The digestive system is home to trillions of micro organisms colonising the gut making an amazing ecosystem all living together in harmony called the gut flora. A healthy adult has about 2kg of these bacteria in the gut. All these bacteria live in a highly organised micro-world with certain species predominating and controlling others. They play a number of vital roles in the body and without them we probably would not survive. The more modern day science advances, the more we learn about human health. It is absolutely imperative that we take care of our gut flora, as an abnormal or damaged gut flora is the main root cause of all disease today. By taking care of our gut flora we may prevent or even reverse diseases like: heart disease, auto immune diseases, allergies or even cancer to name but a few.

Essential or beneficial flora: These bacteria are referred to as our indigenous friendly bacteria. The main members of this group are: Bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum), Lactobacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus),   Propionobacteria, Peptostreptococci and Enterococci. Beneficial flora is made up of beneficial or good bacteria also called probiotic. They are the housekeepers of the gut, without them your gut cannot be healthy. These bacteria fulfil a myriad of vital functions in the body. The whole surface of the digestive system in a healthy gut flora is covered and dominated by beneficial bacteria. In a healthy body these beneficial bacteria predominate and control all other microbes. The beneficial bacteria provide a natural barrier and protects us against all sorts of invaders, bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses, toxins etc. that are in our food and drink that we ingest every day. Apart from providing us with a physical barrier the beneficial bacteria produce antibiotic like substances that are anti fungal, anti viral that dissolve viruses and 'bad' bacteria. They also reduce pH near the wall of the gut making it uninhabitable for the 'bad' bacteria to colonise.

Opportunistic flora: This is a large group of various microbes these are: Bacteriods, Peptococci, Staphylococci, Streptococci, Bacilli, Clostridia, Yeasts, Enterobacteria, Fuzobacteria, Eubacteria, catenobacteria, and many others. There are around 500 various species of microbes known to science so far, which can be found in the gut. In a healthy person their numbers are limited and are tightly controlled by the beneficial flora. Each of these microbes is capable of causing various health problems if they get out of control.

Transitional flora: These are various microbes, which we daily swallow with food and drink. When the gut is well protected by the beneficial bacteria, this group of microbes pass through our digestive tract without doing any harm, but if the population of the beneficial flora is damaged and not functioning well this group of microbes can cause disease.

The beneficial bacteria take part in our digestion and absorption of our food, they produce a number of enzymes that break down proteins, carbohydrates, fibre and fats. They produce various substances that transport vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from our food that we eat and maybe supplements that we take, through the gut wall that is then absorbed into our blood stream to nourish our body. Some nutrients are short lived in the body so for this reason they can actively synthesise a number of nutrients that are essential for us: vitamin k2 (menaquinone), B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, pantothenic acid and some amino acids. So without a good healthy gut flora your body will be deficient in nutrients, they will simply not be made or absorbed properly.

We inherit or acquire our gut flora from our mother at birth. Through the birth canal a baby swallows its first mouthfuls of bacteria, it then settles in the baby's sterile gut and becomes gut flora. Breast feeding is another way mum passes her gut flora to her baby. So what ever lives in mums digestive system become the baby's digestive system. Bottle fed babies acquire completely different gut flora than those that are breast fed.

There are many factors today that damage the beneficial gut flora. Antibiotics and penicillin have a devastating affect on beneficial bacteria not only in the gut but in other organs and tissues as well. It takes between 4 to 8 weeks depending on the species of beneficial bacteria to re-establish in the gut. This gives a window of opportunity for the bad bacteria, the disease causing bacteria, viruses and fungi to establish themselves on the gut wall. The contraception pill, prolonged stress, dentistry work and exposure to toxic substances all damage our friendly bacteria. Diet has a large impact on the gut flora. Convenient processed foods effects the gut flora. Drinking milk and eating meat from animals that are routinely given antibiotics, steroids and other drugs damage the gut flora, eat only organic milk and meat.Too much sugar foods and processed carbohydrates increase the number and create a habitat for a number of different fungi. Processed and sugar carbohydrates (white bread, cakes, biscuits, pastries, and pasta) also promote population of the gut with worms and other parasites.

The beneficial gut flora plays a crucial role in our immune system, by keeping the body's immunity active and up to its job. Around 83% of our immunity is located in the gut wall. Nearly all disease can be traced back to a damaged or an abnormal gut flora. The gut flora keeps two arms in the immune system in balance and encourages the immune system to respond appropriately to 'bad' microbes. The first arm say is responsible for what we are exposed to in our environment. The air that we breathe has a number of things like chemicals, dust, pollen, animal hair etc. that settles on our mucus membrane and passes on into the gut and also the chemicals and bad bacteria in the foods. So when the gut flora is damaged, the microbes (the 'bad' bacteria) are able to break through the gut wall, it becomes what is called a leaky gut. The immune system becomes less efficient and starts letting in unwanted microbes and toxins through the gut wall then into our bodies. The second arm of your immune system will try and compensate for the first arm and will become hyperactive. The second arm of your immune system is responsible for allergic type reactions. So a person's body starts reacting in an allergic way, asthma, hay fever, allergies to dust, animals, and to food and so on. It is also the root cause of autoimmune diseases. The most common examples include: Coeliac disease, Multiple sclerosis (MS), Graves' disease, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and so on. The body cannot thrive without a well functioning gut flora. It is essential that we take care of our gut as it holds the roots to our health.

So how do we take care of our gut flora?
Take probiotic supplements on a daily on going basis. By taking care of your gut flora you will avoid our modern day diseases. Eat fermented foods as they are full of our friendly bacteria, like sauerkraut to mention one. This was the way that unknown to ourselves, we looked after our gut flora before the refrigerator was invented. There are many books out there with recipes on fermenting food. Avoid taking antibiotics and pharmaceutical drugs. Of course they are necessary some times, so when you do have to take them, take a good quality probiotic supplement especially during and after for a few weeks. Avoid processed foods, sugar and man made chemicals as these will not help your gut flora to stay healthy. We at Purenewyou.com offer one of the strongest probiotics on the market today, which consists of the most powerful species of the beneficial bacteria. Our probiotic is made by Neways and was formulated by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride who is world renowned for her fascinating work and studies on the digestive system. Some of the information above is with reference to her work.

How and when do I take the Neways Probiotic?
The Neways probiotic that we offer on this web site for best results when replenishing the gut flora, is to take them first thing in the morning with only water 30 minutes prior to breakfast or last thing at night just before bedtime, as this is the time that your stomach acids are at their lowest
For an adult: If you have never or recently taken a probiotic you should start gradually with no more than one a day for about five days, then you can take between two and four a day.
For children: half the dose of an adult. You can also open a capsule and dissolve a small amount, in maybe 30 mls. of cold water.

To buy Neways probiotic click here for link to our product page

Recommendations for treating:
Autoimmune diseases, heart disease, eczema and allergies: A therapeutic dose would be recommended to re-establish the beneficial bacteria back on to the gut wall. Start gradually with no more than one of Neways probiotic capsules a day for about five days, then up the dose to two a day for the next five days, then three a day for five days, then four a day for five days until you reach eight a day. Eight a day must be taken every day for a minimum of three to six months. Then drop back to the standard dose of two to four a day there after. For children under the age of twelve half the above dose

Probiotics are also effective in treating:
Vaginal Thrush: Insert 2 Neways probiotic capsules prior to bed time, by morning symptoms should be gone.
Ear Infection: Ear infections occur in the middle ear. The middle ear is protected by three mechanisms. The first are the tonsils located in the back of the throat protecting the entrance to the Eustachian tubes, which runs up into the middle ear. The second are the beneficial bacteria that populate the walls of the Eustachian tubes. The third is mucus that the body produces in its last ditch attempt in flushing infection or bad bacteria that has got passed the first two of its defences. By the over use of antibiotics the beneficial bacteria that line the Eustachian tube are wiped out, allowing easy passage for bad bacteria. The body in response can over produce mucus and in some cases can lead to glue ear. For those who are prone to ear infections, try using a probiotic. Open a Neways probiotic capsule and pour half the capsule under the tongue, this must be done just prior to sleep at bedtime. Do not drink or eat anything, as the probiotic must be the last thing in your mouth before sleeping. During the night when you are asleep the beneficial bacteria in the probiotic will gradually move down the throat and enter the Eustachian tube, thus re establishing it. Do this for a few consecutive nights every now and again.