MDR Bacteria

You may not yet be familiar with these initials, but will soon learn that MDR stands for

multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Due to the overuse of antibiotics, and over time natural selection, bacteria are mutating into forms that do not respond to even the most powerful medicinal antibiotics currently available. New, stronger drugs are in development, but often exhibit potentially severe adverse reactions for body functions. ref

One option does exist that might help limit the effects of MDR bacteria. While anti-biotics are responsible for indirectly generating MDR, the body has an arsenal of weapons to prevent the MDR bacteria taking hold and growing to sufficient numbers that can cause disease. The immune system needs to be at peak vigilence to find, make, and destroy MDR bacteria. One part of this immune system uses the good bacteria already in the body. These are called pro-biotic bacteria. Supplements of pro-biotic bacteria are available to aid the body's bacterial immune system. Literally, a war begins in your intestinal tract when MDR bacteria invade, often referred to as pathogenic bacteria to distinguish between the healthy and helpful bacteria. 

One important point needs to be clarified here. Some pathogenic bacteria naturally live in the body. But, they are at low numbers and stay controlled by the helpful bacteria. When certain conditions are generated in the body, usually from poor diets or added stress and illness, the resulting state starts to favor the growth of pathogenic bacteria over that of the helpful bacteria. This represents the start of many disease processes. And diseases, once established, further compromise the bacterial intestinal flora make up.

Not all probiotic bacteria exhibit the same degree of protective actions. You want to consume ones that have research showing benefits. These are usually the ones that include a strain code (letters and numbers) after the genius and species name. ex: Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14) article