A simple way to slash bone loss in HALF

Not all bacteria are bad. 

In fact, many are essential to good health. And they thrive in our all-important gut microbiome.  

That’s why supporting your gut’s health is vital… because when your gut is healthy, your whole body reaps the rewards.  

Of course, many people only associate good gut health with proper digestion. But what if I told you naturally occurring friendly flora can help BOOST your bone health? 

Well, that’s exactly what this new research shows… 

Boost bone density with good bacteria 

Researchers at Emory University gave lab mice a supplement of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (or “friendly bacteria”) for four weeks. And they found that this probiotic boosted the production of a metabolite called butyrate.  

Butyrate is a key inflammation-fighter and cancer preventer. But as it turns out, it also triggers the release of bone-building proteins within marrow. (At least, in mice.) 

As you know, I don’t usually write about animal studies. But there are exceptions to every rule—and this is one of them, thanks to a different double-blind, randomized study that has also made the rounds… 

Swedish researchers gave nearly 100 older women (with an average age of 76 years) a probiotic powder featuring a strain of Lactobacillus reuteri (bacteria with ties to good health) or a placebo every day for a full year. CT scans were used to measure the bone density of subjects’ lower legs at the beginning and end of the study.

And guess what?  

By the end of the trial period, women in the placebo group LOST double the amount of bone as their counterparts who took the probiotic powder. So, clearly, probiotics offer a protective, potentially lifesaving perk when it comes to bone health. And unlike prescription drugs, they don’t come with any serious adverse side effects.     

Picking the right probiotic 

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the role that your microbiome plays in bone health. Because while this latest study identified one potential way the two intertwine, the connection is almost certainly more complex.  

But the takeaway here doesn’t have to be challenging. In fact, the most important thing to do to reap many health rewards is this: Achieve the right balance of bacteria in your gut.  

Even though this latest research featured a singular bacterial strain—microbiome diversity is key. That’s why you should look for products with multiple strains of probiotics…to gain the maximum benefit. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to probiotics. Many products will try to “WOW” you with the number of colony-forming units (CFUs) they deliver. But billions of CFUs are not good for you. In fact, ingesting too many of any ONE type of bacteria can trigger an autoimmune response and wreak havoc in your body. (That’s why, yet again, multiple strains of friendly flora are better than overall CFUs.)  

Finally, you want to choose a probiotic that also contains prebiotics, which are basically “food” for probiotics, and postbiotics. All three components are instrumental in helping your body’s good bacteria thrive. 

To read more about how the microbiome can benefit other facets of your health and well-being, check out the October 2018 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“The key to good health lives in your gut”). Subscribers have access to that article and more in my archives. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to become one! 

Source: 

“Probiotics can protect the skeletons of older women.” Science Daily, 06/21/2018. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180621101329.htm)