Vaginal birth, skin to skin, breastfeeding for long term health!

Put simply, a normal vaginal birth, with constant skin to skin contact and breastfeeding for an extended period has more benefits than even the most committed could have imagined! Rodney Dietert, Professor of Immunotoxicology, at Cornell University says that the bacteria with which we, as humans have a symbiotic relationship (also termed our “microbiome”), turns us into a “super organism”. New research into the critical role of that microbiome indicates that the manner in which we birth a baby has a profound impact on the microbiome's proper establishment and subsequently on the long term health of the individual. In short, the way in which a baby enters the world could be the major determining factor in whether he or she will enjoy a lifetime of good health or not. 

Martin Blaser, Head of The Human Microbiome Project at New York University 

confirms the one single fundamental factor that is driving humanity’s extraordinarily rapid decline into ill-health and chronic disease. Others such as Katrina Ray,  Acting Chief Editor of Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, asks “are we more microbe than man?”  Nature, The Weekly International Journal of Science talks of “Our Other Genome”, and both highlight what appears to lie at the heart of our global health crisis...the compromised health of our bacterial co-travellers!

Martin Blaser explains that while our own human cells number 10 trillion, the cells of the bacteria with which we co-exist number an astonishing 100 trillion and for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial and human cells have existed in peaceful symbiosis. This symbiotic relationship is responsible for the equilibrium and health of our bodies. Then enter the era of modern medicine and surgery, which brought with it the use of ever more powerful and frequent antibiotics, it brought the rise and rise of Caesarean sections and also the use of antiseptics and antibacterials, all accompanied by a significant loss of diversity in our miraculous bacterial ecosystem. In fact it is estimated that we have lost about 30 percent of the diversity of what constitutes ninety percent of our super-organism. 

Outnumbered 10:1 by microbial cells, we are also outnumbered 10:1 by the information-carrying material in that microbial DNA. Our microbial and human cells actually work intimately together, communicating across species to foster good health. At least that’s what happens with an optimally healthy microbiome. Conversely when the microbiome is compromised, health outcomes are too. Very simply, our ecosystem is degraded and our immune system never matures correctly. An optimally healthy microbiome does much more than digest our food. It is responsible for the integrity of the gut lining, for vitamin synthesis, for hormone balance, for energy metabolism (controlling our weight), neurotransmitter production, mental and emotional balance and much, much more and restoring and ensuring its optimal health and biodiversity is vital for the health of humankind. Restoring the health of the microbiome is #1 health-promoting activity whether you’re planning for conception or want to enjoy a healthy old age (or something in between). 

And Progurt is my choice of product for restoring the microorganisms you should have been born with. Progurt contains Human Probiotic Isolates™ (HPI ). These are probiotic strains identical to those found in a healthy human gut from birth, unlike other probiotics that contain animal and plant strains. They consist of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and Bifidobacteria including beneficial strains of Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Bifidus and S. Thermophilus. 

The beneficial effects of probiotics are attributed to the characteristics of specific strains. Probiotic strains must be resilient in order to survive in the intestinal tract in which they are dwelling. The probiotic stains must be able to withstand human stomach acid, in order to make it to the intestinal tract. They must also be able to withstand human intestinal fluids, and they must be able to colonize the human intestinal tract to exert their greatest benefits. Progurt’s unique formulation using multiple viable probiotic strains of Human Probiotic Isolates™ (HPI) makes it the logical choice if you're serious about your family's long-term health.