Benefits of Probiotics

The thought of bacteria makes us cringe, and is true bad bacteria can be devastating to our body (health) and at the mention of the word "bacteria" we think dirt/disease but this is not always the case with all bacteria, let me tell you why?  -there are good bacteria beneficial to our immune health (friendly bacteria are essential to life).Our intestinal tract is a mini-ecosystem home to over a hundred trillion bacteria, from 4 to 5 different species plus other host microorganism such as fungi, protozoa, yeast.

We need a sufficient amount of beneficial bacteria in our digestive to keep desirable pathogenic microbes in balance, this positive balance of bacteria results to good health.

Good bacteria called Probiotic (literally meaning live microorganism), a sufficient amount  is introduced into the digestive system through the consumption of cultured or fermented food products, or dietary supplements.

other use: Probiotic are sometimes used in food preservation.

Most commonly used bacteria includes species in the genus Lactobacillus, such as L.acidophilus, L.GG, and L.casei, and the genus Bifidobacterium, such as B.bifidum and B. breve.

Within each genus(A class of things that share the same character, but divide into different subclasses or species. The genus summum is the most inclusive genus, not itself serving as a species to another yet more general kind. To define per genus et differentiam is to cite the genus and the differentiated species to which a thing belongs.) are multiple species (A group of organisms having many characteristics in common and ranking below a genus.) An example is the genus Lactobacillus currently consisting of over 125 species and within each species, different strains exist.

Health benefits of probiotics

• Taking probiotic supplement can improve overall gastrointestinal health. 
• Improving intestinal microbial balance, and enabling the digestive system to function optimally, probiotics have been shown to be especially useful in the treatment of diarrhea resulting from antibiotic use, rotaviruses in young children and traveling.
• Probiotic  has been successful in the treating inflammatory bowel diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, and crohn's disease.
• Probiotic helps to alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance and mala-absorption by producing lactase in the intestine and stomach.
• Enhance immune factors there by improve your immunity to infection.
• Probiotics inhibit the growth of a variety of dangerous microbes, including  bacterial pathogens such as salomemlia and shigella)
• Helps reduce allergic reactions. example Lactobacillus GG may curb the symptoms of food allergies
• Mothers taking Lactobacillus GG in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and infants receiving the beneficial bacterium in their first six months, have a lower incidence of eczema, where there's a family history of the condition.
• Probiotic has also been effective in preventing colon cancer, where they may reduce incidence and number of tumors, autism, urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, high cholesterol and high blood pressure (An effective dose of 1 to 10 billion CFU's per day (A CFU in short meaning Colony forming unit, is a measure of viable, live bacteria which divide to form colonies.) A daily consumption is essential since most probiotics do not permanently inhabit the intestines.

 Probiotics-Acidophilus

Key facts on probiotic benefits: 

• digest food
• alleviate digestive disorders
• prevent bad breath
• enhance synthesis of B vitamins
• improve calcium absorption
• promote anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity
• improve tolerance and digestibility of milk products
• fight vaginitis and candidiasis

Concerns regarding the effectiveness of your probiotics

Commercial yogurt manufacturers generally list on the product's label the species of probiotics bacteria used and the "Live Active Culture" seal. However, due to the inherent variability in manufacturing processes, the number of cultures is not indicated. It's difficult to know exactly how many live bacteria reside in a container of yogurt, unless analyzed by a commercial lab (for a cost of several hundred dollars). The  standard of the National Yogurt Association for commercial yogurt with live cultures in Refrigerated Yogurt must contain  least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, and at least 10 million cultures (CFU's) per gram at  consumption, this corresponds to 2.3 billion CFU's in eight ounces of yogurt (assuming the whole contents is yogurt, and not partially fruit). But again, this figure is only an estimation and the true value varies widely.

So is it better to take supplements? There are hundreds of probiotic supplements on the market. But even with these, you can't be sure what you're getting unless you purchase from a reputable company that manufactures a product using high quality control and purity standards. It's essential that the bacteria in the product are live and active unless probiotics are either refrigerated or encapsulated in a protective coating, they may not survive the trips from the manufacturer to the store, and then to your home.

Then there is the concern that, unless protected, most bacteria will not survive the acid in your stomach to reach the intestine alive. Cultured dairy products contain substance that act as effective buffering agent to neutralize stomach acid, enabling probiotic to reach the intestine intact. some probiotic supplemet have protective coatings, such as a "pearl" coatings that protect bacteria from harsh stomach acid. So again, which is better, cultured food products or supplements? It's up to you. Each class of probiotic products has its benefits. Besides beneficial bacteria, cultured non-dairy products such as soy yogurt and kefir provide other key ingredients such as calcium, vitamins, and protein. Supplements, on the other hand, contain only bacteria. However, supplements are convenient, especially when traveling, and beneficial for those who cannot consume fermented foods in large quantities. Depending on the probiotic product you choose, cultured foods or a quality probiotic supplement, or a combination of the two, you are making a healthy addition to your daily regimen that is beneficial to your GI and immune systems.


Live bacterial cultures can be added to other foods besides dairy foods. Sauerkraut-another name for fermented cabbage-is an example of a cultured vegetable. An Asian version of fermented cabbage, particularly popular in Korea, is called kim chee. A basic fermentation process is used to culture the cabbage in kim chee, and chili pepper, garlic, and sea salt are typically added to give this cultured vegetable its pungent character. As with cultured yogurts and kefirs, these fermented vegetables may or may not contain active bacterial cultures. Once again, the manufacturers who are sensitive to these issues will often indicate the presence of live bacteria cultures (if they are present) on the packaging. Miso, a thick paste often made from soybeans, is another example of a cultured food that can contain live bacterial populations. source

Author: Onyinye A