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Probiotics?

Intestinal flora

How to choose

Which brand

Probiotic links

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Probiotics


Probiotics are live microorganisms that may beneficially affect our health by improving the delicate balance of the intestinal microflora.

Winclove, compilation of probiotics

Most probiotics consist of lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacilli, Lactococci and Bifidobacteria. Also some yeasts are supposed to be probiotics.

This organisms exist naturally, with many others, in large numbers in our intestines. With an inbalance of our intestinal microflora we're not able to digest our food in a proper way and pathogenic bacterias will become dominant in our guts.


  • The intestinal microflora starts building up right after childbirth. A healthy intestinal flora is of uttermost importance to digest food and to absorb its nutritients in a proper way.
  • The intestinal microflora is indispensable for the development and the maturation of the immune system. A healthy gutflora strengthens the intestinal mucosa and it helps to ward off pathogenic organisms and allergens.
bifidobacterum

The dietary use of live microorganisms has a long history. Cultured dairy products, (yoghurt, kefir) were often used therapeutically before the existence of microorganisms was recognized. Recent controlled scientific investigation supports these traditional views, suggesting that probiotics are a very valuable part of a healthy diet.

...Bifidobacterium. A strain commonly used in probiotics

What is disrupting a healthy intestinal flora?

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
  • Antibiotics,
  • Chemotherapy
  • Food poisoning (see the green guys left)
  • Contaminated water
  • Prolongated stress, angst, fear
  • Drugs, some medicines,
  • Abuse of alcohol,
  • Endurance sports, (Jogging)
  • An unbalanced diet, junkfood,
  • Some synth. foodadditives.
..Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Result: Poor absorbtion of the nutrients in the food, bloated stomach, constipation, flatulence, diarrhea. Dehydration, depletion of minerals and vitamins. Stress on liver and kidneys, wasteproducts are circling around in the bloodstream. Pale, dry and unhealthy skin, bad, brittly hair, smelly breathing. Pain in muscles, low energy, low resistance to all sorts of bacterial and viral infections. Overgrowth with candida albicans. Poor condition in general.


What is a good probiotic?

A good probiotic has to survive stomach acid and the bile on its passage down to the guts. Adequate numbers of active bacterias have to reach the small intestines.

In order to achieve this, the potency (number of viable bacteria per dose) has to be at least one billion per gram. All of the products in our shop exceed this number!!! Don't trust a manufacturer who doesn't indicate this on the label of your product. Furthermore, documentation of type of bacteria (genus and species), and the extent of research that has been published on health effects, must be provided for any strain being used in a preparation.

What about the healthy probiotic drinks in the supermarket?

There's a debate going on if they are probiotics in the good sense of the word. Some of them are simply useless. In most of them, the amount of added probiotic strains are too small, they never reach the small intestines in adequate numbers. Also the bacterias commonly present in fermented milkdrinks (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptotoccus thermophilus) are not very resistant to the acidy gastric juices in the stomach.

  • Probiotics are living matter. Keep them out of heat, humidity and sunlight. Close the jar well. Don't keep them years, they might deteriorate over time.
ecologic500 from Winclove

Most probiotics in our shop are manufactured by WINCLOVE. and it's co-brand ECOLOGIC® This company is specialized in the research and developement of probiotics, they deliver reliable products which have proven their efficacy in many clinical trials. The nutritional scientists at Winclove develop and produce several strains of bacterias, aimed at specific diseases of the intestinal tract.

Beside Winclove we have probiotics from Udo's and Solgar on our shelves. Proven quality as well, they are available as capsules.

ECOLOGIC® has a range of high quality probiotics developed for specific applications. ECOLOGIC® products are distinguished by proven efficacy performed in co-operation with renowned research institutes and university hospitals. (AMC Amsterdam, St. Radboud Ziekenhuis Nijmegen, Universiteitsziekenhuis Utrecht and Maastricht.)

ECOLOGIC®TRAVEL Probiotics developed by WINCLOVE

ECOLOGIC®TRAVEL increases resistance against pathogenic bacteria during travel. Ecologic® Travel supports the build up of the natural flora en helps reinforcing the natural intestinal flora so the risk of diarrhoea is reduced.

Winclove developed ECOLOGIC®AAD:a probiotic which might reduce the risk of diarrhoea due to antibiotic use.

  • Antibiotics kill germs, but, as a unwanted side-effect, they harm our intestinal flora as well. Result: Very frequent and watery defecation. Loss of energy, dehydration.

Application of ECOLOGIC®AAD:
Dietary food for special medical purposes to be used during and/or after antibiotic treatment to reduce the risk of antibiotic associated diarrhoea.

For background documentation on AAD go to Ecologic®

PalmeroPrebiotics for animals

There are strains of probiotics specially designed for animals as well. Ask in our shop for more about it.

One of our cats had an incurable irritated bowel syndrome, the veterinarian could not help him. We cured him with probiotics.

Most probiotics at Health Quest come as a powder. Just mix a teaspoon into a cup of lukewarm water, stir it up after ten or fifteen minutes and drink it on a empty stomach. Preferably before going to bed. It doesn't taste bad at all. Don't eat right afterwards.


Probiotic links

WHO on probiotics

Foodinfo: (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)

Winclove: Website of the manufacturer of 'our' probiotics. (tip)

Ecologic® Co-brand of Winclove. High quality probiotics for specific applications.

Gutflora: scientific news and backgrounds, new developments. (tip)

Pandastudy: Allergy and probiotics

us-probiotics (comprehensive, up-to-date resource on probiotics)

candida/ A site on candida and probiotics

BBC Elderly 'should take probiotics'

Advice:

Probiotics are not a replacement for a healthy diet. A healthy diet is preferably organic and fresh, it is well balanced food which is rich in fibers and unsaturated fatty acids.

Health Quest by Joyce....Spiegelgracht 4.....1017 JR Amsterdam.....T:+31(0)20-421 82 06 .....Mailto: