I have been a regular user of probiotics for more than 20-years now, the main culprit for me was insufferable digestive problems.

Ever since I can remember I have had digestive problems that include indigestion or heartburn, acid reflux, a “nervous” stomach (if you have this you know what I mean, it seems any stress, anxiety or even excitement is felt first in your stomach).

In my 30’s it became so bad that I could not sleep at night, could barely exercise and had reached the point where I couldn’t eat anything except the most plain foods and drink water.

That’s when I sought the help of dozens of doctors, specialists and then, thankfully, the advice of a natural practitioner who suggested I had several problems including candida overgrowth, parasites, a leaky gut and certainly severe inflammation of my intestines.

So, after a few days of liver cleanse, some digestive enzymes (because I had very little GOOD enzymes left) and probiotics I was soon feeling better than I had ever felt before.

Since that time, I have had the odd relapse (when I eat way too much, get severely stressed or stay off of probiotics for too long), but mainly my life has changed unlike I ever could have expected.

So, I thought I was share 3 of the most common conditions that can be helped by probiotics.

1. Acid Reflux, Heartburn or Indigestion

This condition (or a variant of it) is an epidemic in the Western World.  The preceding generation’s dependence on antibiotics, commonality of processed foods and higher stress levels are all to blame for this epidemic.  The bottom line is that it is extremely common for our digestive system to become unbalanced where unfriendly bacteria such as candida overgrow the good bacteria resulting in inflamed intestines such that our stomach’s swell into our esophagus where the special flap that prevents acid from backing up our throat is compromised.  What you then get is a burning sensation of acid as it literally eats away at the cells and nerves in your esophagus.  Not only is this painful, it is dangerous as this condition also increases the chance of esophagus cancer – a growing reality in North America.

Luckily probiotics play a very important role in replacing good bacteria bringing health and stability back to your digestive system reducing and often eliminating the acid reflux that so many people suffer with daily.

2. Allergies

Increasingly we are finding out that allergies are temporary conditions (rather than permanent sensitivities that we are destined to put up with our entire lives).  Many allergies that hit us both early in life or later can be warded off with probiotics.  Recent studies have demonstrated that kids who have been exposed to probiotics as babies have a significantly smaller chance of suffering with common allergies such as peanut or berry allergies.  Another reason that probiotics should be part of your overall diet.

3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS)

Each of these conditions, while different, can often be the result of a dysfunctional liver, pancreas, lymphatic system and digestive system – all the result of an unhealthy gut often overgrown with bad bacteria unable to function properly allowing toxins to form and be transferred throughout or blood stream as well as our lymphatic system.  For many people, the symptoms hear range from general malaise and low energy to near flu-like symptoms that can even go as far as extreme diziness, muscle cramping/weakness/tingling and partial paralysis.  While there are other potential causes for these symptoms (and the reason you should consult with your physician) there are many, many situations like this where a week or two of probiotics significantly improves (and sometimes removes altogether) these very serious symptoms.

We have been through these conditions ourselves and know how frustrating and frightening it can be, often traditional medicine do not have answers but science is finally starting to show that probiotics can help with a healthy gut, keep allergies in check and maintain overall body health with optimal digestion, lymphatic function and immune system function.

Do you have one of these digestive conditions?  Have you tried probiotics?  Leave us a comment.