Getting to The Guts of Good Health with LGG® Probiotics

A Healthy Microbiome = A Healthy Body

Do you experience:

Uncomfortable digestive symptoms or have you had antibiotics and ‘not been right’ since?

Eczema, allergies, hay fever or autoimmunity or do you want to reduce eczema and allergy in your children?

While these conditions affect your body in different ways, they have one thing in common – they are all influenced by the microbiome, the full complement of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, yeasts and their genes) that live in and on us. The balance of microbes in the gut (the gut microbiota) in particular plays an important role in the health of the whole body.

LGG® – The World’s Most Studied Probiotic

If you are aware of or interested in the microbiome and probiotics, you may have heard of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG®), simply because it is THE most researched probiotic in the world. For the uninitiated, probiotics are live microorganisms that when consumed, impact the microbiome and deliver health benefits to the person. Specific probiotic stains have different actions in the body, for example, LGG® plays an important role in maintaining or restoring function to the digestive tract and regulating immunity. Linda Cairns Integrative Practitioner and Naturopaths Gold Coast will prescribe the specific probiotic strain(s) best suited to your health condition.

Not All ‘GGs’ Are The Same

LGG® is a specific strain grown under stringent conditions. This ensures it maintains its unique structure which helps it work so well. Hair-like appendages called pili help LGG® adhere to the gut lining and have longer-lasting benefits. If not cultured correctly, L. rhamnosus may lack pili and be less potent than LGG®. Don’t settle for less. Always look for LGG® (with the registered symbol) to ensure you are getting the real thing!

LGG® Brings Balance to The Gut

Beneficial for digestive symptoms, LGG® and has been shown to balance the gut microbiota, increasing well-known species Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. LGG® helps restore the gut microbiota after illness or antibiotic use. There is evidence that other drugs may also detrimentally affect gut function and may also require probiotic support. LGG® also promotes production of short-chain fatty acids, the breakdown products of dietary fibre that feed good bacteria and helps heal the gut lining. Through these actions, LGG® can reduce inflammation in the body, helping with conditions as simple as diarrhoea and as complex as inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g. ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease).

LGG® – The Probiotic of Choice for Eczema and Allergy

When it comes to eczema prevention, LGG® is the probiotic of choice, with health benefits transferred from the mother to the child when taken during pregnancy and infancy. Healing and sealing the gut lining with LGG® can also reduce reactivity from food-borne triggers (e.g. gluten or dairy foods) that can contribute to eczema, hay fever, food allergy and other immune imbalances. In fact, there is some exciting research into LGG® helping to reduce peanut allergy. LGG® regulates immunity through the activity of cells called regulatory T lymphocytes, making LGG® beneficial for calming an overactive immune system often associated with allergy, as well as autoimmunity.

Your Diet Controls Your Microbiota

It’s important to remember that the composition of your gut microbiota is very sensitive to your diet. Aim to minimise highly refined and sugary foods which can encourage growth of bad bacteria in the gut. Instead, opt for eating fresh wholefoods, particularly those high in dietary fibre, such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables. These will feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut to help you and your microbiome to stay in the best of health.

Talk to our Gold Coast Holistic Health, Functional Medicine and Integrative Medicine Practitioner, nutritionist gold coast and Naturopaths Gold Coast about whether you require probiotics such as LGG® to improve your health and wellbeing. Call 07 5518 7608 today.