Probiotics to Support Urinary Health

Our immune system is constantly on standby, in all our organs, thanks to specialized cells. There are a total of 8 billion immune cells circulating in our body, notably in our skin envelope, around the respiratory tract, throughout our digestive system, etc..¹

Protective immune cells

Our digestive tract is colonized by a host of micro-organisms, bacteria, fungi, viruses and even parasites, since the environment is so favorable to their development. In fact, there are more of these cells than there are in our entire body.

Some bacteria have essential functions for our immunity, so the slightest imbalance in our intestinal flora can have consequences for our health and lead to illness. A disorder that at first manifests itself discreetly, and if nothing changes, worsens. In short, the balance of the intestinal microbiota (intestinal flora) is the source of 80% of our immunity. Immune cells present in the small intestine, appendix, colon, rectum and even the anal area..¹

Maintaining our immune defenses on a daily basis makes a difference. How do we look after this immunity to maintain this all-important balance? A diet rich in fruit and vegetables, good sources of protein and healthy fats all contribute to balancing our immune health..¹

Let's talk about "terrain

Let's talk about "terrain". Our "terrain", which boils down to our intrinsic resources that define our health. What state is our terrain in? Is it overloaded with the kind of waste that allows disorders to manifest themselves?

Claude Bernard, physician and physiologist, father of modern medicine, once said "the microbe is nothing, it's the terrain that's everything"..

Thus, the microbe is more likely to trigger an illness if it encounters a context favorable to its expression.

And what if the importance of this notion of terrain began with maintaining the intestinal bacterial flora in good condition, the source of our immunity? What would be the perfect food to encourage the bacteria of this resident flora?^{1, 4, 5}

The power of fermentation

The fermentation of food has existed since the dawn of time, and humans have learned to master this technique because of its many benefits for the digestive system.

Fermented foods are deeply rooted in culture and tradition:

• coffee and cocoa (Africa and the Americas)
• soy (misotempeh, natto) in Asia
• sauerkraut in Germany
• maca (maca chichi) in Peru
• baobab (mutchayan) in Africa
• milk (kefir), yoghurt in Europe

Fermentation is known to aid digestion, increase nutrient richness and enzyme content, strengthen the microbiota and thus support the immune system..^{10, 11}

Symbiotic Votre Flore from Living Alchemy

Fermentation starts a life process that the company Living Alchemy offers to transform and perfect the active ingredients in its "Symbiotique Votre Flore" range.

"Symbiotique Votre Flore from Living Alchemy is a range of organic products, produced in small batches using a long traditional fermentation process. This fermentation comes from a culture of organic fermented kefir-soy with diversified strains of therapeutic microorganisms (yeasts and bacteria). This provides natural probiotics and prebiotics, digestive enzymes and nutrients. 

The final step is cold lyophilization (dehydration) to preserve all this activated microorganism and nutrient life.

To preserve all this vitality, the products are encapsulated slowly.^{6, 7, 8, 9}

Your Flore Femme for women's specific needs

Your Flore Woman by Living Alchemy allows you to :

• Support the balance of vaginal flora
• Prevent urinary tract infections in acute and recurrent situations
• Maintain good intestinal and gastrointestinal health and healthy flora
• For women of all ages

Dried cranberry juice

Frequent use of antibiotics increases antibiotic resistance. When it comes to urinary tract infections, cranberries are by far the most sought-after berry. Its protective action prevents E. coli bacteria (responsible for urinary tract infections) from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract and proliferating. Proanthocyanidins are the antioxidants that give cranberries their protective properties.

Anecdote about cranberries: it was when Amerindians used cranberries to treat bladder disorders that settlers discovered their therapeutic effects, which were confirmed by science long afterwards..^{2, 3}

Roselle

Roselle, Latin for hibiscus sabdariffa, is a vitamin C-rich plant with powerful antioxidant properties. Its flowers contain anthocyanins, the pigments that give them their red color and protect cells against oxidative stress caused by free radicals.

It asepticizes the urinary tract through its diuretic properties, and thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, it is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. useful against urinary tract infections.⁸

Your Flore Homme for men's specific needs

Your Flore Man by Living Alchemy helps :

• Support prostate health
• Ensure urinary tract balance
• Maintain good intestinal and gastrointestinal health and healthy flora
• For men of all ages

Dried cranberry juice

As I said about the product Your Flore WomanCranberry, or atoca, prevents harmful bacteria from adhering to the bladder and prostate walls. Concentrated, sugar-free cranberry juice helps relieve urinary tract infections. Cranberries are rich in antioxidants: resveratrols, flavonoids including anthocyanins, quercetin and vitamins including A and C, and minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, etc.

Atoca is part of a long-standing culinary tradition in Quebec, where jams, pies and compotes were made and served with meats. Today, in our region, it is the subject of an important economic crop..^{2, 3}

Organic saw palmetto

The dwarf palm, as its name suggests, is a small tree (between 70 cm and 3 meters tall) that has long been used in traditional Amerindian medicine for prostate disorders. It is native to the southeastern coasts of the United States and Central America. In the past, the Semioles, the Amerindian peoples of the Florida region, used saw palmetto berries as a food source for treat urinary disorders in men.

Its benefits:

• Action on symptoms of urinary disorders
• Anti-inflammatory action for disorders such as prostate hyperplasia
• Reduced frequency of nocturnal urination
• 5-α-reductase enzyme inhibition

Testosterone is converted into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Several studies demonstrate the efficacy of saw palmetto extracts in inhibiting this enzyme (5-α-reductase) and thus reducing the symptoms of prostate hyperplasia.^{9, 12}

Living Alchemy's products are backed by research and innovation, and are a continuation of ancestral traditions.

About the author

Marie Couture, Certified Naturopath

Specialized in :

• Digestive disorders
•  Inflammation
• Hormonal problems
• Stress management

References :

1. Joyeux Pr. Henri, Joyeux Jean, Manger mieux et meilleur de 0 à 100 ans (in French only)Editions du Rocher, 2017, 326 pages

2. Le Gal Gérald, Aventure Sauvage de la cueillette à l'assietteLa nouvelle Éditions Marcel Broquet, 2011, 211 pages.

3. Schneider Anny, Native medicinal plantsLes éditions de l'homme, 2020, 265 pages
4. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Bernard

5. https://www.psychologies.com/Bien-etre/Medecines-douces/Se-soigner-autrement/Articles-et-Dossiers/Sante-cultivons-notre-terrain

6. https://livingalchemy.ca/fr/pages/your-flora-products

7. https://livingalchemy.ca/fr/pages/kefi-soy-advantages

8. https://livingalchemy.ca/fr/products/woman

9. https://livingalchemy.ca/fr/collections/mens-health

10. https://observatoire-des-aliments.fr/sante/aliments-fermentes-et-effets-probiotiques

11. https://www.medoucine.com/blog/cat/beaute-bien-etre/bien-etre/

12. https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Solutions/PlantesSupplements/Fiche.aspx?doc=palmier_nain_ps