Table of Contents
Foreword Dr Vicente Mera Sánchez ix
Foreword Dr Jen W. Tan x
Acknowledgements and Thanks xi
Introduction 1
How Do You Know if You Need Probiotics? 10
Part 1 Getting the Balance Right
1 What Exactly are Probiotics? 21
2 Get Yourself a Good Gut Upgrade 35
3 Where Do They All Hang Out? 56
4 Prebiotics - Your Probiotic Support Group 68
5 Gas Guzzlers: the Health Benefits of Fermented Foods 80
6 Fabulous Fibre: How Getting it Right Could Save Your Life 88
7 Antibiotics - Friend or Foe? 105
8 Don't Pick Your Nose! The Scary Story of Superbugs 123
9 If You Do Nothing Else 141
Part 2 Probiotic Support for Particular Problems
10 How Disease Begins in the Gut: Dealing with Dysbiosis 149
11 Good Gut Bugs and Allergies 155
12 Body Odour or Bad Breath? 164
13 Cholesterol and Other Heart-disease Risk Factors 174
14 Colds, Flu and Respiratory Infections 187
15 Helping to Prevent Colon Cancer 192
16 How Often Do You Open Your Bowels? 199
17 Dealing with Diarrhoea 209
18 Irritable Bowel Syndrome 213
19 Good Gut Flora and Lactose Intolerance 218
20 The Ulcer Bug: Helicobacter Pylori 221
21 Probiotics for Bladder and Vaginal Health 226
22 Good Gut Bugs for Mums and Babies 238
23 Can Probiotics Help Other Gut Disorders? 244
24 Inflammation, Immunity and Probiotics 254
Part Three: Supplements and Safety
25 Choosing Probiotic Foods and Supplements 265
26 FAQs about Probiotics 273
27 Resources 282
Afterword 289
Sources of Reference 291
Index 301
