The Probiotic Diet and the Health Benefits of Probiotics

Probiotics are live cultures of bacteria that live in our digestive tract, in complete harmony with the rest of the body. Over the past 10 years, these bacteria did not cause any disease. They were studied carefully to highlight the role they play in regulating the immune system (they stimulate the production of immunoglobulin), the absorption of nutrients. They can also cause diarrhea in children and in adults. Unfortunately, the balance of the bacterial culture is sensitive and can easily be disrupted by factors like stress, antibiotics or contraceptives.

Most probiotics are produced by lactic acid fermentation processes and the best-known microorganisms used in the probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The probiotics concept is that, if positive bacteria are introduced into the digestive tract when the body is exposed to disease, or after treatment with powerful antibiotics (which destroy the intestinal flora and probiotics), the imbalance in the digestive system may be minimal. For example, intestinal flora needs 6 months to regenerate after 7 days of treatment with antibiotics. Instead, probiotics act like natural antibiotics, which do not disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive tract, but can inactivate dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella, E-coli, staph infections …

The health benefits of probiotics

1. They increase the bioavailability of proteins and fats in the diet by a complete digestion of these nutrients in the digestive tract, which is important for both adults and children.
2. Probiotics can prevent many health problems of different types (like diarrhea or constipation).
3. These beneficial micro-organisms can reduce inflammation and digestive hypersensitivity caused by food allergies (lactose, gluten, etc.).
4. They may help prevent liver degeneration caused by an inadequate diet.

When is the consumption of probiotics necessary? Ingestion of these microorganisms can be made both by food intake and by taking supplements and its purpose may be preventive or as a treatment. So a glass of fresh yogurt (with no sugar, fruit, cereals, seeds or other inserts in it) can be used for long periods of time for a balanced diet or to treat diarrhea resulted from a number of reasons: stress, consumption of antibiotics, infections, etc…

There are people who, although manifest a lactose intolerance can eat yogurt because the lactose (or milk sugar) ferments and is converted to lactic acid in yogurt. But people allergic to milk proteins can not consume yogurt. For them probiotics supplements are the simplest solution.

Foods that contain probiotics are usually natural, but can also be produced by well controlled processes that maintain live bacteria cultures after manufacturing the food. Yogurt, kefir, fresh cheese, cheese, baby formulas are just some examples of foods high in probiotics. Do not forget the health benefits of probiotics in terms of beauty. By their actions against constipation, probiotics help us eliminate waste and toxins from the body, which is reflected in a beautiful silhouette and a clean and young skin.