The Truth About the Benefits of Probiotics and Bloating, Indigestion, Acid Reflux, and More

If you have indigestion, bloating, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, or something more chronic like Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Crohn's Disease, you may be wondering about the benefits of probiotics.

Probiotics are known for improving the health of your digestive system. Many people either take probiotic supplements or eat foods with probiotics, such as yogurt. The probiotics are good bacteria for your system and they help to keep the bad bacteria from growing. The benefits of probiotics are many: improved immune function, allergy prevention, digestive support, improved nutrient absorption, and more. These benefits were discovered with certain strains of bacteria, so you can't just purchase any probiotic supplement or eat a fermented food and expect to get the result you're looking for.

There are other concerns with probiotics as well. Aside from the fact that many supplements on the market do not have sufficient quality or quantity to achieve the hoped-for benefits, the strategy of introducing a couple of different bacteria into your system has come under scrutiny recently. You have 100 trillion bacteria in your gut. There are estimates that you have between 500 and 1000 different kinds of bacteria growing in your gut! With that much variety and complexity, how can you know which bacteria will help and which will make your problem worse?

Fortunately, scientists have discovered prebiotics. Prebiotics come from food - they are the non-digestible parts of certain foods, and they provide nourishment to the good bacteria in your gut. So they have a couple of things going for them: they are natural substances, and they already work in your system-you just need to be sure to get them into your diet.

As you eat certain starchy foods, the parts you can't digest known as prebiotics feed the good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics are found in plant foods such as onions, asparagus, bananas, apples and many types of berries. The benefits of prebiotics include, along with a much better functioning digestive system, better vitamin and mineral absorption, a stronger immune system, reduced allergy development and a healthier heart. And, they are safe and effective in their whole-food state. I would not recommend consuming inulin or FOS (two types of isolated prebiotics) added to foods. In order to get the maximum benefit, you need the whole fruit or vegetable. Supplement form is okay as long as it's the food, and not the isolated substance.

Consuming prebiotics can eliminate bloating, indigestion and all those other symptoms of a poorly functioning digestive system. People seeking the benefits of probiotics may really be looking for prebiotics.

Candice J Hughes is an enthusiastic researcher of digestive health and natural products. Her research is available at http://www.prebiotic-supplements.com/. If you have indigestion, bloating, acid reflux, constipation or other symptoms of poor digestive health, including conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Crohn's disease, visit http://www.prebiotic-supplements.com/ now to learn about the product Candice recommends.

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Acid Reflux Is a Condition Not a Disease

Acid reflux is a condition not a disease. Many people have a misconception that only drugs can treat acid reflux but that is not true. There are natural ways to treat this condition to make one feel better and lead to a cure. One of the key treatments a person can try is sleeping propped up. There are many products designed to gently incline the body's torso during sleep. The Avana Slant is a body pillow made of memory foam perfect for people dealing with acid reflux pain. But what exactly is acid reflux what are the symptoms and how can it be treated?

Acid reflux also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition where the stomach contents leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus. This battle can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. The most common symptoms include feeling that food may be left trapped behind the breastbone, nausea after eating and heartburn or a burn pain in the chest. The heartburn can be increased by bending, stooping, lying down or eating. It gets worse at night but can be relieved by antacids. Less common symptoms include coughing or wheezing, difficulty swallowing, hiccups, hoarseness or change in voice, regurgitation of food and a sore throat.

Treatments for acid reflux including a person diet exercise and sleep habits. Try avoiding foods and beverages that trigger symptoms. Beverages like alcohol, caffeine and carbonated beverages. Foods like chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes, spicy or fatty foods and peppermint. People with this condition should avoid bending over or exercising just after eating, lying down with a full stomach or smoking. Doctor recommended treatments include eating smaller meals, losing weight if you are overweight, reducing stress and sleeping with your head raised about 6 inches. When it comes to sleeping use a body pillow or wedge under the body to slightly incline the entire body and raise the head. The Avana Wedge was designed to control night time acid reflux. The slant works like a hospital bed to keep the whole torso gently elevated, providing ideal comfort sleep surface. It is made with a urethane foam foundation covered in a layer of body contouring memory foam for the perfect combination of comfort and support.

People suffering from acid reflux can reverse their condition or ease the pain with a change in diet, exercise and sleep habits. There are natural ways to treat the condition including the use of a ledge wedge when at rest.

Karlie Philpott is the creator of TheBodyPillowShop a destination for support and comfort. A place to find the body pillow you need.

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Treat Your Heartburn, Indigestion and Acid Reflux

Acid reflux or GERD is a condition where gastric juices containing acid flow back from the stomach into the esophagus (the gullet or swallowing tube). The word "reflux" originates from the medieval Latin word refluxus which arises from the Latin word refluere, meaning "to flow back, to recede". If a person suffers from acid reflux the acids from his or her stomach "flow back" into his or her esophagus, causing discomfort and pain - this discomfort is commonly referred to as heartburn, which is generally considered the first symptom of acid reflux or GERD. Heartburn. This early symptom usually leaves a persistent chest burning sensation.

You may be surprised to learn that these acid reflux symptoms occur to everyone once in a while, but if it happens regularly and persists over a long period with no sign of visible relief even after possible medication then you are faced with acid reflux or GERD. Changing diet may bring some relief, but if symptoms persist then you certainly need medical attention.

This condition can be extremely painful and a complete nuisance if it linger on and on. However, I remain strongly convinced that with a bit of patience, a healthy diet and a few home remedies, you can cure acid reflux! This is where we come in.

There are many reasons you may be suffering with acid reflux.

And perhaps you've already seen your family doctor who has recommended that you...

Lose your weight
Eat slower
Avoid acidic foods
Sleep with your head slightly elevated
Stop taking alcohol
Quit smoking

This is all good advice... And you should strictly follow any medical plan that your doctor has laid
out for you. However, it's important that you also understand:

Too often, "treatments" recommended for acid reflux focus on eliminating the symptoms (pain, heartburn, and nausea) while doing little to address the CAUSE!

Eliminating the pain is obviously your first priority...

... But shouldn't you *also* be thinking about a long-term solution that doesn't involve eating handfuls of antacids or taking harmful prescription drugs with unwanted side effects?

If your acid reflux has been ongoing for a considerable length of time, or you're experiencing more severe symptoms that may include weight loss, vomiting blood, black stools, or painful swallowing......then you should see a medical professional *immediately*.

Left untreated, acid reflux can lead to some extreme medical conditions including esophageal cancer, narrowing of the esophagus, asthma, and dental problems.

If your acid reflux/GERD/heartburn is caused by a failure of your lower esophageal sphincter, which isn't closing fully and allowing the contents of your stomach to reach the esophagus, you will require treatment by trained medical professionals.

Talk to your doctor before discontinuing any recommended treatment program or prescription.

And it's quite possible that you've been making your acid reflux worse through use of antacids, which create a hostile environment for critical digestive enzymes!

So what's the answer? Why not skip the antacids and try rebalancing your digestive enzymes to bring down your hydrochloric acid production and enjoy better overall digestive health!

I am a university professor working at a medical school in my country where I teach biochemistry and molecular biology to medical and nursing students both at undergraduate and graduate levels. I am also a trained pharmacist specializing in biochemistry, molecular biology and human molecular genetics to doctorate level. I am an ardent internet marketer with special interest in alternative medicine.

http://acidreflux.digestivescience.com/ct/120721

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Infant Acid Reflux - What You Should Know

During Acid Reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) the acids from the stomach flow back into the esophagus, causing pain, commonly known as heart burn. Acid reflux is common in infants below the age of three months. This condition in small babies is known as spitting up. However the symptoms generally go away as the infant grows older and completely disappears in between the age of 12 to 18 months. So if your baby is around that age and still having the symptoms of acid reflux, or if the symptoms are severe and bothering your baby it is a matter of concern.

If you doubt your baby is having a problem of acid reflux observes the following symptoms:

1. Excessive spitting up or vomiting

It is quite common for small babies to spit up during the first three months of their lives. If the spitting up is very frequent and severe or the baby is vomiting along with spitting up, it indicates a problem.

2. Irritation or dullness while feeding

If your baby gets irritated while feeding, it may be due to the burning sensation and pain in the esophagus due to the acid reflux.

3. Baby eating too less or refuses to eat at all

If the baby is not eating properly this may be because of the pain that he is suffering from the acid in esophagus.

4. Colic symptoms

Due to the acid reflux the baby will feel severe pain which may give rise to symptoms typical of colic pain.

5. Arching the back and neck while feeding

If the baby is getting pain due to acid in the esophagus, they will bend their backs and necks.

6. "Wet" burps

If a baby is suffering from GERD, some liquid may come out when he burps.

7. Hiccups

During reflux the nerves along the upper part of the stomach and the lower part of the esophagus is stimulated irritating the vagus nerve and cause frequent hiccups in the infants.

8. Coughing

Because of reflux, the airways of the baby and the throat may get irritated. As a result the baby may start coughing.

9. Disturbed sleep pattern

Due to reflux the baby may start coughing when sleeping causing him/her to wake up from sleep.

10. Trouble in swallowing

Due to the reflux of the acid into the esophagus an obstruction may be formed in the esophagus. As a result the baby experience difficulty in swallowing.

11. Sore throat

When stomach contents flow back up to the throat, the baby's throat gets irritated leading to sore throat.

12. Respiratory problems (such as asthma, pneumonia)

During reflux, in some cases, the acid may get into the lungs. This makes breathing difficult causing asthma, pneumonia or bronchitis.

13. Croaky voice

As a result of reflux the stomach content comes up to the throat causing irritation of the throat and the voice of the baby may turn hoarse.

Apart from all those mentioned above, sinus infections or congestion, ear infections, bad breath, anemia, drooling from the corners of the mouth, unexplained weight loss etc. also may be suggestive of acid reflux in infants.

Khairun Nadzar is the publisher of Acid Reflux Disease, For better understanding of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) browse through http://theacidrefluxdisease.net/ today.

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Acid Reflux Symptoms In Kids - Protect Your Child's Health

Acid reflux symptoms in kids are commonly disregarded as simple health problems that most children go through. However, it is only fair to warn parents that these symptoms might be something much worse that require immediate treatment.

Also, it is never a good idea to ignore your child when they show acid reflux symptoms. Even it is just an uncomfortable feeling since most adults experienced it during their lifetime, this might cause serious problem in kids since their bodies aren't fully developed yet.

Protect your child by familiarizing yourself with acid reflux symptoms in kids so you would know when it is time to take them to the doctor and have them checked out.

Change in Eating Habits

Heartburn or the burning sensation in their chest is already a symptom you need to watch out for. It might be serious when your child suddenly shows a in their eating habits that might eventually make the problem worst or even result to more serious complications.

In most cases, children who suffer from acid reflux tend to have a change in their eating habits. They would start to pick their food, favorites meals left uneaten, or a simple loss of appetite. This sudden change in their eating habits will eventually lead to weight loss.

There are also some children who would start developing trigger foods that will cause them a lot of heartburn every after each meal. Aside from heartburn, trigger foods might also cause them to suffer from abdominal pains, choking, vomiting, or even nausea.

Breathing Problems

Another acid reflux symptoms in kids you need to watch out for is the developing problems in their respiratory system. They might suddenly have an asthma attack without any probable cause, choking, wheezing, or even a lot of coughing. Backflow of acid from the stomach to the esophagus will eventually cause inflammation or infection in the throat or along the airway causing these symptoms to appear.

Other symptoms you might notice are shortness of breath during physical activities or nighttime coughing causing a change in sleeping patterns.

Taking them to the Doctor

If the above symptoms appear on your child then it would be safe to say that they are suffering from acid reflux or something much worst. It is advisable to spirit them away to your doctor to have them checked out to discover the extent of the problem.

There are two ways to find out if these are really symptoms of reflux. A simple laboratory test will allow the doctor to find out if it is really acid reflux or other health problems that needs to be addressed.

If the above test yields negative then the doctor would go for upper endoscopy to check out the extent of the damage on your child's esophagus, as well as making a probe on their stomach.

Treating GERD in Kids

Once it is determined that your child is suffering from GERD, the initial recommendation from your doctor would be to let your child take medications to combat the problem. These medications would come in the form of acid blockers to stop acid production, acid suppressors or antacids to counter excess acids from overflowing.

However, using medications will only temporarily solve the problem since the effects of the drugs usually wear off after a few hours.

It is more advisable to utilize prevention methods to ensure that reflux symptoms in kids will never happen again. It might be necessary to control your child's food intake by making sure that they eat the right food, like foods that are rich in alkaline to counteract the excess acid in their stomach.

Tom is experienced in indigestion and operates the extremely useful and well-liked web site about symptoms of acid reflux. He helps thousands of people beat their GERD problems. Visit his web-site right now to find out more on acid reflux symptoms as well as help on alkaline foods for acid reflux.

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Do Probiotic Foods Live Up to Their Promise? Unless You Make Your Own, Maybe Not

There aren't any probiotic foods that occur naturally. That is, the only way to get probiotic foods is to use a fermentation process. This way of preparing food has been around for thousands of years. Before industrial foods became popular, people understood that they needed to protect their digestive systems in order to achieve long-lasting health. Today we ingest any old thing from chemical preservatives not fit for any living thing to substances so overly processed that they become addictive, like white sugar, and white bread. These foods have lost their nutrients, and to add insult to injury, the food companies have taken synthetic vitamins and minerals and added them back in!

Do you know that fast food is so processed that it has no flavor left? There are entire factories that produce flavorings to add back into your "food" because it has no flavor.

If you think this is okay with your digestive system, think again. There is a reason that around 100 million people in the United States have some kind of digestive problem. Sixty million people, or 1 in 5, have acid reflux. Indigestion affects about 15% of Westerners. 2.5 million people in the United States visit a doctor for constipation. 10-15% have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

In my ongoing study of natural health, I have learned from Ayurvedic practitioners, herbalists, and a Doctor of Chinese Medicine. All of these people teach the same concept: take care of your digestive system. Do not drink ice-cold beverages with your meal (this is like pouring water on a fire-it kills your digestive juices precisely when they are trying to do their job). Do not try to eat when you are angry, or stressed out. When you are under stress, your digestive system shuts down. It's not going to work very well to put food into it anyway.

Fermented Foods

Many cultures have different ways of fermenting foods, which adds probiotics to them. Kimchi, aged cheeses, miso, sauerkraut, pickled foods, kefir and yogurt are all probiotic foods. These foods have many benefits, including more nutrients, and nutrients that are easier for your system to digest. Many commercial versions of these products have been pasteurized, which means any probiotics have been killed. If you are going to buy yogurt, for example, you need to look for a notice on the package that says it contains live cultures, otherwise, you will not be getting any probiotics in it.

If you are going to enjoy the benefits of probiotic foods, I recommend learning to make your own. I have tried to buy some of these foods, and they are hard to find with live cultures. And even if these probiotics were live at the time of packaging, they may not be live now.

Probiotic Foods - Probiotics Added to Foods

Along with synthetic vitamins, which are often toxic, manufacturers are now adding probiotics to foods. I would be careful about consuming these.

If you don't have the inclination to ferment your own foods, you can use another strategy to improve your digestive health. You can use prebiotics to help balance your digestive system. Prebiotics occur naturally in certain starchy foods, like onions, asparagus, berries, bananas and apples. Prebiotics stimulate the good bacteria in your digestive system. Prebiotics may have a positive affect on heart health, osteoporosis and diabetes, along with strengthening your immune system.

To eliminate symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, acid reflux, and other problems, you can ferment your own probiotic foods. An easier way to accomplish the same goal is to use prebiotic supplements. Even with plenty of probiotics, you still need prebiotics to support the probiotics. And of course, decide now to eliminate some of those bad habits, like drinking ice-cold beverages with your meal, or eating when you are stressed out.

Candice J Hughes is an enthusiastic researcher of digestive health and natural products. Her research is available at http://www.prebiotic-supplements.com/. If you have indigestion, bloating, acid reflux, constipation or other symptoms of poor digestive health, including conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Crohn's disease, visit http://www.prebiotic-supplements.com/ now to learn about the product Candice recommends.

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Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic Esophagitis is an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus which causes excess eosinophils- also known as white blood cells. It can be caused by frequent acid reflux, allergies, radiation, medications that can get stuck in the esophagus, bacteria, fungi, and viruses such as candida and the herpes simplex virus. In most people, the cause of their Eosinophilic Esophagitis is an allergic reaction due to the fact that white blood cells play a large role in the inflammation caused by allergens. Doctors and researchers do not yet know how the allergic reaction in the esophagus occurs- whether it is by an inhaled substance or an ingested substance that the patient possesses an allergy to. The symptoms of this condition in adults include heartburn, dysphagia (trouble swallowing often due to narrowing of the esophagus), chest pain, and nausea. Vomiting, abdominal pain, and failure to thrive are the most commonly seen symptoms in adolescent patients. Although Eosinophilic Esophagitis is a newly recognized condition, it is extremely vital that doctors diagnose and treat it due to the fact that it can result in scarring, impaired functioning of the esophagus, esophageal cancer, and a great deal of pain.

Once symptoms are displayed, testing must be done to confirm the presence of excess eosinophils. The only way to check for Eosinophilic Esophagitis involves an endoscopy procedure. To perform this procedure the patient is placed under anesthesia and a flexible, lighted endoscope with a camera is inserted through the mouth of the patient. The tube then travels down the esophagus, into the stomach, and into the first part of the small intestine- the duodenum. Tissue samples are then taken from the lining of the esophagus and are sent to a lab to examine for the presence of excess eosinophils. If the results come back positive, allergy skin testing is commonly the next step to take. Eliminating foods and other things that the patient is allergic to is highly important. Once the cause is established, treatment must begin to avoid permanent damage. Short term use of oral or inhaled steroids has proven to be extremely effective. For Eosinophilic Esophagitis caused by fungi, viruses, or bacteria, medication is prescribed to clear up the issue. Proton pump inhibitors are also utilized in preventing esophageal scarring by controlling excess stomach acid production. Additional monitoring including repeat endoscopies is also necessary to make sure that the condition does not return. With a combination of avoiding triggers such as allergens, taking medication, and living a healthy lifestyle, Eosinophilic Esophagitis can be quite manageable.

For information on family health and nutrition topics visit http://www.myfamilyplate.com/

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