When looking for natural ways to maintain your health, there’s an important one to consider: Probiotics. In recent years, the benefits of probiotics have pushed doctors to recommend them and manufacturers to offer them in a wide variety of forms. The advantages of including them in your diet range from treatment to prevention of common ailments- many of which are common during pregnancy. At Mama Lounge, we provide services that promote healthy and comfortable pregnancies in addition to providing you with valuable information regarding natural treatment and supplements.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that occur naturally in the human body. They are essentially ‘good bacteria’ and their benefits in regulating intestinal and digestive functions, as well as providing many other advantages has been heavily supported.
Are they safe?
You may have concerns as to how healthy and safe consuming bacteria could be. After all, this term is often used within negative context as it relates to communicable illnesses and infections. However, your body contains and needs healthy bacteria in order to prevent aggressive bacteria from causing infection. Probiotics are natural way to increase this type of bacteria.
What are the advantages?
Digestive Health
Hundred of different types of bacteria exist within the digestive system, assisting in the breakdown of food and the body’s absorption of nutrients. Probiotic consumption has been linked to treatment of many hard-to-treat digestive issues including irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, and constipation. As many mamas and soon-to-be mamas are well aware, these conditions are very common during the early stages of pregnancy when the body is experiencing all sorts of bodily changes. Doing what you can to prevent these issues may eliminate the need to take medications that could carry more risk to you or your developing baby.
Immune System Health
A primary function of healthy bacteria is to stimulate immune response. It makes sense that probiotics would be beneficial in maintaining a healthy immune system considering that the majority of the immune system is located within the digestive system. Ensuring that this area is abundant in good bacteria increases your chances of stopping bad bacteria before it can cause harm.
Your baby’s health
Taking probiotics during pregnancy and after childbirth may be beneficial to your baby as well as yourself. Probiotics have been linked to reduced incidences of colic and diarrhea in infants as the supplements are passed along to your baby when breastfeeding. They are also believed to decrease the risk of various allergies, including eczema.
Where can I find them?
Probiotics are available in supplement form that can be picked up from your local San Francisco vitamin shop. They can also be found naturally in various foods. Some probiotic-rich foods that you may want to consider adding to your diet include:
- Yogurt
- Miso soup
- Sauerkraut
- Kefir
- Kimchi
- Tempeh
- Aged cheeses
- Kombucha- a form of fermented tea
Because various types and strains of probiotics are available, especially when it comes to supplements, you should talk with your healthcare provider about which ones will be most beneficial to your body. Also keep in mind that the specialists at our acupuncture clinic here at Mama Lounge of San Francisco can help ease your digestive issues in addition to probiotic use. Contact us today to learn more!
