WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS?

An entire book can be written on the subject of probiotics.   We’ll only be covering the basics, enough to empower you to tap into this health gem.  Probiotics are one of many terms used to describe the micro-organisms (microbes) that hang out in your gastro-intestinal tract (GI Tract).  A normal GI Tract is populated with quite an assortment of living entities… over a trillion of them, to the tune of up to 4.5 ish pounds… and that’s not including the larger occupants, meaning; worms; we provide a home for them as well… ugh!  According to one researcher; 1 gram of feces contains more bacteria than there are people on this earth.  They’re all quietly moving around there in all of that sausage lookin stuff inside your hopefully… not too big of a belly.  If your belly is too biggg, then you might wanna scroll down to the section entitled, ‘Digestion‘ for some extra help; meanwhile, this section will hopefully offer some valuable insight into your present status.  To put it in a nutshell, your overall health is reflective on the presence and on the arrangement (hierarchy) of this microbial activity.  Most every function in the body will receive its marching orders according to what goes on here… or to what does not go on here.  In essence, it is the heart of our immune function.

Allow me to introduce you to your GI Tract garden.  Some of the names you’ll hear referring to this GI Tract garden are; Intestinal Flora, Microbiota and/or Microbiome.   The largest population of microbes… the biggest players down under there is supposed to be; Lactobacillus and Bifidum.  These will be accompanied by mega smaller clusters of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, such as; Candida, E. coli and… yes… even Cancer.  Keep an eye on the first two big players; Lactobacillus and Bifidum, it’ll come in handy when shopping for probiotics.   Many of the aforementioned, minor players tend to get a bad wrap, especially when you’re feeling out of sorts; they’re often referred to as Pathogens;  infectious agents that can cause disease.  The reason that any microbe is able to cause disease is because it has been enabled.  If a department of our body becomes compromised, meaning that the garbage is piling up, it’ll attract microbes of all sorts and a feeding frenzy begins.  However, contrary to the allopathic medicine approach, the goal is not to destroy the microbes but rather to take out the garbage, clean house and thereby evict unwanted extra and often malevolent microbial attention.

Our garden began when we were a babe; at this stage our GI Tract was void of a microbiome, resulting in virtually, no defense, hence why i am so against injecting all kinds of questionable ingredients/poisons into a tiny baby’s body (vaccines).  Howbeit, as time goes on, a symbiotic (beneficial) relationship is developed between gut microbes and our overall defense/elimination departments, that we’ve become accustomed to calling an; immune system.  This relationship is evident in nature; smaller fish will hang dangerously close to larger fish… or birds will ride on the backs of large animals that you’d expect to be a feared predator.  The reason why they get away with this without becoming din dins is simply because they are providing a valuable service for the larger animal, and the larger animal knows and accommodates it.   Similarly, our immune system refrains from attacking and destroying many residential microbes for the same reason; they are providing a service and helping to keep our body functioning smoothly.

Probiotics fit the adage; ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’  I’ve witnessed them perform significant and noticeable improvements immediately and yet at other times their true health benefits go unnoticed.  Nonetheless, they are vital to sound health in my opinion; a good bang for your buck indeed.  What exactly are Probiotics?  It begins with the process of fermentation.  In essence, fermentation is the ‘infiltration of microbes;‘ this process… miracle of nature, results in the transformation and preservation of a substance.   Fermentation is not a new thing; it is centuries old; evidence of it can be found with most every culture throughout the world.  Most people are familiar with yogurt.  This probiotic transformed food is the result of specific microbes at work.  In this case it’s a specific microbe, bacteria called; Lactobacillus Acidophilus that has set up house in milk.  Hmm… how would you like a name like Lactobacillus Acidophilus?  We’ll call you, Yogi, for short.  Nonetheless; when a multitude of these Lactobacillus Acidophilus bacteria is introduced to a medium such as milk, it will begin to multiply (ferment), eventually transforming (souring) the milk.  If the milk hadn’t been introduced to this particular bacteria then some other microbe would have found its way into the substance, which more often than not would render the milk a toxic substance when it was done.

Some other popular Probiotic cultures are; Kefir, Kombucha, Apple Cider Vinegar, Sour dough bread and Sauerkraut.  Furthermore, just about every alcoholic beverage is the result of this fermentation process, as well; Wine, beer and whiskey, to name but a few; each of these will have been carefully transformed, cultured by specific microbes.  Howbeit, it’s really the ‘before and after’ of this microbe infiltration where nature’s magic truly lies… and how it relates to our good health.  Take sauerkraut for example; you add salt, and encourage the microbes that are already present on the cabbage leaves to seriously multiply.  These microbes begin to consume the natural occurring sugars present in the cabbage, resulting in the production of lactic acid and a whole host of vitamins and other goodies that were not present in the original cabbage before the process began.  This new creation will continue its process of fermentation unless it is challenged by a more dominant microbe such as; Salmonella… ugh… rendering your sauerkraut unfit for human consumption… get the picture?  It all boils down to the food available; certain microbes are attracted to certain foods.  Bear this thought in mind; it’ll be relevant as we unravel the microbial magic within our GI Tract.

Hopefully you can see how the concept of fermentation applies to your GI Tract microbiome; it all boils down to digestion versus putrefaction.  Digestion is a process rendering a substance usable by the body whereas putrefaction is a process rendering toxic waste… poison to the body.  The microbiome consists of a variety of microbes, which can be likened to tiny factories whose main purpose is to dismantle, unlock/disarm and/or to transform substances that pass through its domain.  In due process, mega elements such as, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, fatty acids and hormones etc. will have been created/synthesized.  This microbial activity is even responsible for our behaviour, and so if your kid is acting outa sorts, you might wanna pay attention to their microbiome; in other words, pay attention to what they are habitually eating; more importantly; to what they are craving… addicted to.

ANTIBIOTICS:

Enter antibiotics; in essence, antibiotics are really just microbes as well, extracts from specific aggressive and tenacious microbes.  I’m sure you’re familiar with penicillin; well, penicillin is derived from a fungal family; its claim to fame is to shake up a microbial neighbourhood, so to speak.  It’s much like a Clint Eastwood episode in a wild west scene; in case you are not a movie buff, he was that model of a rough and tuff lonesome cowboy who used to ride into town and put the ‘baddest of the bad guys’ in their place.  Nonetheless, there is now an incredible variety of these Clint Eastwood formatted antibiotics available, some of which are programmed to target specific microbial entities.  It’s really ‘germ warfare,’ where one microbial entity will take out another… may the best microbe win!   The problem with antibiotics is that they aren’t as selective to their target as one would hope, rather they tend to create serious collateral damage throughout the entire GI Tract,  often leaving the digestive tract looking like a war zone in their wake.  These aggressive sharp shooters will destroy most every microbe that they come in contact with, including the benevolent ones that will have been living in symbiotic relationship in our gut and keeping us relatively healthy… relatively.  Antibiotic therapy doesn’t stop at individuals, the same practice occurs with livestock, which is a big part of many people’s diet.  These antibiotics will inadvertently find their way into the food chain; your GI Tract at some point in time… if you are a meat eater, that is.  This is one of the reasons that i suggest a daily regime of probiotics.

Albeit, antibiotic therapy does have its place, i suppose; it can saves lives and so we don’t want to be tossing out the baby along with the dirty bath water.  We should however be more discriminative regarding its application.  Antibiotics are often the reach-for to combat colds and flus, when more often than not, it’ll run its course within several days, after which time, you… the host will be back in the saddle again.  The white coats are now beginning to understand the long term repercussions of antibiotic therapy.  Consequently, many microbes have become resistant to these antibiotics… smart little buggers… i could say the same about the white coats.

While we’re on the topic of antibiotics, the question often arises; “Should i be supplementing with Probiotics while i’m taking antibiotics?”  I cannot give you a ‘yes or no’ answer to that simply because such would be construed as medical advice.  I’m sure you are aware of the fact that that is off limits for unauthorized personnel, meaning for those who haven’t gone through the Pharmaceutical training protocol better known as; Med school.  However, i will share my common sensible opinion on the matter and encourage you to get off your fanny and research it for yourself.

According to my research and experience, a compromised microbiome renders the body vulnerable to disease, in some cases far more vulnerable than the initial health challenge that ushered in the antibiotic protocol to begin with; therefore i’d be of the mind to subsidize with probiotics while on antibiotics if it was me, that is to say.  However; there is the possibility of your probiotic interfering with the effectiveness of a specific antibiotic therefore, it would be wise to take them separately, at least a few hours apart from ingesting the antibiotic… again… if it was me.  It’s like i said; it’ll be your call in the end… are we good to go, then?

THE MICROSCOPIC WORLD WITHIN:

The following information may shed some light on food cravings, weight management and behaviour issues.  One of many terms used to describe a compromised microbiome is; ‘gut dysbiosis.’   Some of the minor symptoms suggesting gut dysbiosis are; Acid-reflux (GERD), Bloating and flatulence.  Some of the more serious symptoms would be; Irritable Bowel (IBS), Diverticulitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns and/or Colon cancer.

The arrangement of our microbiome is unique to each one of us… it is as specific to each of us as is our blood type.  In essence, our microbiome is like a signature; it authorizes and governs, not only how our body functions, but also how we feel and think, hence why i advise to avoid shopping on an empty stomach.  It’s like pushing around a grocery cart full of me-me brats beckoning you to buy their favorite junk food, only it’ll be a schwack of voracious little microbes in your gut instead prodding your conscience to purchase their favorite snack.  Hmm… in either case, i suppose it’d be the same; junk foods loaded with sugar and preservatives.  And all this time you thought you were at the top rung of the food chain.

We’ve always been taught that we have one brain, the one between our ears; however, science is now understanding there to be several brains; the brain between your ears, the gut microbiome, the heart, the liver… and i’m sure they’ll discover more as science evolves.  Each of these brains are in constant communication with one another; however, it appears as if they don’t always agree on what’s best for the host… your body.  You might wanna consider that the next time lil Johnny throws a temper tantrum because he didn’t get his food of choice… or did get his food of choice.

Experiments were conducted with mice… i know; poor mice again; they always end up with the short end of the stick; in some laboratory or forever harassed by cats and/or birds of prey.  Nonetheless, when thin mice received a fecal transplant from obese mice, guess what happened?  The skinny guys became obese… and vice versa.  The moral of that story was that the microbiome… the particular microbes… and the arrangement of such, determined the mouse’s metabolism.  Mice weren’t the only subjects of the white coat experiments, people were also involved; it’s a classic case of ‘mice and men.’  I dunno perhaps they ran outa mice and decided to reach higher up the food chain for vulnerable people; there are always plenty of those around.   Howbeit, experiments were conducted in mental asylums; a convenient setting for experimentation, i’d say; if you complain they can always just say that you’re crazy, right?  Seriously though, mentally, disturbed patients received fecal transplants from so called, normal people… emphasis on, ‘so called;‘ hmm… one would have to wonder what criteria they would have used to categorize, normal.  Nonetheless, the personalities of the emotionally challenged people changed dramatically for the better in the majority of cases.  Similarly, fecal transplants were shown to significantly improve in people with serious bowel disorders as well.  In other words; introducing a different microbiome can make that much difference in one’s health… go figure.  I’m wondering how long it might have lasted.  It’d be my guess that one’s diet afterwards would determine that.

EAT MORE DIRT:

“Why do I need to supplement with Probiotics; my Grampa  never did and yet he lived well into his 80’s?” I often hear it said.  Well, i’m sure you would agree that today is a far cry from yesteryear in very many ways.  First of all; our ancestors ate food that was more connected to the microbial constitution of the earth than the food of today.  Food in Grampa’s day came from the garden (dirt) to the table, for the most part; today it comes from international markets.  The problem is; there is no 3rd party regulations or policing in this market.  Consequently; mass production farming practices involve the use of toxic chemicals, rendering the soil sterilized, which adds up to an end product… the food having significantly less nutritive value… to the tune of 50% less than that of yesteryear… go figure.

It doesn’t stop there, to add insult to injury, the white coats are now altering the genetic DNA code of plants and animals (GMO)… and now as i’m writing this; they’re doing the same with people.  I’m referring to the new experimental, so called; vaccine, mRNA technology that is being implemented… in many cases… mandated, as an antidote to what i perceive to be a fake viral outbreak called; Covid-19.  I won’t go into details on that here; if you want the ins and outs of that story you can scroll to the section entitled; ‘Convid Circus.’  Meanwhile, back to our Frankenscientific food chain; the white coats are genetically modifying the DNA of our food; a process known as; GMO (genetically modified organism).  You have to wonder how your body deals with this Frankenstuff.  It doesn’t take a scientist to suspect such a practice to affect one’s microbiome.  One particular chemical in food processing that i think requires some serious attention is a toxic pesticide known as; RoundUp.  RoundUp contains an agent called Glyphosate, which has managed to find its way into the food chain and ultimately into most all of our GI Tracts… and once there raises serious hell.  Glyphosate has not only been proven to cause cancer but it has been shown to seriously disrupt many chemical exchanges within the GI Tract as well as within the cells of the entire body that are vital for balanced health.  Incidentally; your child’s breakfast cereal will more than likely harbour this crap unless you are a smart shopper.

Ever wonder why your kid is climbing the walls after a few bowls of Cheerios?  That’s right… Cheerios; and you stopped buying sugar loaded cereals thinking that you were getting back to the basics.  In reality you’re still getting a genetically modified grain and an added poison (Glyphosate), not to mention several preservatives as well.  These agents are really antibiotics in the sense that they are anti microbial… ugh!   I personally blame much of today’s causes of child behaviour issues on this very thing.  The antidote; read the labels and get back to the basics; grow and prepare your own blessed food.

Speaking of sugar, I’m sure you are aware of the woes surrounding this sweeeeet stuff.  The facts are that; our consumption of sugar has risen dramatically from that of approximately five-ish pounds per year back in your Grampa’s day to 135-ish pounds per year today.  Sugar is indisputably a serious game changer in a not-so-good-way especially when it comes to our microbiome.  It just feeds the wrong microbes… the microbes that are not on your side for better health; get the picture?  Albeit, when you add all of this up, you might see the need for outside help.  I’m sure that even your wise ol Grampa would agree; smarten up and/or… supplement with probiotics.

LET’S GO SHOPPING:

That brings us to our next step; let’s go shopping.  Ugh… the question is; what Probiotic should I buy?

Ok… so perhaps you decided to supplement with Probiotics… and so… “Which one should I buy?” is probably your next question.  There is some scrutiny required when shopping for Probiotics, but over all; any buy is better than no buy at all… let’s investigate.

First of all, Probiotics come in several different formats; powder, liquid, capsule and tablet form, some of which are chew-able and others that are enteric-coated… which simply means that our potential little bacteria is specially prepackaged in a protective coating, designed to dissolve and be released just at the right time and place.  Secondly; most all Probiotic suppliers will list a schwack of big numbers on the container like… 300,000,000 billion, or so, meaning that; this is how many of the specific microbes listed that are estimated to be alive.  How’d you like a job like that… counting Probiotics?  I personally pay little attention to the numbers and more attention to the company producing the product.  The question is; is what they claim you’re getting and what you are actually getting one and the same… or better?  Thirdly; and here is where it can get a tad complicated; the types (strains) of probiotic entities; this will certainly vary as well.  I’ll give you a big clue here to help cut through the chase; Lactobacillus and Bifidum will/should be on the ingredient list, even if that were the only two on the list.  They may be attached to another word, such as Lactobacillus Plantarum or Bifidobacteria Longum, to mention but a few; however; don’t let the big words scare or confuse you, your body knows what they are and what to do with them even if you can’t pronounce them… more on that later.  And lastly; some Probiotics require refrigeration while others do not.  These are referred to as; ‘shelf stable‘… ugh… so many choices???

Let’s dig in and try and wrap our heads around this wonderfully helpful agent.  The real challenge is that few of us have our own laboratories to substantiate the claims advertised on the product and so we’re stuck with relying on our own common sense and personal experience in the end; here’s my take on it.  Most probiotics, although not all, originated from somebody’s GI Tract… pretty gross, huh?  It’s not that the supplier picks the microbes out of a pile of feces and packs them into a capsule and sells it to you… like… yuck, rather; it means that the original source of that strain of microbe had been isolated from somebody’s feces at one point in time.  Let’s hope it wasn’t from one of those in the experiments back in the mental asylum.  Nonetheless, Natural Health suppliers will then purchase these strains and then culture them into various concentrations on a variety of mediums as their very own proprietary formula.  They may use dairy, soy and/or barley to name but a few mediums to culture these strains.  Incidentally; a probiotic that was cultured using dairy doesn’t mean that you will react to it if you are lactose intolerant; the opposite could happen; such a product may change your immune response to dairy.  That’s because the microbial infusion changes the medium… or better said; changes the reason why your body may have reacted to that medium in the first place.  Whaaaat… clear as mud?  Don’t worry, it’ll make more sense as you read along.  Nonetheless; you’ll have to be the ultimate judge of that one when it comes down to it.  Hey… if you’re really concerned; there are many mediums other than dairy to choose from.

As for the numbers advertised on the product; i personally don’t pay attention to that, it’s probably just the national debt they’re displaying.  Seriously though; a higher number is no guarantee that it’s better; it’s not how many of these guys are contained in each dosage that matters, but more so on what happens if… or when… they arrive at their destination; this is where the rubber meets the road… more on that later.

Let’s get away from numbers and different strains for a spell and get to some practical facts.  According to my research, the magic of probiotics revolves around their influence on resident microbial activity while passing through our GI Tract more so than them setting up house in there.  You might wanna read that again; it’s important info.  In other words; the mere signature of a microbe, whether it be dead or alive is enough to stimulate/influence a healthy microbiome, apparently.  I say; ‘apparently’ because it is nigh impossible to monitor what really goes on in the body at subtler levels, especially; i can only apply common sense and personal experience with most of it.

The ‘numbers’ of probiotics was the easy part… the least controversial; let’s investigate the multi cultured probiotics.   Allow me to think/reason out loud, so to speak.  The million dollar question is; what happens when a variety of microbes enter our GI Tract… and all at the same time?  Bear in mind that there are trillions of microbes along with yeasts and fungi present throughout our GI Tract at any given time.  There are reputable benefits recorded with each microbe family/culture; however; each culture doesn’t act alone; many of their benefits are the result of their interaction with other cultures within the GI Tract.  Bear this also in mind; as is the case with any society, regardless of whether it be a group of animals or people, a pecking order is evident; microbes are no different.  It’s my guess that there will be competition for food and territory down yonder when your package arrives.  Nonetheless, one can only hope that each of these cultures are going to get along… interact benevolently with the existing profile of microbes within the GI Tract… rather then stir a biggg family feud, kinda like what happens at many Christmas dinners.

Here’s some facts to consider; not all probiotics are created equal; many… although, not all probiotic cultures have been grown in a lab.  Furthermore, many of these diverse strain products are a conglomeration of independent strains that are dormant… meaning; they have been put to sleep… and then piled into a neat little package until such time as they are swallowed and/or exposed to moisture; that is when they apparently, wake up.  Bearing in mind our little talk about pecking order (hierarchy), the question stands; what happens when they… wake up?

The following information may shed some light on the issue, mind you; it applies mostly for those who really want to diiiigggg in and research even further.  The first microbe to set up house in the body is Lactobacillus; this microbe is introduced into the babe at birth… or… at least, it’s supposed to do so while enroute through the mother’s vaginal canal.  Some babies are delivered via caesarean; that’s a different story.  Howbeit; the next major player in our microbiome will be Bifidus.  Mega other microbes will develop from these two cultures, depending on the consistent food supplied to them, for the most part, anyway.

For those who don’t care to busy their minds with the details; let’s keep it simple; Lactobacillus Acidophilus is the more prevalent colony of the small intestine and Bifido-bacterium (Bifidus) the most prominent in the large intestine; just think of the ‘L’ to stand for the ‘little’ or small intestine and ‘B’ to stand for ‘big’ or large intestine… got it?  It’s like i said; these are the two most effective probiotics to be using… even if it were the only two you were using.  These is particularly true if one was on a serious antibiotic therapy; it’s like starting all over again as a babe; hmm… born again, anyone?

Okay… so you’re reading the label and it may say something to the tune of; Lactoballus Casei, which will be listed as L.Casei and/or L.Plantarum, L.Brevis… and then… the Bifidus family will list; Bifidobacterium Reuteri, which will be listed as B.Reuteri and/or B.Breve, B. Longum etc.  At that point in time, you might approach the store staff and inquire as to what the hell the differences are… unless of course, you happened to be one of those that couldn’t be bothered… and so you just grab a container that looked attractive and priced right… ugh… the power of marketing!

“Why can’t they just make it simple?” I’ve heard it asked.  Well… my dear readers… that is what i am trying my best to do.  I had mentioned earlier that there were 2 major game changing probiotics that make a difference; Lactobacillus and Bifidum.  You’d be more than safe with these; however, this doesn’t exclude any multi cultured, probiotic blend; it’s going to depend on what is going on down in your personal GI Tract at the time.  For example; if you happened to pick up a fairly aggressive microbe… one, not common to your GI Tract; this often happens with travel to warm climates… you might be needing a bigger gun or two… a Clint Eastwood… to bring the wild west town back to order again.  “How will I know which combination is best?” you might ask.  Well, it’s like i said; better some than none.  How did product ‘x’ make you feel?  Did you feel better… did you feel bloated… constipated or… get a bout of diarrhea after indulging?  Most stores have a return policy to accommodate reactions and if so; then return it and exchange it for another product.

This is where muscle testing comes in handy, where one can know via a simple test if such a product was at least compatible with their body type.  ***See section entitled; ‘Alternative Health Practices and Therapies‘ for more detailed information on ‘Bio-kinesionics’ (muscle testing.)  Other than that, Probiotic shopping is a trial and error ordeal; however, any error is going to be relatively insignificant according to my experience.  In other words; if you were to choose the wrong probiotic… an incompatible agent, it would very seldom be a big ordeal; the same cannot be said about pharmaceutical agents.  More often than not, your gut microbiome should shape up and you’ll get your life back… what-do-ya-think… is it worth the effort?  I thought so.

Listing the pros and cons of each type of probiotic culture would require an entire book, one of which i do not even feel qualified to be writing, and so i’d suggest that you try/research the many different strains/cultures for yourself.

Perhaps the following information will shed some more light on your search.  Some probiotic cultures are common residents within our GI Tract while others are more transient, meaning that they’re more inclined to just pass through our GI Tract.  Each can have a positive impact on your microbiome… able to rearrange the furniture (microbes) within.  Even something known as; sporbiotics, agents that do not contain the actual live Bacillus cell, only the cell wall of such have been shown to be of benefit; able to convey valuable immune information.  This agent is apparently a good call if you’re experiencing serious immune disorders.  Another transient gem to consider is; Saccaromyces Boulardii, a form of bakers yeast.  This agent is especially effective for those plagued with chronic diarrhea.

PREBIOTICS:

More important than the numbers and the variety of cultures in a probiotic is the environment which they are expected to live in.  The condition of one’s GI Tract at the time of depositing these little gems is what should be scrutinized; that is what’s going to determine their effectiveness.  Bear in mind that this is something totally outside of the supplement producers control when they advertise the potential effectiveness of their product.

Let’s look at the environment of the GI Tract then, shall we?   There appears to be some confusion regarding the term; prebiotics.  In essence, a prebiotic is simply… fiber.  I wouldn’t go as far as some to proclaim; ‘you are what you eat;’ however, there is some truth to it.  The types of foods and fiber that we consume will eventually tailor make the ideal microbiome in the end.  If you feed the microbiome the right stuff then you get a microbiome that will serve you well.  Therefore, foods low in sugar and high in fiber would be a good call for the survival and proliferation of a healthy and balanced microbiome in your gut.  All vegetables and fruits contain fiber to varying degrees.

***Refer to section entitled, ‘Fiber/drawing agents‘ for more detailed information on this.

Secondly, once you’ve stocked the terrain with the appropriate food for a healthy microbiome, you need to scrutinize inappropriate food you might be tossing down the hatch to produce the opposite; in other words; inadvertently feeding the… wrong guys.  If you insist on yucking down pounds of sugar then you can expect entities such as; E.Coli and/or Candida, to mention but a few bottom feeders to flourish; they’ll be sure to get the lion’s share and eventually dominate the food chain down under.  Consequently; such a well fed entity may eventually rise up to the top of the food chain down under in your belly and ruthlessly rule… not only that of your GI tract, but may go as far as take over the entire circus; your body… like a baaddd acting clown.

Thirdly; there are other substances/agents that can challenge/threaten the survival of and/or the arrangement of the beneficial microbes that would constitute a healthy microbiome.  I’ll list but a few of the most common ones; Pharmaceutical agents, antibiotics… and food additives, such as; MSG. preservatives, artificial colours… and sweeteners… such as; Aspartame… and excessive recreational agents such as; caffeine, nicotine and alcohol; these will all adversely affect the eco-system of your microbiome.

CAPSULES, TABLETS, CHEWABLE, LIQUID, ENTERIC COATED???

Okay so then aside from feeding and preparing a healthy environment to ensure that your dollar wasn’t being flushed down the toilet, what else is there to know about buying the right probiotic?  Let’s scrutinize the format of probiotics on the market.

Approximately 98% of the Probiotics on the market come in powder, tablet or capsule form.  Most, if not all of these are dormant, meaning that they have been rendered inactive until such time as they arrive in a suitable environment.  A suitable environment can most often be defined as a moist environment; however, some are PH activated as would be the case with enteric coated probiotics.  These have apparently been engineered to weather the diverse PH ranges that they will encounter throughout the GI Tract and then dissolve and release their troopers at an appropriate location therein… apparently.  It’s like i said, ‘we don’t have a lab to establish what exactly happens after these guys are ingested; we can only measure the results of such afterwards.’  One can only hope that they will indeed be released, awake and ready to go to work in your GI Tract as proposed and not in some toilet bowl?  Ugh… that would be a waste of money.

Moving right along with our shopping; most Probiotics, although not all, require refrigeration.  The one’s that don’t are classified as; shelf stable.  These types of probiotics are ideal for travelling, especially in warm climates for obvious reasons.  “What’s the difference when it comes to quality and/or effectiveness?” you might ask.  According to my research they are all equally effective; the shelf stable probiotic strains were subject to a rigorous incubation environment before packaging to guarantee their survival through a variety of temperature ranges.  You’ll just have to take their word on that, i suppose.

Lastly; some probiotics are available in liquid form.  It might be just a single strain in a concentrate yogurt form (Bio-K) or it might be a multi strained liquid (Vita Biosa).  These types of probiotics are ready/available to go to work upon entry at the mouth… bonus, in my opinion.  I say that for a few reasons.  First of all; your GI Tract really begins at your mouth and so this is equally as important an area to maintain a healthy microbial balance.  Secondly; there is no guesswork regarding when or where they might be activated; they are pretty well ready to go upon entry at the mouth.  Thirdly; bear in mind that Probiotics aren’t just present in your GI Tract; they are all over your body; in your skin, in your eyes, your ear canal and vagina (douche) as well; a liquid formatted probiotic is suitable for many of these applications.

Try mixing up a probiotic in solution and/or access a liquid form of probiotic and spray it directly onto troubled skin.  It’s a very effective strategy for skin infections or inflammation such as eczema or psoriasis… hey it even tightens the skin up to address those unwanted wrinkles… i call them happy trails.  Some liquid formatted probiotics to consider for skin care in particular are; Vita Biosa, Molkasan (fermented whey), Apple cider vinegar, Kombucha.  Capsuled probiotics can always be opened up and soaked in water to activate before applying as well.

I’LL JUST EAT A SCHWACK OF YOGURT:

I’ve heard many say that they’d prefer to just indulge in bowl of Yogurt from time to time rather than supplement with Probiotics.  Well; first of all, you’d have to eat an awful lot of that stuff in order to maintain a hardy Probiotic environment within your GI Tract.  Secondly; much of the yogurt on the market is seriously compromised, if not, ‘DOA’ meaning, ‘dead on arrival.’  In other words; there’s very little to no live Probiotic activity going on there at all.  Such will present in your body as a carbohydrate; in other words; as sugar… talk about getting the shaft instead of the mine.  Bear in mind that it’s not in the food producer’s program to provide living food; that perishes far too soon, which will of course seriously compromises their profits.

TO SUMMARIZE:

“Ugh… the right format, the right time… the right place; how am i ever going to know what probiotic to buy?” you might be wrangling over.  The truth of the matter is that there really is no outside monitor to establish that; rather your own experience will be your best affirmation.  One thing i can tell you; a manifold diet, fiber and a variety of probiotics is a seriously wise protocol for attaining sound health… that i know for sure.  Hopefully, i didn’t discourage you from supplementing with probiotics; it’s always been my goal to inspire people to research and experiment with natural supplements; after all… they are natural.  Each product will have its pros and cons regarding your health query and it’s just a matter of research and personal experience to pick the one that is most suitable.

I’ll mention just a few of my personal faves and the ones that have rendered some noticeable benefits with many customers.  Bio-K is a compou nded and very simply formatted culture.  It comes in a small container as a yogurt with a choice mediums; milk, rice or soy… a bonus for  selective eaters.  Furthermore; it can be gotten in flavors… a bonus for fussy eaters, especially kids.  Two really effective formulas are; Vita Biosa (liquid) and Dr. Ohiras (soft gel caps).  These are multi-cultured formulas with the added advantage of having been activated as a team of several individual entities.  In pother words; they will have already been residing in a somewhat symbiotic relationship prior to you ingesting them.  This would obviously ensure that ‘what you see is what you’ll get.’    Molkasan (fermented liquid whey by Vogel) is another simple yet effective probiotic.

I’m sure there are more exceptional ones out there; new research conjures up surprising results.  As mentioned;  it matters little which Probiotic you choose as long as you do choose one, for in doing so, the job will eventually get done.  Again; you’re not looking for big numbers or mega entities, you’re looking for compatibility and simplicity… more doesn’t mean it’s going to be better.  Speaking of simplicity; i highly recommend indulging in any… and all foods and substances that have undergone the process of fermentation.  These types of foods contain beneficial microbes and therefore; will benefit your health.  I’m talking about; sauerkrauts, apple cider vinegar, Kefir and Kombucha, to name but a few.  Last but not least; ensure that you are feeding your probiotics.  Fiber is a prebiotic; meaning, it is an ideal food to be feeding the right microbes.  ***Refer to section entitled, ‘Fiber’ for more detailed info on this.

ENZYMES:

Enzymes are another dollar well spent.  Enzyme activity, much like like probiotic activity, is vital for sound health.  Our body requires these two agents for survival.  Metabolism can be defined as chemical/electrical activity/reactions that occur within the body.  Enzymes are the catalyst for any… and every activity of the cell.

The role of enzymes can be likened to a once popular video game that we used to play ions ago in the early computer days, called; ‘Pac Man.’  The idea was to maneuver this mouth-like thingy around the screen and engulf as many dots-in-motion (pac-dots) as possible.  The game had different levels of competency, ranging from; basic-n-simple to complex-n-fast.  I never did evolve beyond basic-n-simple; hmm… and I’m really not embarrassed to admit it.  Nonetheless; enzymes are serious multi-taskers; they can be likened to a bar room bouncer, chauffeur and a doormen all in one.  They not only are able to dissolve/dismantle the food you just ate but can also serve to unlock and then usher the nutrients from such into the cells throughout the body.  And if there are any left over, they’ll go to work dismantling undigested garbage and chemical carcinogens all throughout the body.

Although they’re often referred to as Digestive Enzymes, they’re much… much, more than that.  As mentioned; when taken with food, they serve to unlock the nutrients of the food, rendering such readily available for the cells to utilize… and/or they’ll dismantle that which the cells cannot utilize or do not require, and facilitate the practical removal of such.  However; when taken between meals, they serve to dismantle mega unwanted debris throughout the entire body.  This list includes the protein, fibrin coating common to inflammation, tumors, cancer cells etc… pretty impressive agent, huh?

Where do these great little helpers come from?   Enzymes are normally present in all living things, both plant and animal products; however, they are petty delicate little gems and consequently, are easily destroyed by harsh refining processes, heat an/or irradiation.   A healthy functioning digestive system can normally produce and store plenty of enzymes, but this is hardly possible due to today’s denatured food supply.   A major marketeering strategy is evident, pitting the taste buds against common sensed nutrition and survival… and the taste buds appear to be winning thus far.  We’re bombarded with advertising… pictures of mouth watering morsels of prepared food, such as; crispy, char broiled meats and/or pasta oozing with chemically processed cheese and sauces as opposed to garden fresh vegetables and luscious unadulterated fruit.  The problem is that; there are no enzymes present in any of these processed foods, and so you have to wonder where your body is supposed to get them from… and so if any or all of the aforementioned are evident then you may want to consider supplementing with enzymes.

Enzymes can also be extracted from specific fruits and vegetables, animal tissue and/or microbial fermentation, and so subsidy of such is now a viable option.  Let me introduce you to the enzyme family; note, this family of agents, like it is with many other related elements, tends to grow as scientific research evolves and is able to unravel more and more of the mysteries of the universe.  Most people are familiar with Papain and Bromelain; Papain extracted from papaya fruit and Bromelain from pineapple.  Some of the others are; Trypsin, Chymotrypsin and Pancreatin.  These are commonly sought after for digestion and inflammation.  Enzymes are classified according to their specific characteristics and most prominent capabilities.  For example; Proteolytic enzymes are especially effective in digesting proteins, Amylase is effective in dealing with carbohydrates and sugars, Lipase is effective in digesting fats, Lactase is effective in digesting dairy, and Cellulase, in breaking down fiber.

Enzymes are especially effective in dealing with inflammation.  One rather unique enzyme worth sharing is called; Serratia Peptidase.  It’s different in that it is a synthetic reproduction of the enzyme produced by the silk worm.  Its purpose in nature is to dissolve the fibrin sheath of the protective cocoon that held the larva captive.  Perhaps you can see the connection as to how and why it could play in dealing with inflammation.  Such an agent may be effective; able to dissolve chronic calcified/plaque situations, such as occurs with arthritis and arteriosclerosis; and may even help dissolve gallstones, bladder and kidney stones as well as tumors.  Another effective proprietary blend is; Wobenzyme.   This was one of the first enzyme combinations available on the market and it’s still proving to be extremely effective, especially in dealing with inflammation.

Are enzymes safe to use?  I’ve personally ingested very high numbers of these gems; up to 50 per day, and experienced no ill effects.  I dunno… I just had to test them for myself.  Howbeit; that was moderate test compared to some experiences.  I’ll share with you a true story to reveal both; the effectiveness and safety of enzymes.  This story can be verified, by the way.  A man by the name of Bernard Jenson was a renowned avid natural health researcher and author.  Nevertheless; he fell prey to a multi cancerous scenario, one that the Medical profession considered; terminal.  He was in his early 80’s at the time and the cancer had metastasized to the stage of him being within hours of exiting planet earth.

A good friend of his, a retired surgeon by the name of Michael Obrien, who had since become a Naturopathic Doctor, came to his rescue.  He assisted him using the following protocol; brace yourself for this.  He opened up 500 capsules of enzymes and 250 capsules of probiotics and dissolved the contents into a liquid.  Bernard ingested this concoction each day.  You read that right; 500 enzymes and 250 Probiotics per day.  Bear in mind; Bernard’s bodily functions were shut down to the degree that only the very basics to life were an option; enzymes and probiotics qualified for that menu according to Michael.   How’d he do?  Well; it didn’t kill him, or else i wouldn’t be sharing this story… as a success story, anyway; rather, the opposite occurred; he left the hospital several months later, a healthy man… and survived many more years.  Now, if these two agents were dangerous… even remotely so, then it would have served to be the death of a man in such a debilitated state, wouldn’t you agree?

I can recall a customer informing me that he had lost 35 pounds in only one month?  I’m sure that caught your attention.  How’d he do it?  He ingested 2 enzymes every hour for a total of 28 caps per day, a couple of teaspoons of Psyllium Husks and several Probiotics throughout the day, as well.  I should mention that he was fairly obese to begin with… but nevertheless, he did lose weight… a lot of weight… and he felt so much better in doing so.   Do you wanna lose weight… the right way?  Try taking enzymes.  An experiment revealed that hogs fed raw potatoes (enzyme rich) lost weight whereas the hogs fed cooked potatoes (enzyme deplete), gained weight.  Of course, there’s again profit to be made on a heavy pig in the market and so you can be sure that raw potatoes were not on their menu.

***A word of caution if one has a stomach ulcer when using some types of enzymes, especially; Protease enzymes such as Trypsin and Chymotrypsin.  An effective protocol for this ailment would be; Probiotics along with enzymes such as; Bromelain and Papain… herbal agents, such as; Golden seal, Slippery elm bark and Licorice root until integrity of the entire GI tract is established.

FIBER/DRAWING AGENTS:

Fiber is another one of those essentials lacking in our so advanced nation’s diet today.  History reveals that Royalty in days of old demanded bread with a softer, fluffy texture… and so it was that the wheat was sifted in an effort to produce such.  Meanwhile the peasants continued to consume the tough whole-wheat stuff.  The end result was that the peasants lived healthy and long, happy lives while royalty became constipated, sickly… and lived short and miserable lives.  And so it is today that the Food Producers continue to sift out the bran and the germ from grains and as a result we have a sick, constipated and miserable population.  To add insult to injury, they then sell the sifted out ingredients back to us again separately.  Ugh… just give me the whole package, thank you.  And so if somebody ever calls you a peasant… consider it a compliment.

As I had mentioned, fiber is naturally available in whole unprocessed foods as a rule, but can now also be purchased independently to be taken as a supplement… a clever marketing strategy indeed.  Howbeit, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it offers unique benefits.  First and foremost, if you recall our little chat about probiotics, fiber is a pre-biotic, meaning that it is food for our intestinal microbiome.  Secondly, fiber stimulates and hydrates the bowel.  It also discourages the rapid introduction of sugar, which triggers an instant demand for insulin.  It doesn’t end there; fiber also draws and eliminates excess cholesterol and hormones from the body.  If this isn’t done then our entire endocrine (glandular) system is vulnerable to imbalance.  Lastly; fiber serves to draw and deliver excess mucous and toxins from the body.  Like… wow… pass the bran muffins or what!

***Caution; although fiber is an essential agent, it can be counter productive.  We’ll be having another problem if too much is available and/or if there’s insufficient fluid; constipation.

Fiber is classified as either soluble (dissolves in water) or insoluble (does not dissolve in water).  This is not to be confused with the term, ‘digestible’ or ‘indigestible.’  For example Psyllium Husks, also known as, Metamucil, is 70% soluble and 30% insoluble, but not at all digestible, meaning that it cannot be dismantled and nutrients extracted to feed your cells as is the case with many of the foods that you eat.  Ugh… do I have to know all of this?  Well, no, not really; however, there are always those who want to know all of the ins and outs of everything.  Suffice it to say this; the characteristic of a specific fiber is not absolute; many fibers are a combination of both soluble and insoluble in nature, anyway.

Some relevant information to know is as follows.  Soluble fiber attracts water and forms a gel; therefore, it could serve to draw out excess cholesterol from the body as well as to slow down digestion and/or sugar spikes more effectively than insoluble fiber.

Sources of soluble fiber are; Oatmeal, Oat cereal, Oat bran, Lentils, Apples, Oranges, Pears, Strawberries, Nuts, Flax, Beans, Dried Peas, Blueberries, Psyllium Husks, Cucumbers, Celery and Carrots.

Insoluble fibers are considered gut-healthy fiber because they have a laxative effect and add bulk to the diet; therefore can help prevent constipation. These fibers do not dissolve in water, so they pass through the gastrointestinal tract relatively intact, and speed up the passage of food and waste through your gut.  Insoluble fibers are mainly found in whole grains and vegetables.

Sources of insoluble fiber are: Whole wheat, Whole grains, Wheat bran, Corn bran, Seeds, Nuts, Barley, Couscous, Brown rice, Bulgur, Zucchini, Celery, Broccoli, Cabbage, Onions, Tomatoes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Green beans, Dark leafy vegetables, Raisins, Grapes, All fruit, and Root vegetable skins.

Fiber supplements come in powder, tablet or capsule form.  Water consumption is very important when supplementing with fiber.  Sorry… beer, soup, coffee or tea is not a substitute for plain ol water.  When water is not available, lubrication is not happening in the intestines; therefore, fiber can accumulate and… well… then you will have to read the section entitled; ‘Miscellaneous Health Issues‘ under the title; ‘Constipation.’  You can do so while sitting on the toilet; however, you’ll have to pack your laptop with you until this blog gets published, anyway.

I’d like to bring your attention to drawing agents.  As mentioned; fiber serves to feed the microbes in our gut as well as to collect/draw unwanted debris within the GI Tract.  Some types of fiber are more effective than others in the; collecting/drawing department.  For example; a fiber such as psyllium husks has more drawing potential than flax seeds.  However; there are other agents that have no connection to fiber that can serve as an effective detoxification tool.  Diatomaceous Earth, Bentonite Clay, Activated Charcoal and Zeolite, possesses some rather unique properties in this department.  They have a rather unique characteristic; they become electrically activated.  This gives these agents a serious advantage, especially when we’re dealing with environmental carcinogens and heavy metals.  Which one to use will depend on your agenda.

***Refer to section entitled; ‘Gare’s Hall of Fame’ for more detailed information on these agents.

SUPER GREENS, FRUIT AND BERRY CONCENTRATES:

Let’s investigate Green and/or Berry Formulas.  These are specific plants and/or extracts from such that have been processed in various formats and offered as a concentrate, chock full of nutrients, hopefully.  Some of the more prominent ingredients found in these concoctions are; Wheat Grass, Barley Green, Spiralina, Chlorella, Moringa, Alfalfa and Kelp, to mention but a few.  You would have to consume several huge bowls of salad to match what just a few teaspoons of many of these concentrates can offer.  Offering much the same nutrients are the many concentrated fruits and berry powders and liquids such as; Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gogi Berries, Acai Berries, Rosehips and Pomegranate, to name some of the most common ones… one million bears can’t be wrong… they stock up berries biggg time for the purpose of sustenance through mega months of hibernation.

“Why do I need these extras?” I hear you ask.  It’s really not hard to appreciate the benefit of both Greens and Berries, especially when you consider the quality and availability of fruits and produce in the northern hemisphere.  Furthermore; they not only provide mega enzymes, vitamins and minerals but also; anti-oxidants, chlorophyll and flavonoids.  “Uh…say what… ant#%chloro&^&pflavonoids*%#… what the heck are these?” I hear you ask.  Well, i suppose that we’d best define these terms if we’re going to get you in and out of the Natural Health maze looking and feeling like a pro rather than an idiot.

FREE RADICALS & ANTIOXIDANTS:

Okay, perhaps a brief introduction to some terms would be in order.  I say brief, because there are entire books explaining this in depth.  We’d best unravel the term; Antioxidants, for this process is involved in just about every health query in some way shape or manner.  If we were to remove the prefix, ‘anti’ from the word antioxidant, we’d be looking at the word, ‘oxidant,’ which in essence is a process known as; oxidation.  Oxidation is simply the disintegration of a substance when exposed to oxygen.  It’s not that oxygen is a bad element all on its own, cause… really… we do need it to survive; however, it does have a downside.  The body is governed by several principals, the end result of which will determine whether we will live a long and healthy life or a short and sickly life.  Let’s look at those principals.

The main principals governing our body are as follows; there are mega chemical/electrical exchanges occurring at all levels throughout the body.  Secondly; our body is involved in a perpetual balancing act, meaning that it will do anything and everything in order to maintain balance, a function better known as; maintaining homeostasis.  Thirdly; the body is continuously renovating, where the old is continuously being torn down and discarded, and replaced by the new.

Now… enter the villain called; ‘Free Radicals’… sounds like a schwack of unruly teenagers, huh?  Well, I suppose in many ways… they are… if nothing else, it resembles the mess that they often leave after throwing a party when Mom and Dad leave town for the weekend.  Ugh… true confessions; I hosted a few of them in my younger days.  Howbeit; Free Radicals are relative to… and are actually the result of each of those aforementioned, principals in operation.

Brace yourself for an unscientific, crash course on physics.  Don’t worry, there won’t be a test in the end.  It begins with the renovation process, where the body tears down old cells and builds new ones.  When a cell loses an electron, it renders the cell unstable, which makes it reactive… kinda like our outa-control teen-ager.  This is when the circus begins; nobody… cells included… likes to be without a partner, therefore, the cell will attempt to steal an electron from somewhere else in order to remain… in balance… needy, but bad cell!  A little bit of this activity is no big deal; in fact it is a normal part of body maintenance; however, if too much of it goes on… and/or in too short a period of time, then we have a problem.  Consequently; a domino effect of electron theft can be triggered, leaving mega casualties in its wake..  It’s kinda like musical chairs; somebody eventually ends up falling on their ass… ouch!

Enter… Antioxidants  to the rescue.  What are Antioxidants?  These are anti-oxidizers.  They can be likened to chaperones in that they serve to keep the peace.  Antioxidants are reputable for packing around a few extra electrons, which they generously donate.  This settles down these unstable cells, hence preventing… a chaotic electrical circus of sorts.  “Where can I find some of these antioxidant gems?” You might ask.  Most every natural plant is an antioxidant, some more so than others.  They contain a component known as; Chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is essentially plant blood, much like our blood, only it’s green… probably like the blood of a Martian.  Chlorophyll is the result of a process when sunlight interacts with the plant cells.  Chlorophyll is rich in enzymes.  It is referred to as nature’s cleanser in that it is able to neutralize harmful toxins.  It also enhances the ability of our blood to carry more oxygen, to name but a few of its benefits.  Flavonoids are chemicals in plants, better known as Phyto-nutrients.  These agents are responsible for the diverse colours found in fruits and vegetables.  What do they do?  These agents also act as antioxidants… as well as anti-inflammatories, immune modulators and detoxifiers.  One need not wonder why our nation is so disease ridden today when you review the crap that’s sitting on the store shelves, which the powers that be erroneously call, nutritious food.

Hopefully you can see the benefit of adding super greens and berries to your menu.  We are in serious need of these gems as an added boost to compensate for this deficit occurring in today’s food chain.  Furthermore; there’s a whole lot of toxic baggage that continues to pile up around us, no thanks to science and technology, which appears to be abundant in knowledge… but seriously lacking in wisdom… hence, the need for the extra nutrition.

WHICH ONE TO BUY:     

There are very many choices of various combinations of these Greens/Berry products to choose from.  They are available in many different formats such as; powder, capsule/tablet and liquid form… but as it is with all supplements; they are not all created equal.  You’ll find basic dried greens, sprouted greens and fermented greens, you’ll find green and berry combinations, and others containing a few herbs as well as Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics.  They’re all good… it’s just that some are a ‘better bang for the buck’ than others.

Okay… okay… I’ll give you a few tips;

First of all; check the ingredient list and note that the bulk of what’s in the product will correlate with the first to last numerically.  In other words, if the first ingredient on the list is Alfalfa powder, then that means that you’ll be getting more Alfalfa than any of the other ingredients listed… got it?  I lean more to a product that boasts of sprouting and/or fermentation as opposed to just the green as a bulk powder, simply because it’s got more available nutrients to offer per serving.

Secondly; more ingredients does not mean that it’s better.  This is true especially if one has particular allergies to specific substances.  While we’re on that subject; the same can be said about combinations containing several herbal agents.  Herbs, unlike foods, are designed to initiate processes throughout the body; therefore, i am of the opinion that they are to be utilized to do just that… to initiate.  In other words; they’re not meant to be ingested as food like… for months on end.   I always suggest that one terminate, or at least rest from using specific herbal agents for too long of a period of time; otherwise, they tend to lose their effectiveness and/or act as a detriment to your body’s delicate balancing act.  You can always introduce it again after a reasonable rest period. Furthermore; you might wanna experiment, using various combinations and see for yourself what each one has to offer.  Another option is to simply make up your very own combination, starting with greens and/or berries that you know do sit well with you.

Here’s what i do; it begins with soaking nuts, seeds, grains and perhaps, some dried fruit over night in a bowl.  The reason for pre-soaking them is because all seeds, grains and nuts have a protein inhibitor built into them, designed by nature to protect such from rotting/dying before adequate moisture showed up to cause them to germinate.  Pre-soaking them simply unlocks all of their goodies, making them readily available for a more complete absorption of their nutrients.  One can enhance this process by adding a splash of any fermented substance.

I then add a scoop or two of a quality protein powder to a liquid such as; coconut milk, along with a fiber/drawing agent such as; Flax seed, Psyllium husks and/or Diatomaceous earth, to mention but a few. To that, I might toss in a handful of berries, various concentrated greens such as; Spiralina, Wheatgrass, Barley Green and/or Phyto Plankton, a splash of EFA oil, such as Hemp or Flax… and on goes the list… everything but your cat and/or your Mother-n-law.  Blend it all up and… voila… you’ve just had a quality breakfast… real food… a very concentrated and nutritious one, containing; mega vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, chlorophyll, flavonoids and more that even science has yet to discover… God bless their pointed little heads.

Now that you’ve been familiarized with the Fab-5; let’s take you a little further down the Natural Health trail to sort out why these agents are so effective and how they can benefit you.

HERBS;

HERBS are God given natural aids, many of which are growing… or will grow right outside your back door.  Most herbs have Latin names for reference while others have Chinese and Indian names.  Herbs have been used for very many years and by very many different cultures; howbeit, each has earned a specific and definite  reputation regarding their potential as well as their detriments.  Herbs are categorized according to specific characteristics.  It’s not necessary to exhaustively research the history of a specific herb in order to utilize and benefit from such, but it does help to understand the basic function of each in order to maximize its potential service.  Some of the more popular categories of herbs are; Laxatives, serve to clear the bowels; Carminatives, serve to relieve digestive discomfort such as; gas, colic and bloating, Demulcents serve to sooth inflamed membranes; Diuretics, serve to draw and eliminate fluids; Expectorants, serve to produce mucous and relieve lung and bronchial congestion; Anti-inflammatories and Analgesics, serve to reduce pain.  

The history of herbs rides the waves of mega centuries.  Years ago, herbs were simply harvested, dried and stored for various applications.  They were consumed in Hot water as a tea, finely crushed and orally ingested or topically applied for the most part.  Herbs were also added to alcohol whereby they become concentrated and preserved.  These are called extracts or tinctures.   Today, herbs are available in all of the fore mentioned formats as well as in capsule and/or tablet form.  Some herbs are quite bitter to taste but most of them just taste like… plain ol grass.  There is no one herb nor is there one dosage that will be the same for everybody.  Furthermore; in some instances, the same herb can produce an opposite response for one person than they will for another… but generally speaking, their characteristics are quite predictable. 

A HERBAL BUYERS GUIDE:

I often recommend one single herb at a time rather than a combination of herbs to address a health query.  It’s not that a combination of such is inferior… and/or counterproductive, but more so that more does not necessarily mean it’s better.  Sometimes, simplicity is a wiser protocol.  The bottom line is this; one single herb could often perform as well, if not better than a schwack of herbal agents.  Once you’ve experienced the effects of one herbal agent then you will be in a better position to compare with a combination of such… able to discern the benefits and/or detriments of each… got it?   

Secondly; another factor to consider regarding combination herbal formulas is the fact that they are often victim to a ‘here now, maybe gone tomorrow‘ scenario.  This happens often in the Natural health industry.  For example; say… you have been taking a specific blend and are experiencing serious relief/benefits and then suddenly the store is no longer offering the product… or perhaps the company changes hands or goes out of business; then what?  Ugh… you have to start all over again.  Had you applied a single agent that had been shown to be effective with your cause, then no problem; it’ll always remain accessible… problem solved.   

My next suggestion revolves around effectiveness.  As mentioned; herbs used to be ingested via a tea or tincture for the most part; now they are available in capsule and tablet.  We need to understand that our taste buds were designed to do a whole lot more than just num-num, yuk-yuk, or sweet and sour; rather, a whole schwack of metabolic sequences is unleashed as soon as our tongue (the door-keeper) detects a specific entity.  Hmm… how’s that for an intellectual sounding statement mixed with a twist of hillbilly slang?  In other words; taste the herb before swallowing it; this gives your body an opportunity to act or perhaps; react to what you are about to swallow.  You might be surprised at the difference such a small protocol can make.     

Tinctures and liquid forms of herbs usually work faster and are a more efficient and potent method of ingesting herbs.  I always suggest that the concentrate liquid remain in one’s mouth for as long as possible before swallowing… usually for 3 ish or more minutes.  As mentioned, this protocol will allow the body to act or react to the substance in your mouth and at the same time it will facilitate some serious absorption of such. By the way, for those who are leery about the alcohol in tinctures/extracts, the amount of alcohol that you would actually be ingesting when using tinctures is about the same amount as you would get from eating an over ripe banana… rip off, huh?

Lastly; i’d suggest one apply a specific herbal agent(s) for a maximum period of approximately 6 ish weeks, unless such use is being monitored.  Our body operates on a metabolic cycle of approximately 6 ish weeks, at which point in time a therapy of ingesting any specific agent(s) will have either accomplished its goal in re-balancing, or will have been rendered relatively impotent.  In some cases the over use of such an agent can even contribute to further imbalance.  Such is the case with Golden Seal, where it can begin to challenge the eco balance within the Gastro-intestinal system.  It would be a good practice to abstain from indulging in such an agent for a rest period of approximately 2 weeks before reapplying.  Again this is just a general rule of thumb; there will always be exceptions to this.

POLITICAL/ECONOMICAL RESISTANCE TO HERBS:

Are herbs safe?  Well… it depends on who you ask.  Personally speaking, in 40 plus years of experience with such, i have yet to experience one serious complication, resulting from the use of any herb or natural agent.  They are certainly a whole lot safer than most Pharmaceutical agents, contrary to what Government Health agencies will openly admit; nonetheless, common sense should always apply.  Generally speaking, your body will often give you plenty of warning if it doesn’t appreciate a natural entity, namely a specific herb… or the quantity of such.  Furthermore; such a warning and/or reaction is far from life threatening.  And so why would our Government Health agencies be so overly concerned and protective for our safety and welfare with these herbal agents?  I personally cannot believe that their stand has anything to do with public safety; otherwise, they’d be seriously scrutinizing some of the more obvious health and safety issues threatening people today.  For example; tobacco is still allowed for sale to the public, even though it is well known to be contrary to our health.  These questionable substances are available to the public just as long as the producers of such adhere to the one rule; to warn the public of the potential side effects.  The same can be said about the mega Pharmaceutical agents; they are allowed to be out there just as long as they are accompanied by the potential side effects… and of course, dispensed only under the watchful eye of your, ‘all seeing‘ health professional… Doctor Do-as-i-say… the guys in the white smocks.  This includes vaccines, all of which are proven to be carcinogenic, meaning that they are toxic to the human body.   What-d-ya think… are they looking out for us?

CONTRAINDICATIONS RE: HERBS:

Nonetheless; generally speaking, Natural medicine, whether it is the use of herbs, foods or therapies, really doesn’t mesh with Pharmaceutical Medicine at all.  That is because, herbs and natural supplements are designed by God/nature to enable/empower the body to repair, rebuild and/or to re-balance.  Pharmaceutical agents, on the other hand, are designed to alter, meaning that they can manipulate the body to perform… or to not perform a specific function of which it would normally do.  Such an agent has the ability to push buttons within the body, buttons which can either save your life, relieve symptoms of disease… and/or can seriously interfere with bodily functions, even to the point of death… ugh!  

You’ll probably come across the term; contraindication when dealing with Pharmaceutical agents.  This means that there is a possibility of agents reacting with one another… in most cases it’ll be the potential of a reaction between a natural agent with the Pharmaceutical agent.  Hmm… the facts are; that it’s the other way around; the Pharmaceutical agent will be reacting with the natural agent.  I mean; what came first; science or God?   Regardless; if you stop to consider all of the variables involved in determining the potential of a contraindication, you’d come to the conclusion that it is impossible to test for a reaction to every substance or combination of substances that one might ingest… either… just before… at the same time… or soon after… a pharmaceutical drug is ingested.  Pharmaceutical companies can test for only some of the more obvious agents that may pose a potential threat for interference with their agent.  Statistics reveal that even a benign Pharmaceutical agent such as, Aspirin, has caused… and continues to cause, thousands of deaths each year due to this very fact. This is one of the main reasons why i discourage the mixing of herbal agents with pharmaceutical supplements, without knowledge or guidance. 

Howbeit; i have learned to appreciate and access both approaches to health.  Generally speaking, Pharmaceutical Medicine appears to be most effective in addressing acute life threatening situations… where ones survival or quality of life is severely compromised and/or jeopardized.  The Natural Health approach on the other hand, appears to be most effective when dealing with chronic long term, disease conditions.  I so wish that the two systems would work together in harmony some day with one common goal, being to better the quality of life.