Lactobacillus acidophilus:Yeah, it’s a mouthful

I’m adding a new archive category to the blog today: Health. In the years of ObamaMed, we’re going to need to take even better care of ourselves. Those doctor appointments you’ll be forced to pre-pay for are going to be harder than ever to come by.

I add a health category with trepidation. For one thing, I’m one of those lucky ones who’s been blessed with good genes and mostly inclined toward … well, at least moderately healthy habits. So I’ve been able to take health for granted. For another, there’s an excess of contradictory, sometimes bogus, sometimes self-interested health hype on the ‘Net and I’m reluctant to add to the flow.

I’m especially dubious about dietary supplements. On one hand, it makes sense that with our generally over-processed foods and fast-food habits we need them. On the other, I’ve bought dozens over the years (zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B “stress” complexes, Valerian root, vitamin D, butcher’s broom, glucosamine, etc.) and mostly ended up tossing half-empty bottles after observing no results.

But recently, somebody made a recommendation right here on this blog that’s been a life-changer.

Backstory: About to set out on my trip to Panama, I was paranoid about the don’t-drink-the-water in the Comarca de Kuna Yala (aka the San Blas Islands). Tap water most other places in Panama is fine, but not there — as we were well warned and as my traveling companion Lorri learned the hard way when she drank a glass of locally made Tang. I mean, you can travel with a cold or a headache, but if your guts give out on you, you’re in trouble.

I say I’m unusually healthy (knock wood). But I still have some of the standard aches and troubles. One is iffy digestion. When I was a kid, our family dinners had a habit of devolving into gut-wrenching screaming matches. By the time I was a teenager, my innards were a wreck — and I didn’t help matters by subsisting on a diet of chocolate bars and Cheerios. In my 20s, I started eating healthier. By my 30s, I started the long, slow process of de-stressing. Life gets better and better, but digestion remained my weak health point no matter what I did.

Then I asked advice about avoiding “la turista” and in that thread (which is full of outstanding information, BTW), a commenter named Keith offered the suggestion: lactobacillus acidophilus. Specifically, the chewable tablets. (See below.)

As I say, I’m dubious of dietary supplements. But because I was really paranoid about this subject, I rushed out and added a bottle to my arsenal of anti-crud preparations.

Well, I never got sick. Which may have been due to a number of factors, especially bottled water. But within just a day or two of starting to munch those tablets three times a day, I noticed something else: I was feeling outstanding. Even without “la turista” travel isn’t usually friendly to the digestion. Stress (like sitting all night stranded in an airport), dietary changes, general changes of habit … they all have a way of upsetting the works. But there I was, eating strange food, breaking all my usual habits, and my guts were feeling better than they ever had.

At first I dismissed that as an effect of vacation relaxation. But after a couple of weeks, the difference was undeniable. I never felt bloaty after meals. I could eat stuff that would normally get its revenge on me in the middle of the night and still sleep like a baby. Everything worked. The darned pills even taste good (unlike most chewables).

I’ve continued munching acidophilus tablets since I got back and … all I can say is “wow.” And thank you, Keith. Finally, after years of gradual and only partially successful health-betterment, I feel as if my digestive system works exactly as a digestive system is designed to — all because of this one little, inexpensive, tasty thing. Well, it would be nice if the body worked that way without the supplement. But such is life.

Can’t say that acidophilus lactobacillus will make that much of a difference for anybody else. Every body is different. But if your guts and you don’t always get along, it’s worth a try.

You can probably get acidophilus chewables locally (I found them even in my tiny nearby town). But here are some Amazon links, which may give you lower prices (even with shipping). In the name of full disclosure, I should say that I’ll make money if anybody buys (anything) through these links. But I hope you won’t begrudge me the 15 cents I’ll earn on a bottle of something that might just change your life.

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This is the exact type I got: Nature’s Bounty Chewable Acidophilus with bifidus, Natural Strawberry Flavor, 100 tablets

Here’s the same thing, higher price but with much cheaper shipping.

Here are all the acidophilus chewables Amazon offers.

And all the varieties of acidophilus on Amazon, chewable or otherwise.

Cheers.

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Oh, BTW, the is officially “Census Day.” It seems to have escaped the fedgov’s notice that they selected a rather bad — or maybe it’s poetically appropriate — day to encourage maximum submission by the unthinking.

Why, if I were into conspiracies, I might even think they chose the day on purpose as a snickering little message.