[cobluegirl]

Choosing a *High Quality* Probiotics Suppliment
-----------------------------------------------
It is extremely important to choose carefully when selecting
a probiotics suppliment. Most of the suppliments of the market
run anywhere from worthless to slightly useful. Spending the
extra time looking for the right product and spending a little extra
money purchasing the right product will pay off in the long run.
You may be fooling yourself if you rely on the "conscientiousness"
of your favorite natural food store or manufacturer to choose a
good probiotic products for you.

Below are a few things to look for or to avoid in a probiotics
suppliment:

a. Number of Organisms
-------------------
Product should say on the label a guarantee of the number of
viable organisms in the product. It should be at least 1
billion organisms per gram for a therapeutic dosage. The
label should ideally give a guarantee of the number of viable
organisms at the expiration date since it will be less than
the manufacture date.

Manufacturers should have an *independant* lab analyze their
product for potency on a regular basis. They should be able
to send you a copy of the lab results upon request.

b. Type of Organisms
-----------------
i. Single-strain products are strongly prefered because in
multiple-strain products, one strain can begin to dominate
during storage leaving little viable L. acidophilus or B.
bifidum. It is better to take two or three single-strain
products than one multi-strain product (which may have little
viable organisms in it at consumption time). For
example, strains of L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus should
not be put together as the L. bulgaricus would take over. Some
double-strain products with both L. acidophilus and B. bifidum
such as those made by Natren (see below) are okay to use.

ii. The most important types of bacteria to take *therapeutically*
are:

- L. acidophillus
- B. bifidum
- L. bulgaricus
- S. thermophilus

L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus are very useful for
encouraging the growth of B. bifidum in the intestines.

I believe that there are a few others that would be very
helpful such as some of the strains found in products like
miso, but you won't find such strains in products on the
market (at least I don't think so).

iii. The *strain* of the type of bacteria is extremely
important. The strain must be able to:

- survive the stomach digestive acids and the bile acids.
- attach itself to the intestinal wall.
- accepted by the immune system.
- produce substances such as natural antibiotics that
help destroy significant numbers of pathenogenic
organisms.

INT 9, DDS-1, and NAS strains of L. acidophilus are all
good strains to use.

The Malyoth strain of B. Bifidum is an example of good
strain.

The LB-51 strain of L. bulgaricus is an example of good
strain.

Many labels do not list the strains of the bacteria. You
may have to check with the manufacturer.

c. Type of Processing
------------------
It is very important that the product *not* have been processed
using centrifuging. Centrifuging has the following
detrimental effects on a probiotics product:

1. Damages colonies
----------------
The g-forces produced by centrifuging damages the
acidophilus colonies causing growth after implantation to
be poor. A healthy acidophilus colony may have 20 organisms
which tends to have a much greater ability to implant and
grow. Centrifuging breaks these colonies in much smaller
bits. This raises the *apparent* number of viable organisms,
but the implantation and growth of these organisms in the
human body will be reduced tremendously.

2. Damages Cell
------------
Centrifuging damages the cell walls of the bacteria
reducing its viability.

3. Supernatant Lost
----------------
The Supernatant is the growth medium of the probiotics
culture. During the culturing process, the bacteria
secretes or synthesizes chemicals which are very powerful
for inhibiting pathenogenic bacteria and fungus (e.g.,
lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and antibiotic-like
substances -- acidophilin, for example). The Supernatant
also protects the probiotic bacteria from stomach acids
and provides food for the bacteria to help them flourish
once they reach their destination in the intestines.
Centrifuging removes the Supernatant from the bacteria.

If the product does not say on the label that it is
uncentrifuged, you need to get a guarantee from the manufacturer
that this is the case. Since most companies do not manufacture
their own probiotic suppliments (they just put their label on
the bottle), you may have to do a little detective work to track
down the manufacturer.

Some products that are not centrifuged are ultra-filtrated.
Ultra-filtration does not damage the product as much as
centrifuging, but it does remove the Supernatant from the
bacteria.

Finally, some manufacturers add chemicals and/or hormones to
stimulate the growth of the bacteria. Since they are processing
agents, they do not have to be listed on the label. Please
check with the manufacturer to be certain that they do not add
these chemicals to their product.


d. Base of Product
---------------
A milk base is an ideal base for the organisms in a probiotics
suppliment. Since this is such a small part of the diet, I believe
it is okay to use a milk base *if* you do not have a negative
reaction from the product. If a milk base is used it is preferable
that the product contain the DDS-1 strain of L. acidophilus which
produces plenty of lactose to help digestion of the dairy.

It is preferable to find a quality product that has a
dairy-free base. It is also preferable that a non-dairy base
be one that provides an adequate diet for the acidophilus so
that they remain viable. A rice base is one example.


e. Form
----
Ideally the product should be in powdered form. If you use
powdered form, it is crucial that you keep the jar sealed and
in the refrigerator when not in use and that you only touch the
powder with a *clean* spoon so as not to damage the product.

The second best choice is encapsulated powder. The number of
viable organisms go down quicker when encapsulated, especially
if the encapsulation process is not done correctly.

Avoid liquid products.

f. Packaging
---------
The product should be packaged in glass to avoid condensation
inside the container. Amber (dark) colored glass should be used
to keep the light from destroying the product. Avoid plastic
containers if possible.

g. Storage
-------
The product should always be refrigerated. *Some* products are
viable without refrigeration for a short period of time (e.g., a
few weeks), but it is a good idea to refrigerate once
purchased.

Check with the retailer you purchase from to be certain that
they are carefully refrigerating the probiotics product and not
turning off or turning down their cooler at night.


Using a *High Quality* Probiotics Suppliment
--------------------------------------------

a. Dosage
------

Therapeutic Dosage
------------------
Therapeutic dosage should be taken when starting your healing
program, after a cleanse or enema/colonic or after a chemical
exposure. You can stay on therapeutic dosage for up to ten
days unless directed overwise by your healthcare professional.
Then gradually work your way down to maintenance dosage (see
below).

You may find that the therapeutic dosage of probiotics
suggested below is expensive if you use a quality product.
Please bear in mind that the therapeutic dosage is temporary
and that it is still much cheaper than most prescriptions.

L. acidophilus -- 5 to 10 grams (2.5 to 5 level teaspoonsful)
of powder *total* per day. These should be divided evenly and
taken half way between meals.

B. bifidum -- 5 to 10 grams (2.5 to 5 level teaspoonsful)
of powder *total* per day. These should be divided evenly and
taken half way between meals.

L. bulgaricus (if taken) -- 3 to 6 grams (1.5 to 3
teaspoonsful) taken with each meal (3 times daily).


Maintenance Dosage
------------------
You can stay on the maintenance dosage indefinately, but I
recommend gradually working away from regular use of
probiotic suppliments and replacing it with the use of
fermented foods and other foods naturally building the health
of the bacteria in your intestines. Of course, you should
only do this when you have healed enough to slowly add small,
regular amount of fermented foods to your diet (e.g., miso).

L. acidophilus -- 1 gram (0.5 level teaspoonsful)
of powder *total* per day. These should be divided evenly and
taken half way between meals.

B. bifidum -- 4 grams (2 level teaspoonsful)
of powder *total* per day. These should be divided evenly and
taken half way between meals.

L. bulgaricus (if taken) -- 1 gram (0.5 teaspoonsful) taken
with each meal (3 times daily).

The ratio of B. bifidum to L. acidophilus should be
approximately 4:1 if you follow the Natural Foods Diet
described in the "Food and Nutrition" chapter. If you eat
more meat, take a higher proportion of L. acidophilus.


b. Method of Administration
------------------------
The probiotics suppliments should be taken with spring water
*only* (except in the case of L. bulgaricus which is taken
with or after meals as described above). Do not take with
juice or broth as this can stimulate more stomach acids to be
released leading to fewer bacteria surviving in the stomach.


c. What To Expect
--------------
During the first few days of supplimentation, and possibly
through the entire ten days of therapeutic dosing, you may
experience cleansing symtpoms. (See "Detoxification" chapter
for more detail on cleansing symtoms.) This is due to the
dying off of yeast overgrowth (especially if you are taking
products to combat yeast -- garlic, caprylic acid, Pau d'Arco,
etc.) and dying off of detrimental bacteria. Symptoms such
as gas, bloating, IBS, diarrhea are not uncommon. Be certain
to consume warming, healthy foods and beverages when possible.