Newfound Link Between Probiotics and Your Weight



Probiotic supplements during the first trimester of pregnancy can help women lose weight after their child’s birth, according to new findings.

Researchers report that supplements containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were associated with less central obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more or a waist circumference over 80 centimeters. Women were given the supplements during their first trimester of pregnancy and continued them until they stopped exclusive breastfeeding, up to six months.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits when consumed.

Previous research found that microbial populations in the gut are different between obese and lean people, and that when the obese people lost weight their microflora changed.




Sources:


NutraIngredients.com May 7, 2009


17th European Congress on Obesity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, May 6-9, 2009





Dr. Mercola's Comments:


Multiple studies have shown that obese people have different intestinal bacteria than slim people, and the functioning of this gut microflora can impact your waistline.

After all, inside your gut is a living ecosystem, full of both good and bad bacteria. The functioning of this gut microflora in your body can be likened to that of an ant farm, working together as an intelligent whole to perform an array of functions, which include extracting calories from the foods you eat.

One reason the microflora in your gut could play a key role in obesity is because it appears the microbes flourishing in an overweight body are much more efficient at extracting calories from food.

In fact, one study showed a family of bacteria known as firmicutes was more plentiful in obese people (20 percent more), whereas another bacteria called bacteroidetes was almost 90 percent lower.

Firmicutes appear to be more efficient at taking calories out of complex sugars and depositing those calories in fat. When these microbes were transplanted into normal-weight mice, they suddenly gained twice as much fat. And in a human study, obese people who lost weight increased their bacteroidetes, while the numbers of firmicutes decreased.

Another way your gut bacteria influences your weight is through a single molecule in your intestinal wall, which is activated by the waste products from gut bacteria. When activated, the molecule slows the movement of food through your intestine, allowing you to absorb more nutrients and thus gain weight.

Why Probiotics are Especially Important During Pregnancy

Nearly everyone can benefit from optimizing the balance of good vs. bad bacteria in their gut using probiotics, but if you are pregnant or planning to be, this is of utmost importance to you and your new baby.

As this new study showed, simply taking a high-quality probiotic may help you to regain your figure after pregnancy, but the benefits go well beyond this. Research shows giving pregnant women and newborns doses of good bacteria can:

• Protect babies from developing eczema in childhood
• Help prevent childhood allergies by training infants' immune systems to resist allergic reactions
• Help optimize your baby’s weight later in life
• Improve the symptoms of colic, decreasing average crying times by about 75 percent
• Reduce your risk of premature labor

Babies that are given the best start nutritionally by being breastfed (the source of your first immune-building good bacteria) also tend to have intestinal microflora in which beneficial bifidobacteria predominate over potentially harmful bacteria.

So aside from taking probiotics during pregnancy, the first way you can encourage your newborn’s gut health to flourish is by breastfeeding.

How to Increase Your Levels of Good Bacteria

Positively influencing the bacteria growing in your body is relatively easy, and involves taking in plenty of good bacteria while discouraging the growth of bad varieties.

One of the most important steps you can take to do this is to stop consuming sugary foods. Eating a healthy diet low in sugars, grains and processed foods will generally cause the good bacteria in your gut to flourish, and naturally build up a major defense against excessive amounts of bad bacteria that can damage your health.

But even with an extremely low-sugar diet there are other factors that negatively influence your gut bacteria, including:

• Antibiotics
• Chlorinated water
• Antibacterial soap
• Agricultural chemicals
• Pollution

All of these factors help to kill off your good bacteria. This is why it’s a wise choice to “reseed” your body with good bacteria from time to time by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement or eating properly fermented foods like natto and kefir -- which are naturally rich in good bacteria.

Since helpful bacteria are increasingly absent in most people’s diets, it is important to purposely include fermented foods that contain live probiotic bacteria in your diet, or take a probiotic supplement regularly.





Related Links:


How The Bacteria In Your Gut Can Make You Fat


Waste From Gut Bacteria Helps Control Your Weight


Probiotics Found to Help Your Gut's Immune System


Buy directly from me:
http://www.enivamembers.com/?ID=janwatts





Eniva Lactobacillus Probiotic+™

Eniva Lactobacillus Probiotic+™ is a nutraceutical dietary supplement designed to optimize the health of digestive and intestinal environments.

Features of Eniva Lactobacillus Probiotic+:

Helpful bacteria promote balanced digestive and intestinal environments for proper nutrient absorption.*
Supports cholesterol health, the immune system and healthy aging.*
Assists health during GI distress.*
Helps replenish beneficial bacteria reduced from antibiotic use.*
No wheat, egg, yeast, corn, soy, sugar, artificial flavors or preservatives.*
Eniva Lactobacillus Probiotic+ has been manufactured and formulated with care! It’s glass container, nitrogen packing, exceptional seal and vegan friendly capsules are all quality features that help protect the beneficial contents inside.

Probiotic+
110 capsules (2 month supply) - ID 12002




Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable cellulose, water.

Adult Directions: 1-2 Capsules Daily before mealtime, preferably in the morning. For occasional GI discomfort, may take 2 caps hourly up to 4 hours.* This product is formulated to contain at least 14 billion CFU at the time of manufacture. Storage conditions may affect contents over time.

No Stimulants, No Artificial Colors. No Artificial Flavors
* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Can Wearing Your Bra Cause Cancer?

By Dr. Mercola

There’s little doubt that a bra is an important support device, particularly for women with large breasts who may suffer serious discomfort and even pain otherwise.

However, wearing certain types of bras might not be in your best interest. In fact, if you’re in the habit of wearing the most popular styles, you may be setting yourself up for some potentially serious health problems.

Bra On HangerIs Your Bra Helping or Harming Your Body?

There are several potential problems with bras. And while some types of bras are worse than others, simply wearing an ill-fitting bra could spell trouble.

Many physicians and researchers now agree that wearing a tight fitting bra can cut off lymph drainage, which can contribute to the development of breast cancer,[1] as your body will be less able to excrete all the toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis. Aluminum from antiperspirants, for example, is one potentially dangerous source of toxins that can accumulate if your lymph drainage is impaired.

Says Dr. Michael Schacter, M.D. in his article, The Prevention and Complementary Treatment of Breast Cancer[2]:

"Over 85 percent of the lymph fluid flowing from the breast drains to the armpit lymph nodes. Most of the rest drains to the nodes along the breast bone. Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow.

The nature of the bra, the tightness, and the length of time worn, will all influence the degree of blockage of lymphatic drainage. Thus, wearing a bra might contribute to the development of breast cancer as a result of cutting off lymphatic drainage, so that toxic chemicals are trapped in the breast."

Constricting bras have also been implicated in the rise of benign (non-cancerous) but often painful breast cysts and lumps. Says Dr. John McDougall, M.D., in his book titled The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart:

"After repeated bouts of inflammation, the breasts develop scar tissue in many places, and some of the milk ducts become plugged, forming cysts. Fibrocystic breast disease, not surprisingly, is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer[3]."

You can avoid some of the improper drainage issues if you wear a bra that is properly fitted. Many, many women simply wear bras that do not fit. The website Linda’s Bra School offers plenty of guidance on proper bra fitting and can help you find a more appropriate bra style.

The Underwire Bra -- A Cancer-Causing Device?

But far worse for your health than tight or ill-fitting bras is the most popular type of all -- the underwire bra.

It’s important to realize that nearly all underwire bras contain metal underwires, coated with plastic. And it is the metal that could ruin your long-term health.

In his 1975 article, Chinese Lessons For Modern Chiropractors, Dr. George Goodheart – known as “the father of Applied Kinesiology” -- explained what he calls the "Antenna Effect." Essentially, he discovered that by taping a small metal ball over an acupuncture point, you could achieve longer-term stimulation to that point in question. This discovery led to what are now known as AcuAids -- small magnetic patches that are used by thousands of doctors across the world.

However, just like a small metal ball, any metal constantly applied to any given energy channel or point on your body can have the same stimulating effect.

As described by John D. Andre, D.C., N.D.[4], below your breasts are two important neuro-lymphatic reflex points. The one below your right breast corresponds to your liver and gallbladder. The one below your left breast goes to your stomach.

He goes on to say:

“These reflexes, like all acupuncture points, follow the Law of Stimulation. In the beginning of stimulating a point, it is stimulated - often causing an increase in associated function. Later on, this continued stimulation causes sedation of that point and a subsequent decrease in its associated function. It's a mechanical thing.

If a woman keeps the metal underwires on top of those reflex points, over time that WILL mess up the functioning of the associated circuits: Liver, gallbladder, and stomach.

Bottom Line: It will likely make her sick; slowly and quietly.”

In addition to that, the metal wire can also act as an antenna attracting electromagnetic fields, which can also increase your risk of breast cancer.

Bra Wearers May Face Up to 125-Fold Higher Cancer Risk

Medical anthropologists Sydney Singer and Soma Grismaijer -- authors of Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras -- conducted a study of over 4,000 women, and found that women who do not wear bras have a much lower risk of breast cancer.[5]

Their findings included:

* Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer
* Women who wore bras more than 12 hour per day, but not to bed, had a 1 out of 7 risk
* Women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day had a 1 out of 52 risk
* Women who wore bras rarely or never had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting breast cancer

Ill-Fitting BraThe overall difference between women who wore their bras 24-hours a day and those who did not wear bras at all was a 125-fold difference. Based on the results of this study, the link between bras and breast cancer is about three times greater than the link between cigarette smoking and cancer.

Singer and Grismaijer also found that about 90 percent of fibrocystic patients improve when they quit wearing bras.

I believe the results of this study are compelling, despite the fact that it was not a controlled study for other risk factors. There are few solid studies on bra wearing and breast cancer, but research showing links between the two is not entirely nonexistent.

For example, one 1991 study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, found that premenopausal women who did not wear bras had half the risk of breast cancer compared with bra users.[6]

Another group of Japanese researchers discovered that wearing a girdle or bra can lower your levels of melatonin by 60 percent.[7] The hormone melatonin is intimately involved with the regulation of your sleep cycles, and numerous studies have shown that melatonin has anti-cancer activities.[8] It’s also a powerful antioxidant, and can prevent DNA damage and bind to T-helper cells. Furthermore, researchers in Spain published a study detailing the possible use of melatonin in breast cancer prevention and treatment.[9]

Bras In NatureHealthier Options are Available

Wearing metal on your body is something you generally want to avoid, and since many women wear their bras for the better part of the day, it would be sensible to find a healthier alternative to your metal underwire bras.

If you feel you need the underwire, please consider switching out the metal wire in your favorite bra for a plastic wire. You may be able to find them in your local fabric store, or you can purchase them online. BraMakersSupply.com is a great resource.

Simply replacing your metal underwires with plastic ones are your best alternative solution if you don’t want to forego the underwire entirely.

You can easily do this on your own simply by snipping a tiny hole in the fabric at the end of the underwire, on the inside of your bra. Slide the old wire out and replace it with the plastic wire, which can easily be cut to the correct length to fit. Then throw a few stitches across the hole to keep the wire from sliding out of the casing.

BraMakersSupply.com is one of the few companies that carry the whole range of plastic wire sizes and ship across the world. And at $2 per pair, protecting your long-term health couldn’t be much more affordable.

An even better option is to opt for a wireless style bra, which are now available in most brands, and for various levels of support. Sports bras and camisoles with a built-in shelf bra are other options that can work well, especially if your bust is on the smaller side.

A Healthy Life Depends on Healthy Choices

Life comes down to the choices you make, and then living with the results. It’s important to remember that you almost always have options -- healthier options. Some require more work than others, but in this case it really won’t take much to make a meaningful change that can help you have a healthier body and life.

Switching out your bras won’t replace the need for an otherwise healthy lifestyle to avoid breast cancer. But it may be a very useful adjunct.



References



[1] 007 Breasts, http://www.007b.com/fibrocystic_doctors.php

[2] The Prevention and Complementary Treatment of Breast Cancer, Michael Schachter M.D., F.A.C.A.M., http://healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=533

[3] Lancet 1999 May 22;353(9166):1742-5 "Risk of breast cancer in women with palpable breast cysts: a prospective study." Edinburgh Breast Group. Dixon JM, McDonald C, Elton RA, Miller WR, Edinburgh Breast Unit, Western General Hospital, UK

[4] Relfe.com, Dangers of Underwire Bras, John D. Andre, D.C., N.D., http://www.relfe.com/underwire_bras_dangers.html

[5] Dressed to Kill, 1995, Sydney Ross Singer, Soma Grismaijer, http://www.selfstudycenter.org/dressedtokill.htm

[6] European Journal of Cancer, 1991;27(2):131-5, Hsieh, C.C. and D. Trichopoulos, D., Breast size, handedness and breast cancer risk, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed&db=pubmed&cmd=Search&TransSchema=title&term=European%20journal%20of%20cancer%5BJour%5D%20AND%201991%5Bpdat%5D%20AND%20Breast%20size

[7] Chronobiol Int 2000 Nov;17(6):783-93 "The effects of skin pressure by clothing on circadian rhythms of core temperature and salivary melatonin." Lee YA, Hyun KJ, Tokura H, Department of Environmental Health, Nara Women's University, Japan

[8] J. Hansen, "Light at Night, Shiftwork, and Breast Cancer Risk" J Natl Cancer Inst 2001; 93: 1513-1515

[9] Histol Histopathol 2000 Apr;15(2):637-47

www.janwatts.itworks.net

Buy products online!
 http://shop.enivausa.com/36784

Click to find me!


  www.nowlive.com/show/premierejan