Guidelines for Maintaining Healthy Digestion Keys to Lowering Your Toxic Burden, part 2

Guidelines for Maintaining Healthy Digestion Keys to Lowering Your Toxic Burden, part 2

MASTERFUL MICROBES: YOUR VERY BEST FRIENDS

The term probiotic, a compound of Latin and Greek words meaning “favorable
to life,” is popularly used to refer to the helpful bacteria that populate your gut
(while technically the term refers to a supplement of these beneficial bacteria). Our
ancestors appear to have been well aware of the connection between beneficial
bacteria and good health, as we consider the number of age-old fermented foods,
rich in healthful bacteria, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi, that nourished
generations worldwide for centuries.

But every time you take an antibiotic or drink large amounts of chlorinated tap
water, you kill off billions of these naturally occurring beneficial bacteria, upsetting
the intricate balance of your intestinal terrain. Opportunistic organisms, such as
yeast and hostile bacteria, can then flourish, creating a state of imbalance known as
dysbiosis. The most common type of opportunistic yeast, Candida albicans, is a
glutton for sugar, which often results in cravings for carbohydrates, such as sugar,
pasta, and bread. Prescription antibiotics also modify the natural environment of
your intestines; what’s more, the abundance of antibiotics in the meats and other
commercial animal products we consume also contribute to this intestinal
imbalance. This makes the choice of organic, grass-fed, antibiotic-free animal
products all the more vital.

GUT FLORA AND ESTROGEN

Recent research has shed intriguing light on the cancer-protective connection
between maintaining healthy estrogen levels and healthy gut flora (Boccardo et al.
2006), especially when you consume generous amounts of lignans. Lignans are a
group of phytonutrients found in seeds, legumes, grains, and vegetables. Flaxseed is
by far the richest source of plant lignans, found in the fibrous hull of the seed.
Researchers first noted the beneficial activity of flax lignans in the 1980s, when they
reported lower levels of lignans in breast-cancer patients than in cancer-free women
(Adlercreutz et al. 1986). While the puzzle pieces have not been entirely put
together, we do know that when we eat plant lignans, intestinal bacteria convert them
into enterolactones and enterodiol, compounds believed to lower estrogen levels
and exert anticancer effects.

AN OUNCE OF PROBIOTICS: A POUND OF CURE?

Making sure you have plenty of healthy bacteria in your gut is a wise investment.
If you enjoy fresh yogurt or other fermented foods, you’re already ahead of the
game. If not, check out Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That
Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, or Sandor Katz’s
Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, two
excellent books with step-by-step instructions for transforming your diet into a
probiotic powerhouse. An alternative is to take a probiotic supplement daily. Look
for one with several different strains of bacteria, such as L. acidophilus, L.
bulgaricus, L. brevis, and B. bifidum. (For a complete list, see Digestive Wellness, by
Elizabeth Lipski [2005].) If you must take an antibiotic, a course of saccharomyces
boulardii, a special probiotic yeast supplement sometimes known as “yeast against
yeast,” taken along with the antibiotic therapy will help restore equilibrium in your
gut, protecting it from the unhealthy form of yeast (Candida albicans) that
commonly plagues people who take antibiotics.