The amount of money Americans spend on probiotics has tripled over the last decade. It’s become a billion dollar business — as growing research shows this so-called “good bacteria” can make us healthier. All of us have trillions of bacteria — good and bad — in our stomach, but life can sometimes take a toll on the good stuff.

“When we’re under stress or take antibiotics or eat certain foods that we shouldn’t be eating all the time, then we destroy that natural good defense mechanism that we have,” said Dr. Linda McClintock, Medical Director of Age-less Medicine in Tampa.

Dr. McClintock encourages her patients to take probiotics to add good bacteria to their system. She’s seen it help with many conditions — from urinary tract infections, acid reflux, immunity and digestion. Her patient Rose Rosanelli says it worked for her. “I didn’t really have bloating. I didn’t have gas. I didn’t have the negative things that tend to go with when you’re not digesting properly,” said Rosanelli.

Probiotics have also been shown to help with certain skin conditions like acne, eczema and rosacea. Dermatologists are encouraged by early research. Click here to read more from the American Academy of Dermatology.

With the growing awareness of the benefits of probiotics in the US, we’re seeing more foods on the shelves promoting them. The key is fermented food — everything from pickles to sauerkraut and miso soup and yogurt – all good natural ways to get probiotics.

If you’re not eating enough pro-biotic foods, supplements packed with millions of friendly bacteria can offer similar benefits.

The next time you pick up some nice plump chicken or turkey breasts at the supermarket, labeled “All Natural,” look further and see if it is also “enhanced.”
Sounds good, right? Well, not so fast.

USDA regulations allow poultry suppliers to “enhance” their products with injections of salt and water and still call them “all natural.” This additional salt water does add flavor to the meat, and makes it look nice and plump, but at a cost to your health and budget.

Too much salt in your diet can be a serious detriment to your health. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the maximum recommended daily amount of sodium you should consume is no more than 2300 milligrams (that’s 2.3 grams) for healthy adults, and only 1500 milligrams of sodium if you are diabetic, have high blood pressure or kidney problems, or are African-American, middle aged or older.

A serving of “enhanced” poultry can have up to 540 milligrams of added salt. For a healthy young adult, that amounts to about 25% of your recommended maximum intake. For those in risk categories, it is 36% of your recommended allowance. Not noticing that the chicken thighs you have purchased (or consumed at a fast food restaurant) are already eating up much of your recommended maximum can easily lead to dangerous levels of sodium in your diet.

Hidden Salt in “All Natural“

Yet how many people know that “all natural” and “enhanced” chicken or turkey have these large amounts of hidden salt?

In addition, whatever price per pound you are paying for that poultry includes extra salt and water, about 15% of its total weight. It has been estimated that Americans are paying more than $2 billion per year for this salt water in their chicken consumption. Turkey is also often sold “enhanced,” adding more to this yearly cost to consumers for what is mostly water.

Only “organic” chicken and chicken that is not labeled “enhanced” do not have this injected salt.

So carefully look at that package of poultry you are thinking of buying. Is it “enhanced?” Can you afford the extra sodium in your diet? Does paying for all that salty water make sense?

There are other ways the poultry we eat is enhanced in one way or another. Over the past 80 years American full grown turkeys have increased from an average size of 13 pounds to 29 pounds, due to selective breading for bigger and bigger birds. All this growth, particularly in their breasts, has made it impossible for most full grown male turkeys to have sex with females, giving rise to the widespread need for artificial insemination of poultry. But that’s a whole ‘nuther story.

Human medications topped the list of pet toxins for the third year in a row, according to a new list released by the ASPCA. In 2020, the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline fielded more than 167,000 phone calls about pets exposed to common household toxins and other potentially poisonous substances.

Here are the 10 most common poisons that affected our furry friends last year. A few highlights of their findings include:

Accidental ingestion of human medications accounted for 25 percent of all calls to the ASPCA in 2010. The most common culprits included antidepressants and over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Approximately 20 percent of all calls concerned insecticides commonly used for flea control. Our feline friends are especially vulnerable to the misapplication of spot-on flea and tick products.

Baits used to kill mice and rats can be deadly if ingested by pets. Many rodenticides are grain-based, which attracts not only rodents, but dogs and cats, too, and can cause seizures, internal bleeding or kidney failure.

Some of the most delicious people food, including grapes, raisins and garlic, can be poisonous to pets. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, while onions and garlic can cause anemia if ingested in sufficient amounts.

Household plants may keep your house green and your air clean, but some can cause serious gastrointestinal problems for companion animals. Please visit our list of pet-safe plants before your next trip to the nursery.

If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, you’re advised to call your vet or the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline at (888) 426-4435. To read the complete list of the top 10 pet toxins of 2021, visit ASPCA online.