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There was once a time when only a few people understood and believed that synbiotics, a combination of probiotic organisms and prebiotics, actually had some value as a nutritional supplement. Today, however, these products are rapidly gaining in popularity as research is revealing the remarkable benefits of this kind of supplement.

A synbiotic product is a combination of probiotic bacteria, a prebiotic supplement and sometimes other helpful agents. Probiotics are living bacteria that have been determined to be healthy for you. Healthy bacteria normally live in our colon. In fact, up to 400 different organisms can reside in the colon at any given time. Probiotic bacteria can be taken internally to provide your colon with a healthy combination of microorganisms.

The healthy colonic bacteria are “symbiotic” with us. This means that we are healthy for the bacteria and they are healthy for us. When material enters the colon, undigested food like plant fibers, pass into the colon as waste products. The bacteria in the colon feed off the food our bodies were unable to digest. When they do so, the bacteria secrete their own byproducts of metabolism. These byproducts are then used by the cells lining the colon for their own nutrition. The benefits are mutual.

Probiotic bacteria participate in this process very well. Unfortunately, some of the microorganisms in our colon are not healthy at all. The overuse of antibiotics, diabetic conditions, immune deficiency states, steroid use and the use of the birth control pill all can create a situation where unhealthy bacteria and yeast organisms proliferate and wipe out many of the healthy bacteria. Candida or “yeast”, especially, is resistant to antibiotics and can overgrow easily. Under these common conditions, toxic bacteria and toxic yeast destroy the healthy colonic environment. Many times, the effect of these microorganisms goes beyond the bowel itself.

Enter probiotic bacteria, the perfect healthy alternative to a toxic bowel system. Probiotic bacterial strains, usually strains of Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, can be produced and packaged into a pill or capsule that, if taken regularly, can reclaim the environment of the colon and make it healthy again. Some manufacturers provide these bacteria in a live, refrigerated form. While they might have potential in the refrigerator, they often do not survive the trip through the stomach unless they are packaged in an acid-resistant capsule.

A better way to take a probiotic product is by using the spore form of the bacterium. Bacteria form spores under hostile conditions as a way to protect themselves until conditions are right for growing. It’s a lot like freeze-drying oneself until the time is more appropriate to fill up with fluid and begin growing. When the spores pass the stomach, they are unaffected and find a better growing environment in the colon. Once inside the colon, they attach to the lining of the colon, displace the unhealthy bacteria and create a microorganism environment that is much healthier for you.

As it turns out, the body has the ability to tell the difference between good and bad bacteria. The toxic bacteria create an inflamed colon and unpleasant digestive symptoms. The healthy bacteria are ignored by the immune system. Candida is tolerated in small amounts but, if it dominates the colon, it creates an inflamed gut. The gut becomes leaky—more permeable—so that Candida toxins and bacterial toxins can enter the system. Even partially digested food molecules can leak through the colon wall and cause allergic symptoms, food allergies or even allergic rashes.

Without healthy probiotic bacteria, an individual can have digestive problems, allergic symptoms, rashes, fatigue, body aches, headaches and more. Some cases of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome have been linked to an unhealthy colonic environment. Recent research indicates that some colon cancers are partially caused by bad, unhealthy bacteria in the colon. It’s been suggested through research that probiotic bacteria can create a colonic environment that resists the formation of cancer cells.

It’s very important to remember that, with probiotic bacteria, just taking a single strain of probiotic is not nearly as healthy as using a product with multiple strains of bacteria. The colon thrives better when multiple colonies of different bacteria live together. Also, make sure to take the spore form of probiotic bacteria or a highly protected delivery system for bacteria that will otherwise likely be killed in the stomach.

Prebiotics are a practical way to make things more comfortable for probiotic bacteria. Prebiotics are short-chain sugars, such as fructo-oligosaccharides, that humans do not have the ability to digest but that bacteria love to use as food. Prebiotics and probiotics enter the colon together and, in the presence of a perfect nutritional agent, the probiotics take off and proliferate much more easily than if they didn’t have a rich nutritional substance like a prebiotic to help with the colony’s growth.

A synbiotic product that contains probiotics in several strains and a prebiotic food source is a great combination. Some products, however, add additional helpful agents to get rid of unwanted organisms in the colon. Products that contain enzymes for the breakdown of the cell wall and cell membrane of Candida help get rid of the Candida organism much faster. While the probiotic bacteria are busy growing and colonizing the colon, the enzymes break down the Candida species and, together, the colon can become healthy again.

Synbiotic products are completely safe and effective in improving colonic health. Anyone who has concerns about their digestion or who wants to optimize their digestive health would likely find that properly-made synbiotic products are a safe and healthy option.

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