NUTRITION AND HEALTH

The Probiotic Revolution

A
T THE TURN of the century Dr. ful bacteria, yeast, and viruses. We literally live or
Elias Metchnikoff wrote a ground- die at this subcellular level of existence and we
breaking book entitled Prolongation have little or a lot of energy based on who is win-
of Life. It inspired and initiated ning the interbacterial battle .
what came to be known as the The harmful bacteria, whose names are associat-
Probiotic Revolution. Metchnikoff, a Nobel laure- ed with death and disease, multiply and spread their
ate who discovered the cell scavengers known as toxic influences whenever the body's immune sys-
phagocytes and other immune system components, tem is weak, or whenever the hosts of beneficial
documented in the book what he believed to be a flora is depleted. Bacterial allies fight off the
direct link between human longevity and the neces- pathogens and aid the body's defense system by
sity of maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial producing natural antibiotics that are known to
microorganisms within the body. counteract harmful microorganisms.
Today, some 90 years later, scientists and med- The term "probiotic" (for life) was first used in
ical practitioners are proving and extending many scientific literature in 1965 to refer to substances
of Metchnikoff's original findings on healing, secreted by one microorganism which stimulated
immune-system enhancement, disease prevention, the growth of another, in contrast to how antibiotics
and life extension. perform. Now, probiotic more generally refers to
Not surprisingly, with only a few exceptions, lit- any microorganism that promotes gastrointestinal
tle of this new research is being published by the health.
information outlets of mainstream medicine. There is a secret world within the human body
We are accustomed to think that bacteria are dan- that dramatically influences its health and longevi-
gerous forms of microscopic life with the potential ty. As the Earth is home to an abundance of life
to wipe us out. But not all bacteria are agents of forms that sometimes exist harmoniously and at
darkness. Many are absolutely vital to our health. other times struggle fitfully against each other, so
An entire bacterial universe resides in the nooks the human body may be considered a micro-planet
and crannies of the human gastrointestinal land- whose internal ecosystem includes trillions of liv-
scape. There are some 400 different species of ing microorganisms that coexist—in concert or
these squatters comprising over two pounds of the conflict.
adult’s total body weight. The moment the human fetus begins passing
This vast population of microorganisms exceeds through the uterus during labor, it comes in contact
the number of tissue cells that make up the human with, and picks up, a host of beneficial microor-
body, which, according to Jon Minden, a bio- ganisms that enter its body through the mouth as it
chemist at the Center for Light Microscope passes through the birth canal. From there, they
Imaging and Biotechnology, is about 1014 or 10 tril- rapidly make their way into the intestinal tract,
lion cells. If this intestinal ecosystem is functioning where they established themselves in large
properly, it guards the body against parasites, harm- colonies. Moreover, mother’s milk contains just the

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 right ingredients to nourish these friendly bacteria overcome the beneficial bacteria and open the door
once they become established in the intestines. to an onset of serious health problems.
There, these “intestinal flora” produce a variety of From the time of ancient civilizations, humans
substances that can prevent cancerous tumors, inac- have consumed fermented foods such as yogurt,
tivate viruses, produce natural antibodies and vita- curds, fermented soybeans, buttermilk, and fer-
mins, break down fiber and other food residues, mented cabbage or sauerkraut. The fermentation
reduce cholesterol, help to maintain the body's vital process has permitted certain bacteria from the air
chemical and hormonal balance, maintain high to grow in these foods and subsequently in the gut
energy levels and proper immune function, and of those consuming them.
counteract cancer causing compounds in the colon. The most prevalent microorganisms in most
When the ecology of the human gastrointestinal yogurts—Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Lactobacillus
tract becomes disrupted, beneficial microorganisms acidophilus—are also found in the human gut,
can no longer flourish in the needed numbers and apart from other friendly microflora such as
proper balances. Then harmful toxin-producing Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacteria. But such
bacteria and fungi begin to take over, further foods, with their lower level of useful lactic acid
changing the ecology of the gastrointestinal tract. bacteria, have not been able to entirely counteract
We've heard the saying "Death begins in the the unhealthy body conditions produced by modem
colon." It should come as no surprise that many lifestyles and adverse environmental conditions.
alternative doctors believe that a disrupted ecology Researchers have found that altered levels of acidi-
of the gastrointestinal tract may be at the heart of up ty and alkalinity in the gastrointestinal tract will
to ninety percent of all known human illness and change the ecology of the bowel environment, and
disease. thereby affect the type, quantity, and behavior of
Some of the more prevalent ill-health conditions microorganisms found there.
associated with inadequate levels of beneficial Under ideal conditions of health and diet, the dif-
microorganisms include chronic fatigue, rashes and ferent strains of bacteria or micro-flora compete
other skin conditions, allergies, poor immune with and check the excessive number of any one
response to common illnesses and chronic degener- strain. A healthy condition can be achieved if a bal-
ative diseases, rapid onset of osteoporosis, frequent ance between the "good" and "bad" bacteria in the
diarrhea, constipation, and/or intestinal gas, high ratio of 85 percent to 15 percent.
cholesterol levels, vitamin B deficiencies, dairy But this ratio will change with a poor diet, toxic
product sensitivities, chronic anemia, candida environmental conditions, physiological stress, and
infections, intensified PMS symptoms, hormonal overuse of certain drugs such as antibiotics and
imbalances, chronic bad breath, chronic vaginal contraceptive pills, resulting in many forms of ill-
and bladder infections, and many other condition. ness. When established, colonies of putrefactive
The gastrointestinal tract's balance of beneficial bacteria often discharge highly toxic by-products
flora is most commonly disrupted by antibiotic while reacting with foods in the digestive tract.
usage, excessive sugar consumption, heavy alcohol This reaction can upset the ecology of the gastroin-
intake, stress, and drinking chlorinated water and testinal tract and slowly poison the entire body. The
large amounts of colas and other carbonated bever- end result is the onset of chronic degenerative dis-
ages. Also deleterious to this important microbial eases.
balance are radiation therapy and the use of non- Modem biotechnology has made it possible to
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like deliver concentrated forms of microbial food sup-
Motrin, Advil, Nuprin, Rufin, Medipren, Midol. plements, each containing many billions of viable
A diet high in red meats or rich, fatty foods will beneficial organisms, which may be divided into
dramatically alter the acid/alkaline balance of the two classes—resident and transient microbes.
intestines, leading to the overgrowth of disease- The two principal kinds of resident microbes are
causing, putrefactive bacteria that eventually the bifidobacteria and the lactobacilli.

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 BIFIDOBACILLI Many of the problems associated with aging, such
Four of the most important bifidobacteria are B. as mental fatigue, depression, low energy levels,
longum, B. bifidum, B. infantis, and B. breve. From and upper respiratory problems, have been linked
birth these vital bifidobacteria play a crucial role in to decreasing levels of B-12. Some researchers sug-
human health. When a baby is born, the intestines gest that supplementing the body with a healthy
are virtually sterile, free of micro organisms. population of bifidobacteria may be helpful in
Immediately, something like a Wild West land grab maintaining adequate levels of these important B
ensues as friendly and harmful bacteria stake their vitamins.
claims, vying for territory and dominance. LACTOBACILLI
Between the forth and seventh day among breast Lactobacilli also have health enhancing benefits.
fed babies, bifidobacteria normally outdo the rest of Unfortunately, much like the beneficial bifidobac-
the field. Researchers now realize that one of the teria, these vital resident microorganisms have been
chief reasons breast-fed babies get markedly fewer noted to decline in numbers as we age.
infections than formula-fed babies is that mother's With the decline certain diseases begin to appear.
milk tends to promote superior growth of bifi- For example, lactobacilli produce vitamin K, which
dobacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, whereas helps blood to clot and is essential for the building
store bought formulas have little such beneficial of strong bones. New research suggests that
effect. Vitamin K deficiency may be a crucial factor in
Over ninety percent of the microbial count in a predisposing the human body to the onset of osteo-
breast fed infant's intestinal tract is composed of the porosis.
highly beneficial bifidobacteria. These micro- Lactobacilli include the following strains:
organisms, in turn, produce high degrees of essen- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus. According to noted
tial by-products in the intestines, which act as a bar- Canadian bacteriologist Edward Brochu, L. rham-
rier to the growth of dangerous pathogenic nosus: increases the natural killing activity of
microbes that cause infection and disease. spleen cells, which may help to prevent tumor for-
The levels of beneficial bifidobacteria appear to mation; provides an increased resistance to listeria
decline dramatically as the human body ages. Some monocytogenes, the disease-causing bacteria asso-
researchers believe this steep decline is due chiefly ciated with encephalitis; causes a threefold increase
to gradual disruptions and changes in the acid/alka- in the ability of phagocytes to destroy foreign
line balance of the bowels, which tend to favor the invaders and other harmful matter; increases circu-
growth of harmful viral and fungal organisms as lating antibodies by six to eight times their normal
well as putrefactive, disease causing bacteria, and levels; and helps the body resist microbial infec-
disfavor the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria. tions by increasing levels of immunoglobulins and
Many researchers now believe that declining lev- directly activating macrophages. They are “the
els of bifidobacteria in the intestinal tract may actu- workhorses of the immune system.”
ally mark the eventual onset of chronic degenera- Lactobacillus Salivarius. According to Scott
tive disease. These declines brought on by aging Gregory, O.M.D., author of A Holistic Protocol for
make supplementation of these vital, beneficial the Immune System, the resident L. salivarius pro-
micro organisms all the more desirable. vides the human body with increased stores of
Vital bifidobacteria may help detoxify the human energy due to its unique ability to break down foods
system and remove numerous harmful substances. in the intestinal tract and to make vital nutrients
They have the ability to remove cancer-forming more readily available for use elsewhere in the
elements or the enzymes that lead to their forma- body. It also helps the entire colon by eating away
tion. They have also demonstrated anti-tumor prop- encrusted putrefactive materials, and it helps repair
erties in laboratory studies. the intestinal tract by providing needed enzymes
Bifidobacteria longum and bifidum breve are and essential nutrients, as well as by adhering to
substantial producers of important B vitamins. and protecting the mucosal lining.

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 Lactobacillus Acidophilus. The best known of activate the body's immune defense and to stimu-
all the lactobacilli, this popular resident of the gas- late the proliferation of crucial lymphocytes.
trointestinal tract produces significant quantities of Bacillus coagulans, also known as L. sporo-
the enzyme lactose, which aids in the digestion of genes, modifies serum lipoproteins or blood fat
milk and other dairy products and eliminates many levels, and, according to Dr. A. B. Gandi, provides
of the serious problems associated with lactose an excellent preventative effect against various
intolerance. According to Dr. Morton Walker, L. diseases of the intestine.
acidophilus has now been shown to produce at Streptococcus thermophilis produces a number
least four powerful antimicrobial compounds, of antibiotic-like substances as part of its metabol-
including acidolin, acidolphilin, lactocidin and ic process and helps to suppress tumor develop-
bacteriocin, which inhibit the growth and toxin- ment and growth. By producing substantial quanti-
producing capabilities of 23 disease-causing ties of the enzyme lactose, it aids in the digestion
pathogens, including camphylobacter, listeria, and of milk sugars and may provide an effective reme-
staphylococci. It is used in treating chronic vaginal dy against lactose intolerance. It has been used in
yeast infections, has shown both antifungal and hospitals as an effective remedy for chronic diar-
antiviral activity, can retard flu or herpes, and is rhea in infants.
able to reduce cholesterol levels.
SUPPLEMENTATION
TRANSIENT MICRO ORGANISMS Broad spectrum supplementation seems to be
Transient micro organisms are also extremely the most effect way to deliver the micro-organisms.
important to understand. These include food borne Some products contain up to fourteen different
micro organisms and even soil borne micro-organ- strains of beneficial resident and transient bacteria.
isms that make their way into the human digestive Other health practitioners recommend alternating
tract and, depending upon the characteristics of the three or four combinations of friendly flora in one-
specific organism involved, either subtly or dra- week cycles.
matically influence the overall health of the human Widespread fear of bad or pathogenic bacteria as
system. the cause of many, if not all, of our worst infectious
Transient micro-organisms are different from diseases has led to overuse of antibiotics in medi-
resident micro-organisms in that they do not take cine and pesticides in agriculture. The problem
up permanent residence in the gastrointestinal with this approach is that it is non-selective. It
tract. Instead, they establish small colonies for destroys all bacteria, both friendly and adverse.
brief periods of time before dying off or being This upsets the natural biological balance and
flushed from the intestinal system via normal actually leaves the body more susceptible to future
digestive processes, or by peristaltic bowel action. infection. In other words, the primary cause of
Transient micro-organisms include: infection is not due to the presence of unfriendly
Bacillus laterosporus. In recent clinical studies bacteria, but to insufficient friendly bacteria. With
has been demonstrated to provide relief from a balance of many different types of friendly bac-
symptoms associated with suppressed immune teria in adequate numbers, unfriendly bacteria do
system function, such as chronic fatigue syn- not have the opportunity to create illness.
drome, Candida infections, Epstein-Barr virus, In such a case, one may benefit from a probiotic
herpes, Crohn's disease, chlamydia, cytomegalo- supplement. For those who have been on antibiotics
virus, parasitic infections, and many more. The and want to replace the good flora during this time,
effectiveness of laterosporus may be due to its they may want to supplement with much higher
strong antibiotic qualities. quantities of these probiotics. For example, there
Bacillus subtilis. One of the most important immune may be the need to use 20 to 40 or more billion
system stimulators of all the transient micro- colony-forming units (CFUs) per day when more
organisms, B. subtilis is remarkable for its ability to therapeutic amounts are required. If, however,

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 someone has minor intestinal concerns and/or just hydrocarbons into their basic constituents, enhanc-
wants to replace the flora to support good intesti- ing assimilation and increasing overall nutrition.
nal health, they may supplement with a smaller This action helps to eliminate constipation. SBOs
amount, 1 to 5 billion CFUs per day. Multi-spec- produce specific proteins which act as antigens
trum and high potency formulations are marketed (foreign substances), which, in turn, stimulate the
under such brand names as Pro-Bio Gold and immune system to produce “non-addressed” anti-
Multi-Flora Spectrum and are available through bodies above its normal homeostatic level. That is,
UAS Laboratories, Kirkman Laboratories, and they have not been pre-programmed to attack any
other sources. specific infection or pathogenic agent. They are
kept in reserve and are imprinted by the immune
SOIL BASED ORGANISMS system when a definite threat arises.
Today, millions of people know about the Any existing health problem is thus assisted by
proven health benefits that can be gained by sup- the elevated level of immunologic capability, while
plementing and maintaining the human body’s incipient problems are more forcefully kept at a
native population of beneficial intestinal microor- standoff. SBO’s vigorously attack and eliminate
ganisms. Whether through the use of cultured pathogenic molds, yeasts, fungi, and viruses, rescu-
soured-milk food products like yogurt, or through ing what may be an overworked immune system.
the use of specially developed bacilli supplements, SBOs work in symbiosis with somatic cells, metab-
it is now abundantly clear that maintaining the olizing proteins for them and helping to rid the cel-
body’s natural balance of intestinal micro-organ- lular environment of toxic wastes, thereby boosting
isms is one of the primary keys to maximizing its normal function.
long-term health and well-being. Further specific actions of SBOs, which are rela-
What most people don’t realize, however, is that tively new to the health field and have received vir-
there are numerous other beneficial micro-organ- tually no attention from mainstream medicine,
isms which have been proven to dramatically ben- include their ability to stimulate the body’s produc-
efit the human body, even though they are not tion of up to 20 sub-species of alpha-interferon, a
native to its normal intestinal flora. key regulator of the human immune response, and
As Dr. Peter Rothschild, one of the world’s fore- a potent antidote for chronic fatigue syndrome,
most experts on human immune response and its viral herpes, and hepatitis-B and C, influenza, and
relation to beneficial micro-organisms, recently other immunopathic conditions.
emphasized: “It’s a crying shame that most health- SBOs produce lactoferrin, an iron-binding pro-
minded Americans today have been brainwashed tein which retrieves iron from ingested food and
into thinking that their beloved holy St. delivers it to where it is needed. It is especially
Acidophilus is the only micro-organism that can helpful in treating anemia and difficulties in iron
benefit their health. In truth, there are many bacte- assimilation. SBOs also produce SOD (super oxide
rial micro-organisms in existence which can stim- dismutase) as a bi-product of their metabolism.
ulate phenomenal health and immune system ben- SOD is a powerful anti-oxidant, an effective scav-
efits when ingested as dietary supplements—even enger of free-radicals, which cause the cellular
though they are in no way indigenous to the human mutations associated with the onset of cancer and
system.” inflammatory diseases.
In particular, Dr. Rothschild is referring to soil- SBOs are marketed under several different
based organisms, which have several advantages names, including EarthFlora, Royal Flora, and
over the microflora endogenous to the human sys- Nature’s Biotics. The prospects for their usefulness
tem: they proliferate more rapidly and more aggres- in restoring and maintaining human health at the
sively stake out a claim for “squatter’s rights,” physiological level is most promising. ❐
digesting and dislodging accumulated putrefaction —C.W.
in the process. They energetically break down

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