We have an unusual problem in our modern world. Many of our people are malnourished and starving in the midst of unprecedented plenty. They aren’t starving in the traditional sense. They have plenty of food in their cupboards and they eat three (or more) meals every day. But they are starving because the foods they are consuming are so lacking in vital nutrients that their bodies can’t function properly. The result is a precipitous rise in many auto-immune, digestive, and degenerative diseases over the past few decades.
The same problems exist in our livestock populations. They are fed forage (hays and alfalfa), grain, silage, and many other variations, yet they still sicken and die at alarming rates. The problems in both people and animals are caused by poor nutrition, even in those who eat a seemingly good diet.
How do we have so much food and so little nutrition?
The problem begins in the soil.
Modern farming practices are mostly chemical based. They focus on a few gross elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, that produce the largest portions of the biomass, but they ignore most of the micro-nutrients and trace minerals that make up the majority of the nutrition. The result is lots of plants and lots of crops, but they are all malnourished and generally “empty.” Since the consumers of the crops are eating empty food, our bodies now lack the micro-nutrients and trace minerals too. As a result, the world is out of balance.
We can fix that!
What do probiotics have to do with poor soils?
It’s simple. Probiotics are the good bacteria and micro-flora that live in our digestive tracts (animal and human). As long as the good bacteria have proper nutrition (vitamins and minerals), they continue to flourish. Trace minerals are especially important because the trace minerals are the enzyme activators for the critical probiotic digestive processes that actually help our bodies absorb the required nutrients from our food. Without the trace minerals, the enzymes don't work, so the probiotics can't work either.
When the probiotics stop working, the digestive system stops working, and the bad bacteria, the pathogens, start growing. Pathogens produce toxic compounds that actually kill or weaken our internal cells. Pathogens also don’t digest food properly, so undigested food is seen as a foreign substance that needs to be protected against. This triggers auto-immune reactions and now you have food allergies and other intestinal maladies.
Our weakened digestive system won’t provide the nutrients our bodies need, so we become more susceptible to other maladies, infections, and diseases (70-80 percent of our immune system is in the digestive tract). Doctors treat many of these problems with antibiotics, which in turn kill off good bacteria as well as bad, further reducing our probiotic balance and further weakening our immune system. It is a vicious cycle that just spirals downward unless we can take control of it.
So what do we do about it?
The best path is to continually replenish our probiotic reserves and nourish the good bacteria we do have. This can be done in many ways. Foods that are “cultured” or fermented are generally great sources of probiotics. Examples are yogurts (with active cultures), buttermilk, fermented cheeses, sourdough breads, fermented vegetables (unpasteurized sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, etc.), kefir, and others. Eating these foods regularly can add probiotics to our digestive systems and help maintain a positive balance. There are also probiotic supplements in many forms that can be taken to replenish significantly weakened systems as well as reinforcing healthy ones.
In addition to the probiotics, we need to supplement the trace minerals so the enzymes and microbes have the activators and nutrients they need to function properly. Since most foods don’t have these trace minerals any more (deficient soils), the best way to replenish is via supplements. It is also helpful to eat produce from your own garden, provided you are following good soil replenishment practices (we can help).
Bio Minerals Technologies has been solving these problems for livestock producers for over ten years. We provide Human Food Grade microbes and minerals to livestock operations that are used directly as probiotic supplements as well as being used to ferment forages and enhance other feeds. The results have been remarkable. We quickly see stronger animals, better nutrient absorption, better feed utilization (same weight gain, less feed), and generally better health. With a fully functioning digestive system, animals are less susceptible to disease, so antibiotic use is greatly diminished. Other environmental pathogens like e-coli are greatly reduced and even eliminated in feed lots, because probiotic microorganisms are in control. Farmers save money and animals are more productive and healthier. We have seen this same success with cattle, swine and poultry operations.
Some of our distributors and livestock producers have even started taking these probiotics and minerals themselves. For example, this past year at one distributor there were 6-8 people who dealt with digestive and/or stomach issues for years. They started taking the probiotic culture and liquid minerals and a year later they are all free of any stomach or digestive issues. People who were lactose and gluten intolerant are now drinking milk and eating bread, all because they created the right probiotic balance in their digestive systems.
Bio Minerals Technologies now has consumer packaged probiotics, with a critical blend of 12 different microbes. In addition to the probiotics, we have liquid mineral supplements with over 75 minerals, including trace minerals from A-Z. Supplement your healthy diet with our probiotics and minerals and see what a difference it makes in your life!
Bio Minerals Technologies also solves the nutrient deficiencies in the soils for many farmers. We help them reintroduce the biological foundation back into their soils along with trace mineral supplements so that the plants and crops have the nutrition they need to grow properly. Plants are healthier, disease diminishes, less fertilizer is required, and yields increase. As farmers produce crops that actually have the nutritional balance they are supposed to have, the animals that consume those crops continue to gain health. More nutritionally complete crops require fewer supplements at feeding time, with the added benefit of getting the nutrients in the form nature originally intended (which is how our systems work the best). The healthier crops and animals inserted into the human food chain also provide better nutrition for us, so we are healthier too.
Supplementing our probiotic balances and feeding them properly with the minerals they require will solve our malnutrition problems, heal many of our maladies, and restore health and vitality to our entire food chain.
Are you looking for better health in your food chain? Call us, we'll show you how.
You can also check out our Fermented Forage articles. Fermentation is a great way to cultivate probiotics for your livestock.