Health

One of the most difficult health challenges women face after giving birth is taking off those extra pounds. While a healthy diet and exercise are the key to loss of weight after pregnancy, a new study suggests that using probiotics during pregnancy may make the task of getting back into shape a little bit easier.

In this study which was carried out in Finland, it was shown that giving probiotic supplements to women during the first three months of pregnancy made loss of weight after pregnancy easier.

When women were given probiotics supplements during the first few months of pregnancy, they had a lower body fat percentage and less abdominal fat at the end of twelve months than women who were given a placebo.

This lower level of abdominal obesity is particularly important since excess abdominal fat has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

While this study was small, involving only 256 women, it provides encouraging preliminary evidence that giving probiotics to enhance loss of weight after childbirth could be a safe and effective way to help women shed those extra pounds that could increase the risk of chronic disease.

One issue that still needs to be addressed is how probiotics affect the health of the developing fetus, although experts believe the effect will be a positive one.

This is welcome news since many women experience difficulty losing weight after childbirth. With the demands of being a new mom, exercise can take a back seat to maternal obligations and the extra pregnancy weight and abdominal obesity can become a longer term health issue for some women.

Losing weight after childbirth can be a particular challenge for women who gained more than the recommended twenty-five to thirty-five pounds during pregnancy. Giving probiotic supplements during the first three months of pregnancy could make post pregnancy weight loss easier for busy, time strapped moms.

Most experts believe that probiotic supplements are safe to use during pregnancy. Some studies even show that using probiotics during pregnancy decreases the risk of allergies in the newborn and helps to prevent bacterial vaginosis, an infection associated with an increased risk of pre-term birth in pregnant women.

Although probiotic use during pregnancy is thought to be safe and even beneficial to both mom and baby, they should never be taken without medical guidance.

The bottom line? More research is needed to determine the exact role probiotics play in loss of weight after childbirth, but it appears that supplementing with these friendly bacteria may have benefits for both mom and baby.

Probiotics are foods with beneficial bacteria. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, probiotics are live microorganisms which produce significant health benefits.

Antibiotics can decrease the body’s beneficial bacteria, compromising the immune system. Ultimately, the good bacterium becomes weak, leaving the body vulnerable. The infectious bacteria will spread quicker than the good bacteria, making it difficult for the body to effectively fight off infection.

Beneficial bacteria are not as opposing as infectious bacteria, which is when these bacteria begin to undergo mutation because the body no longer has as much of the good bacteria. Antibiotics have become a prominent cause of bacterial infections and as we take more and more antibiotics, the good bacteria become more resistant, which is why probiotics are so important.

Probiotics can be very beneficial, especially to the digestive system. Typically, the digestive tract has several types of probiotic bacteria which helps control the development of harmful bacteria. Once they begin to decrease, harmful bacteria can take over.

The scientific community has taken a recent interest in probiotics and are researching their effectiveness in treating or preventing illnesses such as;

– Inflammation following colon surgery

– Childhood eczema

– Irritable bowel syndrome

– Bladder cancer recurrence

– Diarrhea as a result of antibiotic treatments

– Intestinal infections

– Urinary tract infections

– Vaginal yeast infections

Yogurt is the best known source for probiotics. Yeast is another good source, or one can opt for probiotic supplements. Probiotics were popular in Europe and Asia for several years while Americans chose supplements instead.

In America, it is mandatory that yogurt be made up of live cultures including, Streptococcus Thermo-philus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Nevertheless, some contain more than others so read the label before purchasing yogurt and make sure it contains active cultures. Several brands don’t list the cultures added.

The probiotic trend is running alongside the new diet based on the Bible called, “The Jesus Diet,” due in part to Dr. Don Colbert’s book, “What Would Jesus Eat?” Another is “The Maker’s Diet” by Jordan S. Rubin.

Rubin said the Savior drank goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk, suggesting that goat’s milk yogurt is more rich in probiotics and very healthy, especially with raw honey and berries.

However, keep in mind that dietary supplements can cause side effects, especially in combination with prescription or over-the-counter medications. Consult a physician before deciding on taking probiotics, or any other kind of supplement.

Most any kind of yogurt contains live cultures. For the average person, one to two containers a week should supply an ample supply of probiotics.