TheSoko.com - The Benefits Of Probiotic Bacteria

Wondering how bacteria can help your health? Christine Kim fills you in.

You may think it is odd to purposefully eat bacteria in the hopes of promoting better health, but this idea may not be so far-fetched. The human body is home to thousands of species of bacteria, many of which are vital for optimal health. There are specific types of live bacteria such as lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidobacterium called probiotics that live in the human digestive tract. These friendly bugs are supplements that contain beneficial bacteria and yeast.

Probiotic bacteria help the body’s naturally occurring gut flora to re-establish itself. Gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract and are able to perform a number of useful functions for their hosts. However, the bacterial types found in your stomach can be thrown out of balance by a wide range of circumstances such as antibiotics, drugs, alcohol, stress and disease. As a result, the bacteria that help our bodies decrease in number and other negative and competitive bacteria can thrive, causing harm to our health.

The maintenance of a healthy gut flora is very important and dependent on many factors such as the quality of food intake. It has been shown that a significant intake of probiotic foods supports a healthy flora. If you take them in the correct amount and for the correct condition, they can do much more than you can imagine. Here are some things you may not already know about probiotics and why eating bacteria can be good for you!

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Active bacterial culture may help individuals who are lactose intolerant. The bacterial strain most commonly found in yogurt can help produce lactase enzymes. These bacteria help alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance by providing bacterial lactase to the intestine and stomach. This means people who are lactose intolerant can usually tolerate yogurt with an active culture.

A Happy Colon is a Healthy Colon

Studies have shown that probiotics, especially acidophilus, help promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduce the conversion of bile into carcinogens (cancer causing substances). As well, probiotic bacteria help to diminish colon cancer risk by reducing the incidence and number of tumours. The consumption of probiotics help promote good intestinal health and lead to the prevention of other rectal ailments and gastrointestinal illnesses such as colitis, Crohn’s disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

South of the Border

Like the intestinal tract, the vagina is a finely balanced system. Women’s systems can be thrown out of balance by numerous things such as antibiotics, spermicides and birth control pills. In this case, probiotics may be helpful in maintaining urogenital health. Certain strains such as lactobacilli make it too acidic for harmful microorganisms to survive. Probiotics help restore the balance of micro flora that may be helpful for such common female urogenital problems such as bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections and yeast infections.

Iron Man Immunity

The live bacteria of bifidobacterium have been shown to help enhance your immune system by regulating lymphocytes as well as antibodies. Natural cellular immune function declines as we age, leaving potential for a weakened immune system. Studies show that probiotics enhance the production of immune system cells known to be active against viral infections.

“I’ll skip the milkshake, thanks.”

Probiotics may exert a beneficial effect on allergic reactions by improving mucosal barrier function. Lactobacillus can be helpful in alleviating allergy symptoms to food such as those associated with milk protein. This means that probiotic consumption can then be a means for prevention of allergies in susceptible individuals. This could play a large role in minimizing various allergies which have increased dramatically over the last forty years.

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beneficial bacteria

These are just a few of the more obvious health benefits of probiotics. There are other, less obvious, but equally important health benefits. You do not need to buy probiotic supplements to consume these friendly bacteria. They can be found in foods such as yogurt, milk and milk fermented products such as kefirs. Though taking supplements is convenient, they pose the problem of long-term compliance, whereas incorporating probiotics into daily foods can become a lifestyle habit. The probiotic market potential is continuing to grow with more products introduced everyday. Although purposefully eating bacteria may sound absurd, before skipping over the stuff you generally categorize as “bad,” perhaps you should give it a try?