Necessary Probiotics

The word ‘Probiotics’ means ‘for life’ and has been used for centuries as a natural health promoter, which exerts health effects beyond inherent basic nutrition.

Vast research has been conducted, where Probiotics has emerged as a valuable tool in both human and veterinary medicine, used rather as a preventative medicine than as a disease therapy.

True Probiotics require more than just a few lactic acid bacteria or yeast cultures as its contents, but should rather contain many stains of various beneficial living micro-organisms. Products should be researched before choosing an ‘off the shelf’ Probiotic. Related products can contain Saccharomyces culture (bakers yeast), though often packaged live, the survivability of these culture are very short and should be a major factor to consider, before selecting a specific Probiotic product.

Broad spectrum antibiotics, certain anti-parasitic chemicals, Chlorine content in drinking water and stress to a large degree, devastate the beneficial microbial gut population, thus resulting in detrimental health effects to both humans and animals alike.

Recent findings prove that Probiotics stimulate immunity, creating many more areas of potential benefit and not only have the affect to balance gut flora, but can also positively influence diseases which occur in tissues other than the intestinal tract.

Scientific evidence suggests that Probiotic supplementation will:

  • Stabilize the digestive system, thereby reducing the risk of colic’s, laminitis and gastric ulceration.- Improved digestion, resulting in quicker weight gain, maintenance and improved weight recovery after strenuous activity.
  • Increase feed conversion efficiency by up to 24%, enhancing growth, general health and well being.
  • Increase the availability of nutrients, thereby fully utilising the intake of nutrients and enhancing the immunity system enabling it to better fight off disease.

There is no published evidence that oral use of Probiotic supplementation is unsafe and it is recommended for use, by the World Health Organization.

Research has further shown that to reap the maximum benefit of animal supplementation, it should be done on a consistent basis, thus added to the feed as a long term program. In periods of high stress or anti biotic use, daily doses could be doubled up, with the concept being to thereby replace destroyed beneficial bacteria on a day to day basis.