There are a lot of diets and supplements that make claims that they protect the body and/or fight off diseases. They claim “All you have to do is follow A and B and the chances of you getting a disease are very low”! Thinking about this today, there is one diet and one supplement that comes to mind.

Macrobiotics

Macrobiotics is a diet that combines Zen Buddhism with a vegetarian diet. The staple foods of macrobiotic diets are grains, mostly whole grains, which make up about 50%-55% of the macrobiotic diet.

After grains, vegetables are the next largest portion of the diet which makes up around 30%. To top off the diet, fish, nuts, and fruits will cover around 20% of the diet. The philosophy behind the macrobiotic diet is to achieve balance in a single individual.

Having the ability to achieve balance will increase your longevity. There is no scientific data that states a macrobiotic diet works. The risk and side effects are low for this type of diet. That said, there are risk of becoming deficient in vitamin D, B12, iron, calcium, and protein.

Probiotics

Probiotics have been around for a while and really became popular during the mid-90’s. Probiotics are totally different from macrobiotics in a couple of ways. With probiotics you are actually consuming or taking a supplement that contains live bacteria. The bacterium is not the harmful kind and will actually fight the bad bacteria and other intestinal diseases.

In some studies probiotics has been shown to ward off the relapse of Crohn’s disease, treat irritable bowel syndrome, and treat diarrhea. Probiotics can come in a pill form or can be found in foods such as yogurt. The verdict on Probiotics is that it may or may not work depending on the “bad bacteria” you are trying to kill. Since this is a supplement, you definitely will want to research and consult your doctor before using. Check both of these methods out and let me know what you think!

-Phil