Friday, January 13, 2012 Years of antibacterical overuse, in
everything from soup to toothpaste, have left our "good" gut
bacteria severely compromised. The thriving population of these
bacteria helps not only our digestion, but overall immunity as
well. By reinforcing these strong gut soldiers, called
probiotics, we strengthen from the inside our defenses against
bad bugs, yeast, and other intestinal infections. Many delicious
foods have high levels of these beneficial bacteria, including
yogurt, miso, and fermented and unfermented milk. Unfortunately,
many of these foods are an acquired taste, and if you don't
appreciate the sour tang, you might not get their health
benefits. A recent meta-analysis of 31 randomized, placebo-
controlled studies, published in the World Journal of
Gastroenterology , found the probiotic S. boulardii could be
"strongly recommended for the prevention of antibiotic-
assoicated diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea. Plenty of promising
research suggests that probiotics can: - keep harmful