Probiotics
What are the four leading families of probiotics?
There are four leading families of probiotics; these include; Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. The above two families are considered good bacteria and are commonly used in the health setting. Then there are the streptococcus and saccharomyces. There is a scary association with the above two families, but not all strains in the family have adverse effects.
What foods provide us with these bacteria? Are any of these foods unfamiliar to you? If yes, which ones?
Foods that provide us with these bacteria include; yogurts, fermented or unfermented milk, juices as well as soya beverages. The presence of the above bacteria has been identified to be more common in yeast containing foods. Fermented foods have, however, been determined to be associated with high contents of the above bacteria.
Under what conditions supplementation with probiotics might be recommended? Do you think that probiotic use may be rejected because of the cost? Is there any way to measure probiotic levels in the large intestine to determine if supplementation is necessary?
Supplementation of probiotics might be recommended where the patient exhibits various digestive tract related symptoms such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and bacterial vaginosis, among other conditions. These conditions have been identified to occur as a result of bacterial imbalances in the various parts of the body; thus, the supplementation with probiotics could come in handy.
Are there any potential contraindications or interactions you need to be aware of? Would any of these threaten the nutritional status of the person taking the probiotics?
The use of probiotics has not been associated with any contradictions or interference with the nutritional status of the patient under treatment. It is therefore correct to infer that the consumption of the above medications does not have any implications on the nutritional status of the patient and is therefore relatively safe for use in treatment approaches (Tannock, 2011).