Listen up all you pregnant and breastfeeding moms who suffer from allergies, eczema, hay fever, or allergy-related asthma…a recent study shows if mom takes specific probiotics while pregnant and breastfeeding, baby’s risk of developing eczema during the first 24 months of life is significantly reduced.  That's great news!  There are literally hundreds of strains of probiotics and each have various functions.  The two strains shown effective in this particular study are Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum (1).  The good news is, this is not the first study to show a relationship between mom taking probiotics during pregnancy and baby’s reduced risk of allergy (2, 3).

Here’s how probiotics works:  Your gut is home to billions of bacteria, good and bad.  Probiotics colonize the intestines with good bacteria and ultimately keep the bad bacteria from multiplying.  When harmful bacteria take over, it is associated with a weakened immune response, possibly leading to the develop...

Question:  I've always struggled with bad breath.  Could a tongue scraper help?

Answer:

Tongue scrapers, which are available in most drugstores in various shapes and sizes, have been touted as a way to reduce or eliminate bad breath (halitosis).  You put the tongue scraper at the back of your tongue and bring it forward along your tongue, repeating as often as needed.

Research on the effectiveness of tongue scrapers is limited.  What has been published so far describes tongue scraping as temporarily effective for bad breath, but there's not enough evidence using a tongue scraper helps with ongoing (chronic) halitosis.  However, if you have a coated tongue, which can occur from an overgrowth of bacteria, tongue scraping may be helpful.  For instance, a coated tongue can be caused by smoking, dry mouth, poor oral hygiene or medication use.

Although there's no harm in trying a tongue scraper to treat bad breath, it's just as important to practice good dental hygiene overall:

• Brush your teeth ...

If you missed the xenoestrogens blog (Part 1) about Bisphenol A (BPA) and its health consequences, you can find it here.  BPA is everywhere.  More than likely, all of us are exposed to BPA fairly regularly.  Are there any diet-related remedies for eliminating this toxin already in our bodies?  There just may be!  PROBIOTICS!

Specific probiotics:  Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus casei are two beneficial bacterial strains shown to reduce intestinal absorption of BPA by carrying it out of your digestive system (1).  This is great news because consuming these probiotic strains may destroy the harmful effects of BPA.  These two strains can be found in both foods and supplements, depending on the supplement.

• Bifidobacteria breve  belongs to a group of bacteria called lactic acid bacteria.  Lactic acid bacteria are found in naturally fermented foods, kefir, and cheese.
• Lactobacillus casei  grows naturally in the human digestive system.  The bacteria help the digestive system operate prop...

Are you doing everything you can do to keep your immune system up to par?  Check out these top nutrition tips to stay healthy this cold and flu season:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C tops the list of immune boosters.  There has been more research about the immune boosting effects of Vitamin C than perhaps any other nutrient.  Vitamin C is available naturally in many fruits and vegetables.  Unlike most animals that produce their own Vitamin C, the human body does not synthesize any.  Vitamin C has substantial antiviral and antibacterial benefits though it's known for its protective aspects in creating host resistance.  The most abundant vitamin C foods are guava, papaya, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, orange, and grapefruit.

Probiotics

The live cultures found in yogurt, particularly Lactobaccilus and Bifidobacteria, may be beneficial in enhancing immunity. Having a healthy supply of gut flora increases a person's white blood cell production and activity.  They may also boost the immunity while taking...

What have you heard about probiotics?  Have you heard of healthy bacteria or good bacteria?  Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria or yeast) and, when consumed in adequate amounts, they offer a health benefit within your digestive tract.  This is especially important because nearly three-quarters of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, so without enough healthy bacteria, your health may suffer as a result.  Probiotics provide an additional tool to help your body protect itself and enhance immune function.

Ideally, there should be a balance of approximately 80% healthy bacteria and 20% harmful bacteria in your intestines.

Even children can benefit from probiotics’ immune boosting effects.  In a very interesting study of children 3 to 5 years old, children who took a probiotic 2x/day from November to May with combined Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis Bi-07 had 72% less fever, 62% less cough, and 59% less runny nose compared t...