Probiotics, Healthy Planting for Immunity

PROBIOTICS, Healthy Planting for Immunity 

There’s a whole lot of activity going on hidden inside your gastrointestinal (GI) tract Once a mystery, this microbiome of trillions of microorganisms exists to perform multiple tasks beyond digestion and elimination. Along came the Microbiome Project to map the DNA sequences. Scientists learned what the DNA in those tiny GI organisms were programming the cell to do, how they do it and their interactions within the microbiome. It was a giant undertaking since there are more than 500 different microorganisms! That is like trying to know your 500 neighbors, their kids, grandkids and so on! What did they find? It gets a bit complicated to explain but here goes! 
 
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Probiotics Improve Cognition for Fibromyalgia

Can a probiotic help you think if you have fibromyalgia, a disorder known for its cognitive issues? Perhaps so says a new study.

As probiotics continue to gain their deserved recognition in helping to alleviate and mitigate various issues originating in the GI tract, they are now also being considered for therapeutic use for a range of other conditions. It appears that this enteric system with a "brain" of its own has more influence over brain processes – which include thinking – than previously believed. For instance much of our neurotransmitters are manufactured in the GI tract. This fact alone means your GI health is linked to the health of your brain and nervous system.

With this knowledge in mind, a team of researchers in Spain hypothesized that fibromyalgia (FM) may benefit from probiotics, stating their use "might be a new treatment that could improve the physical, psychological and cognitive state in FM."
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Why Gluten Free Supplements & Skin Care?

Loaves of BreadEver get questioned why you are gluten free? I get asked a lot, often accompanied by a look that suggests I am being health obsessive. For instance, when I won't eat a salad that is served with "only a few croutons" crowning the lettuce. People have no idea how I would love to eat that crouton! Unfortunately for me, it's a medical necessity to avoid gluten as I was diagnosed celiac several years ago. And I've been sleuthing out gluten ever since. What I put in my mouth and what I put on my skin makes all the difference to my health.

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The Best Time to Take Your Probiotics

MorningLong before the media was a buzz of ads about why you need a probiotic, naturopathic doctors knew the value of an optimally functioning GI tract for immunity and a host of other health benefits. Your GI tract is teeming with billions of organisms (friendly bacteria species) which help you make and absorb vitamins and minerals, form natural killer cells to fight infection and of course, digest your food for the nutritional support your body needs on a daily basis. Everything is not all good down there in the dark!

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How to Determine Your Vitamin D3 Dose

Person shooting dart at targetVitamin D3 is a controversial supplement when it comes to knowing how much to take. Supplements are available in 400 IU to 5,000 IU amounts and even the experts have conflicting recommendations, adding to the confusion for consumers who wish to supplement. So how do you figure it out? A 2017 published Canadian study specifically looked at the factors which influenced D3 levels based on individual needs.

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