Lactobacillus acidophilus & Streptococcus thermophilus

YOGURT CULTURE

This is used in folk medicine and by some orthodox doctors to restore the microbial balance of the intestines when damaged by diarrhoea or antibiotic drugs.

Yogurt is milk that has been colonized by living bacteria, traditionally those listed above. Its modern association with good health follows reports of large scale consumption by eastern European communities who enjoy unusually long and active lives. Many orthodox doctors still dismiss the possibility of yogurt having any particular health value beyond the nutritional properties of the milk from which it is made. However, the amount of medical research into the importance of "friendly" bacteria in the digestive system is increasing. Most commercial yogurt companies have replaced the organisms L. acidophilus and S. thermophilus with ones less likely to survive the human digestive system, and many yogurts are pasteurized after manufacture, a heating process that kills bacteria. It is therefore important that live yogurt is used for medical purposes.

PARTS USED

Live yogurt made with traditional cultures.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Bacteria; B vitamins.

ACTIONS

Antidiarrhoeal; competes with harmful bacteria in intestines; nutrient.

MEDICINAL USE

The food value of yogurt is often beneficial for those who cannot tolerate ordinary milk. Live bacteria can help restore the microbial balance of the intestines after it has been destroyed by a bout of diarrhoea or a course of antibiotic drugs. Yogurt is also applied vaginally for thrush.

PREPARATIONS

Live fresh yogurt, tablets, powder.