We’re taught to get most of our nutrients from food but don’t just dismiss probiotics pills—just get professional advice before popping it
Photo by Ave Calvar/Unsplash+
Having celebrated my son’s fourth birthday a few days ago, I can’t help but look back at the day he was born. Despite being born healthy, heavy, and full-term, we had the greatest scare of our lives.
A few hours after my wife gave birth, we noticed he was having a hard time breathing. When we notified our doctors, they attributed it to having some fluid in his lungs. This can easily be attributed to the C-section procedure my wife underwent. Since he didn’t go through the vaginal canal, the water from his lungs wasn’t squeezed out during labor. He went through a standard cycle of antibiotics as a precaution just in case it turned out to be pneumonia.
This is where things took a turn for the worse. Although I believe in the importance of using antibiotics to heal and aid in recuperation, everything has its pros and cons. The antibiotics did eliminate the potentially harmful bacteria that threatened our baby; however, it also killed the healthy flora in his tummy. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem but we had certain complications.
The antibiotics did eliminate the potentially harmful bacteria that threatened our baby; however, it also killed the healthy flora in his tummy
My wife needed to pump since we couldn’t be in the Neonatal ICU 24/7. The easiest way to do this was to pump in the Lactation Unit. After all, that’s what it was for right? However, this certain “high-end” hospital was very lax in implementing a few safety measures.
Basically, whenever we sterilized our pump parts, anyone had access to the parts inside the sterilizer. Not everyone washed hands and after losing a few pump parts, we realized it wasn’t safe to pump there anymore. It was too late though as our baby developed an infection that was traced back to the milk my wife pumped. This could have easily been prevented if a nurse oversaw sterilization duties and access to clean/sterilized pump parts was limited. According to them, adding this “extra layer” would result in more manpower. They said they adhered to international safety standards and didn’t necessitate this extra step.
Setting my pretty obvious frustration aside, this story is for another time altogether. Just don’t count on me returning to that “high-end” hospital.
Going back to the topic, apparently, the infection might have been prevented if our baby’s gut was strong enough to battle the bad bacteria he ingested. This is where I realized how important probiotics are. In fact, after doing some research, I realized different cultures (pun intended) emphasized the same concept; things like yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, pickles, and atchara, are natural ways to improve your gut microbiome to possibly stave off sickness and infections.
A short list of possible benefits include improving digestion, controlling allergies, negating harmful bacteria and consequently preventing infections, supplementing healthy cell growth in the gut, encouraging better breakdown/absorption of medicine, and even the creation of vitamins.
It can be a little inconvenient to get your good bacteria through food though. Also, the bacteria you consume here might not be enough in diversity and quantity. One solution would be to take dedicated probiotics supplements to supercharge your gut.
After doing some research, I realized different cultures (pun intended) emphasized the same concept; things like yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, pickles, and atchara, are natural ways to improve your gut microbiome to possibly stave off sickness and infections
Personally, I find taking pills easier since they are protected by a capsule and consequently activate only when they reach your stomach. I consume two main kinds: Lifespace’s Broad Strength and Double Strength probiotics. There is an emphasis on the latter during periods of sickness or upset stomachs. Of course, there are alternatives such as the Erceflora vials you can purchase through your local drug store, and the ever popular Yakult drink we grew up with. But at the end of the day, it’s all about choosing what works for you.
