Why are probiotics essential for life?

What are probiotics and why do we need them?

Probiotics are natural antibiotics (such as propolis or garlic, for example). We must know that probiotics are protective substances that stop the growth of harmful bacteria through a production process that is producing lactic acid or hydrogen peroxide. Probiotics support our immune system and strengthens our bodies to fend off diseases. Worldwide, more than one million people die annually due to food poisoning that affects faster a body with a weak immune system. Many of us don’t know what probiotics are but we know that yogurt, kefir or pickles are healthy. We recommend eating more yogurt and pickles because they have a high content of probiotics.

The friendly bacteria that are responsible for the main healthy fermentation processes in the colon are called probiotics (pro-life). Certain fiber contained in foods, called prebiotics help probiotics bacteria to act beneficial to our bodies.

Probiotics not only act on the pathogenic bacteria, but helps strengthen the immune system. Countless studies show that different types of beneficial bacteria help the growth power of the immune system. Probiotics are helpful in the treatment of infections caused by viruses, parasites and fungi such as Candida albicans, responsible for Candida stomatitis.

Inside your body there are 20 times more bacteria than living cells. There are beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria or pathogens that cause infections or produce toxic substances that contribute to inflammation or cancer especially in the digestive tract. The beneficial bacteria belong mainly to the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria families and they greatly help keeping harmful bacteria under control. Eating foods rich in beneficial bacteria brins many benefits to your health.

Probiotics, either in the form of fermented foods or as supplements should be taken daily to prevent illnesses or to help us quickly recover after a health problem such as food poisoning. More and more studies have shown that healthy benefits of fermented products and therefore they are recommended in the daily diet of all people.

Here are the foods with a high probiotic content:

– Yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir
– Sauerkraut, pickles, fruit
– Tofu, soy yogurt
– Wine

Related reading: Yogurt Diet – The Most Used Diet In The World

The beneficial bacteria (such as the ones contain in yogurt or kefir the) may obtain vitamins by converting lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid that makes the digestive tract to become more active, stopping the disease-causing microbes.

Yogurt that contains probiotics can help you control H. pylori, according to a study published in September 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In this study, 48 adult volunteers infected with H. pylori had eaten yoghurt containing two types of probiotics, Lactobaciullus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis twice a day after main meals for 6 weeks, while other 11 adults received a placebo based on milk. After 8 weeks, the subjects were tested with the C-urea breath test which measures the amount of urease, an enzyme used by H. pylori to enter and infect the stomach lining. Subjects who ate yogurt that contained probiotics were healthy and H. pylori activity was suppressed effectively.

“Sauerkraut, for example, retains its anti-cancer compounds, liver protective compounds and antioxidants. In addition, due to high content of natural vitamin C – to 60 milligrams per cup, cabbage has an antioxidant effect, enhanced with vitamins A and E, the minerals zinc, magnesium, potassium and calcium, strengthening the immune system and resistance to viruses, including the various forms of influenza. According to the expert, the food is suitable for persons with dysbiosis, a condition caused by treatment with synthesis antibiotics, because it restores the intestinal micro flora and combats the immunosuppressive effect of these drugs. “Sauerkraut, although it is poor in terms of calories, only 20 calories per cup, it has a high fiber content which causes rapid onset of satiety state”, adds the nutrition specialist.

Furthermore, studies show that this food is recommended for women at menopause because it stimulates the secretion of estrogen hormones and increases their sensitivity, alleviating symptoms such as hot flushes and nervousness.

Probiotics help us recover faster in the event of health problems such as:

– Infections, especially inflammation of the throat, thrush or urinary infections
– Food poisoning or traveler’s diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
– Inflammation of the bowel, such as Crohn’s disease or colitis
– Cancer, especially bowel or stomach cancer
– Constipation, indigestion or other digestive disorders
– After surgery, prolonged stress or antibiotic treatment

The importance of probiotics has been highlighted for the first time in 1907 by Metchnikoff, Nobel laureate, who worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and was impressed by the health, strength and longevity of Bulgarian peasants who had the habit of drinking buttermilk. Today, probiotics are found in capsule form so that we can consume them easily in terms of modern living in which there is no time for a diversified diet.

Source: Healthybomb.com