What are Probiotics? – Benefits, How to Take, and More

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are useful bacteria living in the intestine and improve the body’s general health, bringing aids such as facilitating digestion and interest of nutrients and strengthening the immune system.

The intestinal flora is not in balance, usually after using antibiotics when you do not have a healthy and balanced diet.

The intestine ends up being populated by harmful bacteria, which do not help the immune system and leave the body susceptible to diseases.

What are the Benefits of Probiotics?

The main benefits of probiotics are:

• Fight and stop intestinal diseases such as colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and intestinal inflammation;
• Fight diseases, for example, cancer, candidiasis, hemorrhoids, and urinary infection.
• Improve digestion  and fight acidity;
• Fight constipation and diarrhea,  regulating intestinal transit;
• Increase the fascination of nutrients, such as vitamin B, calcium, and iron;
• Strengthen the immune system by increasing the manufacture of macrophages, defense cells of the body;
• Prevent the proliferation of damaging bacteria  in the intestine;
• Help digest lactose, especially in people with intolerance to this component;
• Prevent complications such as obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension;
• Prevent allergies and food intolerances;
• Help improve mood since a direct relationship found between the balance of the intestinal flora with a decrease in diseases such as depression and anxiety;
• They could help improve conditions such as autism. Some studies seem to indicate improvements at the gastrointestinal level and the level of behavior, improving the ability to concentrate and listen.
• A healthy intestinal flora rich in it begins to form from birth, especially when the baby is born by standard delivery and exclusively breastfed during the beginning of life.

How to Take Probiotics

There are two main ways to ingest it: increased consumption of foods considered natural probiotics, such as yogurt or kefir. The other way is through the use of probiotic supplements.

1. Probiotic Foods

Foods rich in probiotics are:

Plain Yogurt: They are the source of the primary and most straightforward probiotics on the market, but there are also versions of seasoned yogurts that keep beneficial bacteria alive.

Kefir: It a product ferment with yeast and bacteria, similar to yogurt, but has a higher probiotics amount.

Fermented Milk: These are select products that generally contain  Lactobacillus added by the industry, Yakult being the most famous.

Kombucha: It is a fermented drink made mainly from black tea. See  how to prepare it ;

Oriental Soy: It based products, vegetables such as Miso, natto, and tempeh Kimchi can purchase at specialty stores.

Sauerkraut: It is a culinary preparation made through the fermentation of fresh leaves of cabbage or cabbage. Learn more about this food.

Pickles: It is a preparation where some cucumbers are placed in water and salt, allowing them to ferment for a while.

Sourdough or Natural Yeast: It is a live culture composed of yeasts and bacteria produced through the fermentation of cereals such as wheat and microorganisms naturally found in the environment, making various products such as bread, cakes, and cookies. See how to prepare bread with this ferment.

Some cheeses may also contain live cultures of microorganisms with probiotic properties. It is essential to read the nutritional labeling to confirm whether that type of cheese contains these bacteria.

It maintains healthy intestinal flora. At least 1 probiotic source food consumption per day is recommended, especially after using antibiotics that affect the beneficial intestinal flora.

2. Probiotic Supplements

In addition to food, probiotics can also consume as supplements. There are various presentations: capsules, liquids, or sachets, which must be diluted in water or natural juices to finish.

There are some types of supplements, including 1 to 10 different types of probiotics. The most important are usually:

Bifidobacteria Animalis: It helps strengthen the immune system and facilitates digestion and fighting bacteria transmitted by the ingestion of contaminated food.

Bifidobacteria Bifidum: They are present in the small and large intestine, helping dairy products’ digestion.

Brief Bifidobacteria: They are present in the intestine and in the vaginal tract helping to fight infections by bacteria and fungi.

Bifidobacteria Longum: It is one of the most common types of probiotics in the intestine and helps eliminate toxins from the body.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus: It is perhaps an essential type of probiotics. It helps in the absorption of several nutrients and fighting infections, and facilitating digestion. The L. acidophilus is also present in the vagina, helping to fight infections.

Lactobacillus Reuteri: They are present mainly in the mouth, stomach and small intestine, being necessary against Helicobacter pylori infection.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus: They are currently in the intestine. And can quickly benefit fight diarrhea cases, especially when traveling to other countries. It can also help treat acne, eczema, and candida.

Lactobacillus Fermentum: They help neutralize products and toxins released during digestion, improving the environment for intestinal flora growth.

Saccharomyces Boulardii: It helps treat antibiotic or traveler’s diarrhea.

The greater the diversity of probiotics and the number of bacteria in each tablet. The better the supplement will be, facilitating balance and the faster development of healthy intestinal flora.

How should be Ingested of Probiotics?

• It recommends that the supplement has between 2 to 10 billion active bacteria.
• Probiotic is essential to read the product label, which must indicate the number of organisms per dose.
• It type of bacteria it has because it is vital to choose whatever is better according to the problem to treat and what does it should take.
• Probiotics are essential to try the supplement for about 4 weeks. If there is no improvement during this period, the ideal would be to try a different supplement.
• Before or after a meal, probiotics must ingest to help bacteria survive gastric acid.
• And each the intestine, where they can multiply more quickly.
• It is important to remember that in addition to probiotics in supplements or foods rich in these bacteria.
• It is also essential to keep a healthy diet rich in fiber since fibers are the main foods for probiotics, favoring their survival in the intestine.

Probiotics in Children

1. Probiotics could provide various benefits in children, mainly in diarrhea, intestinal colic.
2. It specific conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, for example.
3. However, as a daily supplement, there is still not enough scientific evidence in this regard, so it is unknown what its side effects could be.
4. For this reason, the idea is that in a specific situation, the pediatrician should consult to indicate.
5. Whether the use of a probiotic is necessary and which would be the most appropriate for the child.
6. One way to include probiotics in children’s daily diet is to intake yogurts with active bids, either in snacks, breakfasts.
7. It prepares a fruit smoothie, thus helping them maintain their intestinal flora healthy.

Conclusion

Before or after a meal, probiotics must ingest to help bacteria survive gastric acid and reach the intestine, where they can multiply more quickly.

It improves the body’s general health, bringing benefits such as facilitating digestion and absorption of nutrients and strengthening the immune system.

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