| 'Friendly bacteria', or beneficial bacteria, are | | | | water supply, etc - can produce bacterial |
| essential to good colon, or bowel, health. | | | | imbalance |
| A large proportion of a healthy stool consist of | | | | What Do Friendly Bacteria Do? |
| millions of bacteria which normally live in the colon. | | | | Friendly bacteria: |
| There are several hundred species of these | | | | * Help produce energy for the body |
| bacteria present in the colon. A good balance of | | | | * Synthesise essential nutrients, eg Vitamin K |
| bacteria in the colon contributes to good colon | | | | * Help to detoxify poisons in the diet |
| health. | | | | * Help maintain the acid balance of the body - |
| There are also a number of harmful bacteria | | | | vital for health |
| present in the colon. In good health, these harmful | | | | * Promote immune system health |
| bacteria are kept in check by the abundance of | | | | Unfriendly bacteria not only smother the beneficial |
| beneficial bacteria. Unfortunately, the bacteria in | | | | type, but also produce their own additional toxins - |
| the colon often get out of balance. This condition | | | | these are their waste products. |
| of imbalance is called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis means | | | | How Can I Restore Balance? |
| that the harmful bacteria have become much | | | | By supplementing the beneficial bacteria, and |
| more abundant than they should be. | | | | avoiding the damaging situations mentioned above, |
| The worst effect of dysbiosis is that the | | | | as far as possible. |
| excessive harmful bacteria produce waste | | | | What Does A 'Flora' Supplement Contain? |
| products which are toxic to the body, raising the | | | | A good 'bowel flora' supplement will usually contain |
| 'toxic load' the body has to deal with. Health | | | | Acidophilus bacteria plus some other types, often |
| conditions including candida and ME almost | | | | Bifidus and Rhamnosus. Good quality supplements |
| invariably involve dysbiosis, but it also contributes | | | | will have powerful, patented strains of the |
| to many other conditions of ill health. | | | | bacteria mentioned. Desirable properties include |
| Causes Of Dysbiosis | | | | being able to pass alive through the acid conditions |
| The imbalance of bacteria - dysbiosis - can be | | | | of the stomach, and adhering well to the colon |
| caused by: | | | | wall when they arrive there. |
| * Taking antibiotics | | | | Try taking a quality supplement at any time for a |
| * Poor diet. Beneficial bacteria love the fibre in | | | | course of 3 months, and also during and following |
| vegetables; harmful bacteria thrive on meat and | | | | any antibiotic course you have to take, and when |
| sugar | | | | traveling. |
| * Traveling abroad - because of a sudden change | | | | A bowel flora supplement is often part of a colon |
| in diet | | | | cleansing programme, which will also usually include |
| * Drinking water which contains chlorine (drink | | | | a herbal supplement to promote bowel regularity, |
| filtered water instead) | | | | and a product to provide extra fibre, often |
| * Hormones - either as pharmaceuticals or in the | | | | psyllium husks. |