When shopping for healthy food these days, we're encouraged to look for calorie content, protein, fat sources, essential vitamins and minerals, and certain kinds of bacteria. Believe it or not, we should look for foods with bacteria and other ingredients to support our digestive health. Maintaining a balanced bacterial environment in your digestive system is an important part of keeping your whole body healthy.
Your Delicate Digestive Balance
Your digestive tract is responsible for about 70 percent of your body's immune system, and your digestive system is the home to more than 3 pounds of necessary bacteria. This bacterial environment, often called the digestive system microflora, depends on a delicate balance of potentially harmful bacteria and potentially helpful bacteria to maintain good health in the digestive system. When this balance is thrown off, from disease or certain medications, you may experience an overgrowth of harmful bacteria that can make you very uncomfortable and sick.
Proactive Ingredients for Healthy Bacteria
To help maintain a healthy balance of microflora, certain foods contain ingredients called prebiotics. Prebiotics are food ingredients that selectively promote the growth or multiplication of good bacteria in the colon, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. One such prebiotic food, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), is found naturally in certain foods, such as bananas, onions, garlic, and artichokes. This prebiotic also can be produced using certain enzymes to convert sugar from sugar cane into short-chain FOS (scFOS), a fast-acting, readily available prebiotic. Because of its short-chain length, scFOS is easily used by helpful bacteria.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, work together with prebiotics to maintain a healthful balance of colonic microflora. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are two examples of probiotics that are found in yogurts with "live and active cultures."
Prebiotics and probiotics can support the body's natural defense against bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful substances by maintaining a balanced digestive microflora. The scFOS produced by the microflora can help build physical protection from harmful bacteria, providing energy for cells lining the intestinal tract.
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
12 quick tips for a longer, healthier life http://medicalinsurance-ahmad.blogspot.com/
1. Tea off in the morningHot tea can slash your risk of kidney cancer by 15 percent, according to a review in the International Journal of Cancer. Try pu-erh tea, which is better than green or black tea at preventing DNA damage.
2. Sleep smarterToo much sleep, or not enough of it, can kill you. A British study found that getting more than 9 hours of sack time a night, or less than 6, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause. Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night.
3. Pop in your lenses post-showerSoaping up while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.
4. Drink wine, stay leanPolyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help your body block fat absorption, an Israeli study found. Red-wine marinades work, too.
5. Lose the lint Taking 2 seconds to empty the lint trap in your clothes dryer can prevent you from being one of the 315 dryer-fire victims each year in the United States.
6. Check your neckAn American Journal of Medicine study found that a mildly underactive thyroid can boost your heart-disease risk by 65 percent. A quick blood test can assess your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
7. Lean back Parking your torso at a 90-degree angle strains your spine, say Scottish and Canadian researchers. Instead, give your chair the La-Z-Boy treatment and recline the seat back slightly. The ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical.
8. Scent your air safely Some air fresheners contain phthalates, compounds that may disrupt hormone processes, Natural Resources Defense Council testing reveals. Stick with Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects.
9. Boost your defenses An Archives of Internal Medicine review reports that 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces your risk of an early death by 7 percent. Try Carlson's vitamin D (carlsonlabs.com).
10. Skip the sprayUsing household spray cleaners just once a week increases your risk of an asthma attack by 76 percent, say Spanish researchers. Use wipes instead.
11. Steam your broccoliItalian researchers recently discovered that steaming broccoli increases its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30 percent. Boiling actually lowers the levels.
12. Stretch it out Genes in your body linked to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can be "turned on" if you sit for hours on end, reports a study in Diabetes. Hit the "off" button by taking hourly laps during TV, book, and Web sessions.
http://medicalinsurance-ahmad.blogspot.com/
2. Sleep smarterToo much sleep, or not enough of it, can kill you. A British study found that getting more than 9 hours of sack time a night, or less than 6, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause. Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night.
3. Pop in your lenses post-showerSoaping up while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.
4. Drink wine, stay leanPolyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help your body block fat absorption, an Israeli study found. Red-wine marinades work, too.
5. Lose the lint Taking 2 seconds to empty the lint trap in your clothes dryer can prevent you from being one of the 315 dryer-fire victims each year in the United States.
6. Check your neckAn American Journal of Medicine study found that a mildly underactive thyroid can boost your heart-disease risk by 65 percent. A quick blood test can assess your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
7. Lean back Parking your torso at a 90-degree angle strains your spine, say Scottish and Canadian researchers. Instead, give your chair the La-Z-Boy treatment and recline the seat back slightly. The ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical.
8. Scent your air safely Some air fresheners contain phthalates, compounds that may disrupt hormone processes, Natural Resources Defense Council testing reveals. Stick with Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects.
9. Boost your defenses An Archives of Internal Medicine review reports that 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces your risk of an early death by 7 percent. Try Carlson's vitamin D (carlsonlabs.com).
10. Skip the sprayUsing household spray cleaners just once a week increases your risk of an asthma attack by 76 percent, say Spanish researchers. Use wipes instead.
11. Steam your broccoliItalian researchers recently discovered that steaming broccoli increases its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30 percent. Boiling actually lowers the levels.
12. Stretch it out Genes in your body linked to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can be "turned on" if you sit for hours on end, reports a study in Diabetes. Hit the "off" button by taking hourly laps during TV, book, and Web sessions.
http://medicalinsurance-ahmad.blogspot.com/
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