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Within our gastrointestinal system lies an ecosystem made up of friendly bacteria called probiotics. In a healthy person, there is a rich environment of probiotics in the small intestines, and bifidus in the large intestines and the colon. These bacteria break down our food and help synthesize vitamins. When they break down dairy products, the waste, lactic acid, creates an environment hostile to such diseases as salmonella, E. coli and staph.
Acidophilus is present in an infant at birth. Bifidus appears in the first week after birth. Together they form a major part of the baby's immune system. Not surprisingly, babies who are breast-fed show higher numbers of these friendly bacteria than do bottle-fed babies. Antibiotics, which are so often given to children for ear infections, not only kill hostile bacteria, they wipe out the friendly bacteria as well. The lack of probiotics in the gut not only makes the child's digestion more difficult, it greatly reduces the child's defenses against disease. When the friendly bacteria are killed, a yeast called candida or thrush, which is immune to antibiotics, spreads, leaving the friendly bacteria no place to grow. Therefore, when antibiotics are administered it is important to rebuild the child's gut flora as quickly as possible. This can be done by adding powdered probiotics to the child's food.
It is estimated that 90% of American adults are infested with Candida albicans. This figure is not so surprising considering that candida thrives on a diet of sugar, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, soda pop, antibiotics and drugs. Generally we manage to live with candida's low level effects, but at times they can get out of hand. Besides depleting the victim of mental and physical energy, the symptoms of candida infestation are: a degraded immune system, poor digestion, increased susceptibility to allergies, and depression. Ridding oneself of a candida infestation is a three-part process. First, you must stop feeding the candida – that is, stop consuming the things that create a candida-growth environment. Second, you must kill the candida, which can be done using natural supplements such as oil of oregano, grapefruit seed extract, pau d'arco, garlic, and caprylic acid. And third, you must rebuild the probiotic environment.
Copyright (c) 2001 by Chip Engelmann
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