What are probiotics and do we need them?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Probiotics are such a star among health products. Like Kim Kardashian. Everyone knows what a star is, and what he does is not clear. So probiotics, of course, are very useful. And prebiotics too (they are not even the same thing). So why are they useful and why? Let's see.

Probiotics

What are probiotics? This is the name of microorganisms, whose activity has a positive effect on the human body.

The definition is more than vague, and all because there are quite a lot of these probiotics. Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are actively investigated, each of these groups is full of strains of microorganisms. All of them, in one way or another, help us to live, work tirelessly for our benefit. They work for digestion, help absorb nutrients and minerals from food, produce vitamins B and K, protect us from harmful microbes, and for some, even have a positive effect on immunity.

What are they eaten with

There are two options for bacteria to enter the body. Either we eat foods that contain probiotics, or we take specialized medications. In their natural form, probiotics are found in fermented foods, and these are:

• sauerkraut and kimchi,
• pickles that were not prepared with vinegar,
• miso,
• yogurt,
• kefir,
• tempeh (Asian soybeans).

In order to achieve the high rank of probiotic, the product must meet several criteria: it must contain a lot of bifidobacteria or lactobacilli, which must be alive and will be able to reach the intestines in this form.

What is the problem? Firstly, the fact that beneficial bacteria must survive bathing in hydrochloric acid of the stomach, and then also the effect of enzymes in the small intestine, in order to do good in the large intestine.

How many tons of yogurt you need to eat for this is unknown. However, no one really knows how many tons of powders and tablets from the pharmacy need to be consumed.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are not the second name for bacteria, but the substances that bacteria feed on. And the more this "food" we have, the better bacteria grow, multiply and work.

Most probiotics like to eat fiber, starch and complex sugars. But not all fiber is worthy of a prebiotic. After all, the task of prebiotics is the same as that of probiotics: to get through most of the digestive tract without losing its properties.

What are they eaten with

For the best effect, prebiotic products should be eaten either raw or after minimal heat treatment, and this should be done regularly. You also need to monitor the freshness of vegetables. Vegetables that are just ripe or not yet ripe (like green bananas) work best. What else do you need to feed your little bacterial friends? Products such as:

• potato,
• bananas,
• asparagus,
• leek,
• onion,
• chicory salad,
• garlic,
• turnip.

And other "biotics"

It is already a little clearer why the same pharmaceutical preparations are not always able to help with problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Some have bacteria, but no nutrient medium. In some, the opposite is true: there is something to feed the probiotics, but the bacteria themselves are absent.

However, there are also synbiotics - these are products and preparations that contain both probiotics and prebiotics.

Among the products are fermented fiber, that is, sauerkraut, vegetables pickled without vinegar.

Is there any benefit

The main question: is it worth trying to somehow populate the intestines with these very bacteria in order to feel all the advantages of their work? You can try. Considering several factors.

We do not know the content of beneficial microorganisms in ordinary fermented food. And how much will get safe and sound to the intestines, one can only guess (most likely, there will be very few of them).

Even in products that indicate the number of living units contained, not everything can be perfect. Each probiotic has its own storage conditions, shelf life, and so on, so what is stated on the package may differ from what you eat.

In addition, different foods contain different bacteria, and therefore the effects of them differ.

With pharmaceutical preparations, it seems, the situation is simpler. But it only seems.

There is still a lot of research to be done on probiotics. Most tests are carried out with a small sample (that is, several dozen people are involved in the research), the effect of one bacterium is studied. The results are beneficial, but not always and everywhere.

In addition, probiotics from a pharmacy are the same live bacteria as in yogurt and cabbage, that is, most will not survive to the intestines.

Output

After all, we already know that kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut are useful, that you need to eat more vegetables and fruits. Every time you decide what to eat: sausage or fruit and yogurt salad - remember that you need more probiotics and prebiotics. And all will be well.