Cold Prevention? Think Probiotics

With the winter season comes the cold and flu season. I think
it is safe to say nobody wants to get sick, which is why advertisers inundate us with ads about products claiming
to boost the immune system and cure the common cold. Most people, however, do not consider probiotics to be among the
long list of cold remedy options, but they should be.

Probiotics are one of the easiest, most affordable and most effective supplements you can take through the winter season to aid in prevention of cold and flu. The word "probiotic" literally means "for life." They are bacteria that help to maintain the healthful microflora of our intestinal tract. Yes, more than 400 million types of bacteria exist in our digestive system, working to help maintain healthy digestion
as well as immune function.

How do probiotics help our immune system? A significant portion of our immune system actually exists in our digestive
tract. For optimum immune system function, the body requires necessary nutrients and an optimal environment. Probiotics help maintain the integrity of the mucosal barrier. Taking probiotics in the form of supplements or food ensures that the mucosal barrier is intact, preventing colonization by pathogens. Probiotics also stimulate the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) to initiate the immune response.

Beneficial bacteria are critical to good overall health. They are involved in the digestion of carbohydrates and the production of nutrients such as vitamins K and B. They allow for mineral absorption and the prevention and control of the allergic response, and they break down toxins and foreign bacteria.

When we have imbalanced flora, we can experience adverse effects, such as pathogenic bacteria consuming vitamins and minerals,increased production of ammonia, degradation of dietary flavonoids and intestinal enzymes, and a dysfunctional immune response.

The idea that probiotics are benefi- cial to the immune system is not new. Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian Nobel Prize winner, was one of the first to document the importance of maintaining intestinal flora to prevent infection and maintain health. He wrote a groundbreaking book on this topic in 1907, titled The New Hygiene.

To maintain a healthy intestinal microflora, it is advised to consume many prebiotics, which are essentially the fuel needed to feed the beneficial bacteria, the
probiotics. Prebiotics are oligosaccharides,a type of carbohydrate that is not digested but travels to the colon where it is the food for the beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics are readily available in common foods we eat such as garlic, beans, carrots, onions, bananas, oats, Jerusalem artichokes and other fibre sources. Ensuring adequate consumption of these foods is one way we can help provide our bodies with the necessary tools needed for healthy intestinal microflora.

It is easy to assume that if we provide our bodies with enough prebiotics, we don't need to supplement with probiotics. However, this isn't necessarily the case. If we have had a course of antibiotics, consume sugar, travel, or are overworked and fatigued, we are likely deficient in healthy flora.

Probiotics are also deficient in people who have chronic conditions such as skin or food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, bladder infections and yeast infections,
and in those who are sick often or immune-compromised. If our diet is high in saturated fat and meat products, or if
we lack adequate stomach acids or suffer from pancreatic insufficiency, then we are also at risk for deficient beneficial bacteria.

There is a plethora of probiotics on the market, but what you see is not always what you get. It is important that you supplement with a quality product. A good probiotic will be sold from a refrigerated unit with a label that explains the amount and strains of bacteria contained in the supplement. A high quality probiotic also includes prebiotics, often seen as FOS (fructoligosaccarides) on the bottle, which prolong the life of the bacteria.

There are many different strains of probiotics. As we approach the height of the cold and flu season, we need to bolster the immune system with the necessary defenses
required to ward off illness. The winter season is demanding on the immune system, with increased exposure to germs, stressful schedules and poor diets. Adding probiotics to your daily regime is a simple and effective way to help keep the cold and flu at bay.

[Dr. Kinnon practises at Bellevue Natural Health Clinic in West Vancouver, BC. Her areas of expertise include infertility, PMS, menopause, hypertension, detoxification, weight loss, IV therapy and cancer. (604) 913-2262]

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