Natural Cures for Yeast Infections - Probiotics

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are basically 'good' bacteria which help us fight diseases and manufacture certain nutrients for us. They also keep the balance of good/harmless bacteria and pathogenic bacteria and yeasts at a safe level.

Since ancient times, man has been ingesting probiotics for health and well-being. This makes sense of course since our digestive system is one of our first lines of defense against pathogenic organisms. Caucasus Mountains populations eat Kefir (from keif which literally means 'good feeling') a cousin of yogurt for it's ability to rejuvenate and bring good health. East Asian populations also have fermented soy products such as miso or natto. Across all cultures, probiotics have been an important in maintaining our immune systems.

However, our modern lifestyles which are filled with indiscriminant use of antibiotics and disinfectants often leave a distorted balance of microflora in our systems. This leaves us susceptible to overgrowths of pathogenic or otherwise harmless (if their populations are controlled) organisms. You may be familiar with the results of such a disruption: vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, bacterial vaginosis, and diarrhea just to name a few.

For information on how to replenish the supply of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract, see this article on the benefits of probiotics...

ContraCostaTimes.com | 06/30/2006 | 'Good guy' bacteria help maintain well-being

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