Probiotic Possibilities
By: Sean Novak
Probiotic’s are something that may be new to some of you, but old news to others. For the newbie’s, probiotics are “good” bacteria, that when introduced into the bodies digestive system, help replace the natural flora that is commonly found in the bodies digestive tract. Natural flora, refers to the bacteria that are naturally present in the bodies gut. In individual’s who suffer from IBD could be missing, unbalanced, or be the victim of an overly aggressive ,improperly regulated, immune response.
It seems there are several people, including myself, who have had great success with probiotics. If you pop your head into any one of the few IBD or IBS communities or forums around the net, you are sure to come across several different discussions regarding probiotics. However, there are still several individuals out there who have never even heard of probiotics. Take myself for instance, I have had Crohn’s since I was about 13 and had never heard of probiotics until about a year ago. It wasn’t my doctor that brought them up either, it was me who stumbled upon them on the internet.
So…why aren’t more people using probiotics? Why doesn’t there seem to be the support for them you would think from the medical community? Because probiotics are considered more of an alternative treatment, or supplement, rather than an actual medication that is traditionally prescribed for these conditions. Recent studies into the success of probiotics have begun to change this. More and more individuals are taking probiotics and report success with them
It is important to stress that probiotics, in no way, can replace the traditional treatment that your doctor has prescribed for you. If interested in adding probiotics to your treatment I would advise checking with your doctor beforehand and then seeing what brands or types he or she recommends.
So, if you are currently not on a probiotic treatment and are interested, do some research, call your doctor, and then join those of us who have had great success with them. Symptoms that are commonly relieved are frequency, urgency, constipation, diareaha, bloating, and cramps. My personal recommendation is Digestive Advantage who makes a formula for those with IBS and those with Crohn’s or Colitis.