Research studies have been conducted in healthy populations where significant reduction in the incidence of colds and absences from work was reported. Data also shows that both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are normal inhabitants of the healthy intestine. The metabolic end products of their growth are organic acids that tend to lower the pH of the intestinal contents, creating conditions less desirable for harmful bacteria. Probiotic supplements that contain those bacteria have been found to support digestive health and also alleviate lactose intolerance symptoms, provide relief with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and reduced risk for some cancers.

At MHL, we have our Daily PRObiotic which is specifically formulated for digestive health.