Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners. William Shakespeare said that. And if you have not guessed it by now, he was referring to the fact that we are in control of our lives. We are the gardeners of our body and we decide what things are right for our garden to be able to grow healthy and nourished. That leads us to the hype that everybody is talking about concerning Probiotics.
How much of the information is fabricated?
First, let us get a better understanding of what exactly probiotics are, this so-called ‘’good bacteria’’. We were taught from early school that the term bacteria refer to something that causes diseases and it is associated with degeneration of the human body. So how can bacteria be good for us? And furthermore, help us be healthy?
Probiotics are good live bacteria or yeast that can make our digestive system function better when our body is threatened by bad micro-organisms which can create serious illnesses in the long run. They are also highly beneficial for our body in general and can boost the immune system performance.
Scientist Elie Metchnikoff came up with the term probiotic in 1980 and discovered that Bulgarian citizens that consumed yogurt had a longer life expectancy due to microbes. Probiotics can be found in all sort of foods, from yogurt, sour pickles, kimchi, kefir and if you do not fancy any of them, you can get them into your body artificially from dietary supplements pills.
There are multiple types of micro-organisms that contain probiotics, but we can easily divide them into two broad classes:
- The first and most talked one are called lactobacillus. We can find 18 micro-organisms that are living mostly in the guts. All researchers established that the healthy bacteria is found especially in yogurt and other yeast goods. Moreover, they have concluded that different strains can help patients with dysentery or other gastrointestinal diseases. It is also stated that it is of great help to people that are unable to digest sucrose, a type of sugar that is present in almost everything we eat.
- The second one is Bifidobacterium, and it is related to the colon part of the human body and with eight micro-organisms that are present there. It was discovered that this type of bacteria can ease the symptoms of IBS(Irregular bowel system) and is mostly supplied by various milk products. So based on the facts concluded, it seems that probiotics not only promote the healthy balance in the digestive system but also assist our body in many ways.
Obesity – can we lose weight with probiotics?
The answer to this question is that there is the possibility of that happening. A healthy gut is a key factor for those trying to lose weight. With obese people, the findings of a study made in 2006 at Stanford University has shown that their intestinal flora is different that of a normal weighted people. So that means that obese people can have different gut bacteria and by giving them the right amount of probiotics, we can help them create a more stable environment for the intestinal flora to maintain its healthy state. Some recent studies have observed that obese people that turned to weight loss surgeries can keep their weight balanced with a regular dose of prescribed probiotics.
Probiotics and Immune System
Well, a lot, it is a major alias in destroying the bad bacteria that we come across our body and is harmful to us and can boost our immune system altogether as long as the intake of probiotics is a constant presence in our meals. These microorganisms are responsible for building a stronger immune system and helping us get back in shape.
Urinary tract infections – how does it work with Probiotics?
Urinary tract infections are common diseases that can impact the kidneys, the bladder and the tubes connected to them and are occurring mainly to women. They are treated with antibiotics which can destroy the healthy yeast from the body. That is why most doctors also prescribe probiotic to take along with the antibiotics for the recovery to be complete.
Allergies – how can we control them?
Studies have concluded that allergies caused by various allergic agents i.e. micro-organisms can be beaten with a little help from probiotics. They can improve the condition of a person suffering from fungus infections, eczema, bronchitis or rashes. However, the results differ from person to person and the result is not 100 % certain that it will work. More tests need to be done on that.
Digestive Health – how can it be enhanced with Probiotics?
Probiotics help with transporting food to our stomach; the digestive area includes more than 1000 thousand bacteria that crack the food to absorb and assimilate the nutrients. They are known to comfort the signs of IBS(Irregular bowel syndrome) that are the main factor causing cramping, tummy aches, ballooning, constipation, the skitters, and other gut pains. We see very often that a person taking too many antibiotics to destroy the bad bacteria can be unaware of the risks of also killing the good ones.
That is the result of many gastrointestinal infections. A recent survey indicated that about 30% people are affected by diarrhea and other medical disorders after taking antibiotics on an extended period. That is why most doctors are aware of this issue, and they are also prescribing probiotics to help repopulate the good bacteria inside the gut flora.
Children and probiotics- how safe are for them to use?
When it come to giving children probiotics, most women would agree that it is safe for them to use. They do not have any signifying side effects and are considered a great help in infants suffering from colics and are beneficial for treating eczema, allergies, and/or asthma. But we should not let ourselves be deceived: all studies were done on healthy children so we cannot guarantee that the effect will be the same for all of them.
Probiotic Lies
Although we live in an era where almost every information is available online, people are still skeptical when the usage of probiotics comes in question. The confusion surrounding this was brought up because many individuals have encountered different experiences when using probiotics. We are bombarded with a lot of food supplements, milk products that give you hope and faith in their beneficial effects. But in reality, there is a thin line between what it promises and what it delivers since producers are promoting probiotics supplement without actually having absolute proof of the value of bacteria to be used to treat diseases and gut issues. So, now for a new probiotic user, it has become very complicated of knowing what probiotics to use and choose correctly the ones that stand out from the rest.
The manufacturers are trying to sell as much as possible and can deceive their buyers by fabricating a lot of stories concerning probiotic usage. So many questions are left unanswered mainly because this is still a relatively unknown territory for medical science to have a clear opinion. The minds of individuals are puzzled by the idea of how healthy and beneficial the supplements are and what value of the good bacteria must be used for the person to be healed.
Probiotic Myths
If you have seen one supplement, you have seen them all because they are all the same
Our gastrointestinal tract is the home of thousands of bacteria or yeasts and contains different strains of good bacteria. So that means each and every one of us is built unique and cannot be treated the same as the other. The same fact applies when the same illness is occurring in different patients. It can vary from one to another. A good solution to this would be for a combination of probiotics to be prescribed that contains various strains of the good bacteria.
Probiotics need to be stored in a cold place
There is still a lot of misconception regarding the storing place of probiotics. Some people are stating that if they are not kept in a cold place like a fridge, the live microorganism will surely perish. However the need to refrigerate a probiotic may vary from one product to another and the issue can simply be resolved by just reading the label of the product.It should say there where exactly to keep the probiotic and under what conditions for it not to lose its purpose. The myth that all probiotics must be kept in a refrigerator can still be found in most users.
What we read on the label of foods and supplements on how many microbes there are in the product should always be verified.
In a normal, perfect world, it should be checked however many companies do not say on their labels the particular number of cultures of microbes is found in the supplement but only have written on it: live bacteria. They con people this way by not giving them all the details that they need. Many investigations in the industry have shown that producers are deliberately giving wrong information about the actual count of microbes required for our body to be healthy. Many specialists are recommending only the high-quality supplements to be given and should be obtained from afro accounted manufacturers because they are faithful to their words when it comes to the count of microbes, species, and the genus.
The most available source of probiotics can be found easily in yogurts.
Indeed there is some true to this statement, however not entirely because first, not all yogurts contain the essential probiotics and second, the amount of probiotics found in yogurt does not cover the daily amount needed in keeping our body healthy. The best solution, in this case, is the daily intake of artificial supplements that has a high level of probiotics. In that way, you can know for certain that they will work.
Probiotics can keep away the flu
Many clinical trials have established that the immune system can react to the intake of probiotics and can provide some help to the weak one. But there is no solid proof from a scientifical point of view that it can keep away the cold or flu symptoms. All it can do at its best is easing some mild symptoms.
Scientific findings of probiotics
- The good bacteria is created individually based on each person and it can be found in the gastrointestinal tract.
- They create probiotics that help the body’s protective system to fight better against a harmful microorganism. However, sometimes not enough quantity is provided naturally, so we need to add our daily portion by consuming as many probiotic foods as possible like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sour pickles but also take supplements to ensure our gut receives the daily helpful bacteria.
Interesting Facts Concerning Probiotics
Trillions of microbes are co-existing in our digestive tract which is far greater then the body cells count and are giving us different strains for each person in particular. They are a major factor in separating the food into the gut and assimilating the nutrients. Not only that, they help stabilize the acidity of the stomach and fight with urinary infections and gastrointestinal diseases. These can be found in our guts. Our gut contains both good and bad bacteria inside the body. Their primary roles are to break food, absorb nutrients and neutralize acidity. They are of great help for healthy people and more and more people are acknowledging the hidden advantages of probiotics.They are good for curing urinary infections, skin conditions as well as minimizing the signs of IBS (Irregular bowel syndrome). Some people found them useful when they were bloated, constipated or having tummy aches. Another part has stated that after using probiotics, their immune system was improvised and ready to fight against allergies or keeping their weight proportioned when fighting obesity.
Watch out for probiotic charlatans
There are many impostors who want to take advantage of the rising of the probiotic market. Some of them are not even stating what ingredient is used that contain the healthy microbes but only write that the product does contain: live or active cultures.
To stop this, the National Yogurt Association has concluded that a seal needs to be established to ensure the consumers that the highest quality is met. Always make sure to check the label to any probiotic food or supplement that you are thinking of purchasing.
Probiotic supplements are artificial and can go through damaging procedures for healthy microbes
Two processes are involved surrounding this statement: the first one is centrifugation and the second one is ultrafiltration. Centrifugation method can cause a lot of the good active cultures to die within the bacteria because of the cell’s wall being broken. On the other hand, the ultrafiltration sounds like a better idea because the walls of the cells remain unharmed and can keep a more significant value the active strains of the bacteria.
Conclusions:
Probiotics sound like an excellent idea to try since they do not impose a real danger and can be used by everyone. The results may vary from one person to another, but it can stimulate the body based on their beneficial effects. As far as the diet supplements are concerned, the great thing about them is that you can quit taking them anytime if you are not satisfied with the results and they are not addictive to your immune system. So you are in total control of your body as long as you know all the facts and incorporate them into your daily schedule.
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