What are probiotics and why should you know about their benefits
You will be surprised to know that the way you feel, and even how you shine every day, is directly linked to the health of your intestine
To maintain good health, your gut must properly absorb nutrients and help eliminate waste products and toxins daily.
Unfortunately, most people are faced with an excessive number of toxins in their intestines, so they are not functioning in the most optimal way that would be appropriate.
Your gut is not only the center of your body, but also the center of your health and well-being. Therefore, if your intestine is not healthy, you will not either!
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What are probiotics?
Probiotics are the benign bacteria that help nourish and balance your intestinal microbiome
The word "probiotic" is derived from pro = para and bio = life. Therefore everything together would be something like "for life", sounds good eh!
Probiotics are like a body of security for our health that help us:
- * Monitor malignant bacteria and microorganisms
- * Supports the work of digestion and absorption of nutrients
- * Ensures that your body receives the vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids from the foods you are consuming
- * They are necessary for the generation of certain vitamins of group B, vitamin K, folate and some short chains of fatty acids.
- * Contributes to the optimal functioning of the immune system
- * Help your body maintain its own PH
Benign bacteria (probiotics) are absolutely vital in keeping malignant bacteria at bay, keeping potential infections in check, keeping inflammation under control and preventing infections from spreading throughout your body.
What are probiotic strains?
Not all probiotic bacteria are the same. They differ in relation to spices and strains.
Different strains have different results for the human body. Most probiotics include two main strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidum, however, the best probiotic supplements usually include more strains.
At the end of the article, the different strains will be discussed.
Probiotics must live and colonize inside the intestine so that they can produce benefits. Probiotics differ and therefore the benefits that can be obtained from them are not measured by the number of living bacteria in the food you eat or in the supplements you eat. The real benefits of probiotics depend on the ability of the bacteria to survive and colonize within your gut.
This is measured by colony forming units (1). Colony forming units represent a bacterium or yeast that is capable of living and reproducing to form a group of the same bacteria or yeast.
What is the relationship between probiotics and your intestine?
- probiotic foods, function and benefits
- Benefits of healthy eating and probiotics,
According to Hippocrates, "All diseases begin in the intestine."
Healing your bowel is one of the first and most important steps to recover health and vitality. Thanks to foods rich in probiotics that help repopulate the benign bacteria we need to support our digestive tract.
So why should we pay special attention to probiotics?
About 70% of our immune cells are lodged in our digestive system!
There are more bacteria in our digestive system than there are in the rest of the cells of your body, the bacteria in your intestine weighs more than 1 kilo ..
And believe me that that extra kilo you should not lose it! In addition, 95% of your serototine (the "feel good" hormone or "happiness") is lodged in your gut as well.
More and more scientists, doctors and researchers are discovering the incredible link (2) between your intestinal health and your relationship with your mental well-being.
It turns out that in some cases, "chronic" diseases such as depression (3), anxiety (4) and schizophrenia (5), may be linked to some serious imbalances and inflammation of the intestine.
Researchers at the University of Oxford (6) have found that "prebiotic" supplements (those that feed the benign bacteria in your intestine) can have an anti-anxiolytic effect, as it alters the way people process emotions . The participants in this study not only experienced less anxiety when faced with negative stimuli, but also showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol
Symptoms of an intestine in imbalance
Benefits of probiotics to relief stomach upset
So how can you tell if you have a balanced intestinal bacterium or not?
Some symptoms of an imbalance in your intestinal microbiome include:
- *Acne
- * Food allergies
- * Sensitivity to certain foods
- * Flawed sleep patterns
- *Irritable bowel syndrome
- * Chronic fatigue
- * Learning and behavior disorders
- * Irregular mood
- *Lactose intolerance
- * Problems with the skin, such as eczema, psoriasis ..
- * Autoimmune diseases (lupus, arthritis, etc.)
- * Uncontrolled binge eating (and wanting to take them out)
- * Stomach cramps and stomach cramps after meals
- * Gases, stomach swelling and diarrhea recurrently
There are more symptoms that can be linked to poor intestinal health.
Another "curious" clue we can have for the health of our gut would be.
The stool
Stools are a byproduct of a healthy or unhealthy intestine. When it is produced, how and what form and smells it has, it gives us clues to the health of your digestive system.
Basically your stools are an indicator of whether or not you are getting enough probiotics on a daily basis.
What you see in your toilet can be a health indicator
Type 1 and 2 indicate constipation, 3 and 4 are within normal, 5 indicates lack of fiber, and 6 and 7 indicate inflammation of the intestine.
Good feces: like a sausage, without difficulty to leave.
Feces "not so good": separated pieces and hard, in the form of balls, or too liquid or watery.
If you are experiencing the "not so good" form of stool more often than the good one, it is time for you to take action and start taking care of your bowel.
Why are probiotics important?
I will not stop emphasizing the importance of your intestinal health for your well-being in general. And one of the best things you can do for your gut is to provide it on a recurring basis with foods rich in probiotics.
Dr. Mercola says (5) "Your body contains about 100 trillion bacteria, more than 10 times the number of cells you have in your entire body. It is increasingly clear that the type and amount of microorganisms in your intestine interact with your body in ways in which they can prevent or accelerate the development of some diseases.
The GreenMed portal (6) of medical research has compiled a list of more than 200 studies that talk about the excellent properties of probiotics and how they can help alleviate hundreds of diseases and ailments. Here is a brief list of what they can do for you:
Digestive Health
If your intestine lacks benign bacteria and other microorganisms, you will not be able to digest nutrients efficiently, no matter how much healthy food you eat. If you want to absorb as many nutrients as possible, then you need a lot of benign bacteria in your intestine. Probiotics are also vital to keep a large amount of toxic microorganisms out of your body, keeping your body healthy and happy.
Everything that enters your intestine is filtered through beneficial bacteria and is either sent to the excretory system, or transferred to the entire cell of your body where necessary. Be sure that your cells are only getting what is healthy by nourishing your body with healthy food and lots of probiotics.
Intestinal dysbiosis
Symbiosis means living in harmony, while dysbiosis refers to the imbalance of the microbial colonies of the body. In a healthy digestive system, the numerous bacterial strains keep balanced and superjacent to each other to remain balanced and healthy. The imbalance occurs when this mutual supervision is unable to occur effectively and one strain dominates the other, compromising the system as a whole and making its work harder on benign bacteria.
Enrollment with antibiotics
Antibiotics have helped lots of people recover from diseases and infections. However, antibiotics are extremely hard on your digestive system, since they not only attack the malignant bacteria, but also the benign one.
Detrimental effects of antibiotics for intestinal flora
Recovering your system during and after having been treated with antibiotics is very important for your intestinal health and general well-being. Therefore, if you have been taking antibiotics recently or are taking them now, start using a good probiotic. It will not interfere with the medication, it will only improve your body's ability to fight the infection by boosting your healthy intestinal flora, strengthening your immune system.
Mental health
Have you ever heard the bowel mentioned as your "second mind"? Some people call it that because it houses the 500 million neurons that make up your enteric nervous system. The SNE creates 50% of all the dopamine in your body and 95% of our serotonin. These hormones play a fundamental role in making us feel happy and satisfied. It makes sense that an unhealthy intestine can interrupt the proper functioning of these fundamental hormones.
Benefits of probiotics and nutrition for mental health
It has been proved (7) that the correction of healthy bacteria in the intestine can optimize the function of neutrotransmitters, causing an improvement in mental health and can even improve behavior and improve focus and memory.
Allergies
Research in Australia at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (8) has begun using probiotics to help children overcome severe allergies to peanuts. At the end of a study that lasted 18 months (9), where 30 children were given Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a bacterial strain used as a probiotic, they found that 80% of the participants were able to tolerate the peanuts again ... Incredible yes? J
Many food allergies can be linked to poor intestinal health, while there is an insufficient level of bacterial levels present.
Heavy metals, Bisphenol A (BPA), Pesticides and cancerous food preservatives
This is one of the negative "side effects" of modern civilization: the era of convenience and canned food. Even if we are careful, the toxins will enter our body in one way or another. For some people it will be very harmful, while for others it will mean absolutely nothing (each body is a world ..)
What can make the difference? A healthy intestine. A system full of benign bacteria will be able to detoxify these harmful substances and keep them at bay so that they do not interfere with your health and well-being.
A large part of these negative symptoms in the body are due to the overload of toxins and to a gut that is too weak to get rid of them. Every detoxifying regimen should focus first on strengthening the intestine.
Think about this: When your bowel is not balanced, either by dysbiosis or leaky bowel syndrome, you literally have holes in your intestinal lining. Imagine it this way:
You have a screen in the window whose function is not to get bugs ... right? Now imagine that there are holes in your screen. The insects would be able to enter directly ... no? Your intestine works the same. Holes in your "screen", allow insects (toxins, etc) to enter your bloodstream and create huge problems for your health in general, both internally and externally.
When this happens, your immune system becomes confused and begins to attack, creating autoimmunity (attacks itself). This does not happen in each case, but in all cases of autoimmunity (10), it is well established that the Leaky Gut Syndrome is present, sometimes undetected.
What kind of symptoms can indicate an excess of toxins?
- Hormonal imbalance (especially with bisphenol A, which mimics estrogen in the body and disrupts the endocrine system)
- Unexpected nausea
- Digestive problems
- Abdominal and stomach pain
- Nervous system dysfunction
- Asthma
- Headaches
- Blurred thinking
- Continuous sudden changes in behavior
Skin health
Many times, your skin is a reflection of what is happening inside your body. So, instead of working from the outside, you need to work from within.
Foods that benefit the skin and keep it beautiful
Your skin is the largest organ in your body and has approximately 20 square meters in total. Your skin is a protective organ and keeps everything inside you healthy and away from microbes, chemicals and bacteria. Your skin is also one of the most important eliminatory organs, and is sometimes called "your third kidney", due to its responsibility to help release toxins from the body.
When the intestinal bacteria is unbalanced, it can cause Leaky Gut Syndrome, which means that the toxins are released into the bloodstream in large quantities. If you are prone to acne or other problems related to the skin, this can lead to skin rashes and more skin problems. Remember that your skin is a reflection of what is happening inside your body.
Dr. Whitney P. Bowe, MD (11) A certified dermatologist and medical professional, talks about the benefits that probiotics have on our skin.
"Although more studies are needed about the beneficial aspects that probiotics have for the cure of acne, either topical or oral solution. I think we can expect some amazing products for acne in the near future. In the meantime, I would recommend that patients with acne or rosacea talk to their dermatologists so they can add foods with probiotic cultures, like some yogurts, and take at least one probiotic supplement on a daily basis. "
Every time there is more and more research (12) coming to light letting us know that taking probiotics can help those with some discomfort in the skin.
Weak immunity
Healthy bacteria can train your immune system to distinguish between "alien" microbes that originate in your body, making probiotics the best allies in the fight against infections.
Prevention of diseases
Studies in animals have shown that consuming fermented foods rich in probiotics can annihilate several types of cancerous tumors. (13)
- Possible food poisoning
- Probiotics can help against food poisoning
- Bad bacteria lurk in your gut. Probiotics help replenish the beneficial bacteria and make your digestion work as it should.
- Taking probiotics on a regular basis gives the body a better defense against possible "invasions" from outside with which you can come into contact.
- How to include more probiotics in your diet.
The fact of including probiotics with moderation in your diet is a good idea. This ensures that you are giving your bowel the best chance to be balanced and keep your immune system strong and working for you, instead of against you.
Below are some foods to start testing
Fermented foods
Types of fermented foods and their benefits
Almost all cultures include foods fermented in their diet, which provide probiotics (beneficial bacteria), vitamins and enzymes that help keep your digestive system healthy. Also mention that the massive use of antibiotics, and the lack of food as less processed as possible, literally means that your digestive system is lacking in these vital microorganisms and nutrients. Taking fermented foods helps replenish benign bacteria.
Yogurt- Yogurt is probably the most popular and known fermented food in our diet. Dairy-free varieties are recommended for their best benefits. Coconut or almond yogurt are great options. If you are preparad@ to take things a step further, you can even prepare your own yogurt. This is obviously the best option since you are controlling all the ingredients that you put in your yogurt, since most of those sold in the establishments are loaded with refined sugars and other additives.
Kefir- It is one of the richest foods in probiotics that exist. It is sometimes used to help in conditions such as leaky bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, and candida. It is the "superior" version of yogurt. ... has about three times more probiotics than yogurt. This is because it is fermented with 10-20 different types of bacteria and yeast, while yogurt only has a couple of them.
Kefir also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps you be more "sleepy" and relaxed. It also has phosphorus, which is the second most abundant mineral in our body, and it helps us use carbohydrates and proteins for the energy of cells.
Sauerkraut- Sauerkraut is rich in probiotics and is an excellent way to repopulate healthy levels of intestinal bacteria. Some European countries use it to treat and prevent peptic ulcers. Because it helps the bowel, it can be beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, acne, skin problems, colds, allergies, acid reflux, bone strengthening, and other benefits.
Dr. Mercola (14) sent samples of sauerkraut to a laboratory to investigate how many pribiotics it contained:
"When analyzing it. We found that in a sample of 150 grams of this fermented vegetable, there were literally 10 trillion bacteria. "
Kimchi - EL Kimchi comes from Korea and is an even more powerful food than sauerkraut in terms of probiotics. It usually contains cabbage, red peppers, onion, garlic and salt.
Research in Korea has published a summary of more than 130 studies (15) that have demonstrated the incredible healing properties of kimchi. It helps with colds, improves the immune system, protein digestion, prevents teeth deterioration, prevents the risk of obesity, and also nutritional deficiencies.
In animal studies (16) Kimchi has been shown to have the ability to suppress tumors.
Studies by Professor Miri Kim, from the National University of Chungnam, (17) along with others, found that kimchi is effective in preventing cancer and detoxifying heavy metals the liver, kidney and small intestine.
Umeboshi- The Umeboshi is a plum. It has been used in the Japanese, Chinese and Korean diet for hundreds of years. During the wars of the 15th and 16th century the samurai warriors used umeboshi to recover from fatigue. The medicinal uses of umeboshi have been documented in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 3000 years. The citric acid in umeboshi converts lactic acid into water and helps eliminate it from the body. When lactic acid accumulates in the body it can cause fatigue and fatigue. The fruit is also used to treat vomiting, diarrhea, nausea in general, infections, liver poisoning, ..
Kombucha - Ancient China, they called it the "Elixir of Eternal Health", used to help the body recover from degenerative diseases. It has recently become popular in the western world and is being studied for its possible preventive properties against cancer. Kombucha is a sweet tea that has been fermented using benign bacteria and yeast, being a powerful probiotic. It is used to combat digestive problems, candida, provides enzymes and bacterial acids to detoxify the body naturally and has been shown to be beneficial against joint pain. Kombucha contains glucosamine, an amino-sugar that helps preserve cartilage and relieve arthritis symptoms.
Kombucha can also be made at home
Fermented cod liver oil - This oil, as opposed to normal fish oil supplements, is processed cold by fermentation instead of heat processing. This preserves liposoluble vitamins and omega 3, which can be damaged by high temperatures. This oil contains vitamin A and D, both are important to the immune system and are precursors of the hormone-activating expression genes. Consuming cod liver oil regularly can be beneficial to help against joint pain and arthritis, bone health, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression, breast cancer, wound healing ... etc (18)
Miso- It is a traditional Japanese pasta made of soy beans, sea salt and koji. Pasta is often used to make soup or to eat it with rice, beans, dates more than 2500 years ago. It has all the essential amino acids and is therefore considered a complete protein, in addition to providing all the probiotics essential for the digestive tract. It is known to protect against radiation and heavy metals (19), because it contains dipicolinic acid, an alkaloid that helps to remove heavy metals from the body.
Natto - Another Japanese meal, low in calories, is a fermented superfood high in protein that is considered one of the "secrets of health" of the Japanese for centuries. Natto helps longevity, beauty, mental capacity and better cardiovascular health. The average Japanese live five years longer than the Americans, so Natto is a secret to which you must give an opportunity.
Natto is an excellent source of vitamin K, very important for bone health and strength, as well as for circulation and blood clots.
Probiotic supplements
Probiotics are abundant in fermented foods, but their probiotic concentration is not sufficient to be used therapeutically when the intestinal flora has been drastically eliminated. In this case, contact your medical specialist in case you have a severe digestive problem.
Therefore, it is advisable that you incorporate fermented foods rich in probiotics on a regular basis as part of your diet to maintain your adequate levels as a form of prevention. It can be accompanied if desired with a quality probiotic supplement, as a form of prevention therapy.
How to choose a good probiotic supplement
Look at the strains of bacteria
Some probiotic supplements contain only a single strain of bacteria, while others contain 10 or more. In certain cases this may be beneficial to have only one strain (if you are locating something specific or fighting some negative effects of certain antibiotics.), But for daily supplementation it is better to obtain a probiotic with more than 10 individual strains.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus : is the most popular probiotic strain that has been shown to be helpful against the growth of candida and the immune system. It also contains vitamin K as a bi-product, and is important for the digestion of dairy products. If you have dairy intolerance it can be due to a deficiency of this bacterium.
Bifidobacteria Bifidum : is another that you may have heard in television ads. It helps with digestion, the synthesis of vitamin B and the function of the immune system.
Longum: helps maintain the integrity of your intestinal wall and is useful in eliminating toxins. This bacterium also assists in decomposing cereals, legumes and cruciferous vegetables.
Saccharomyces Boulardii: it is good for those who travel and usually have diarrhea or any other type of indigestion. It also plays a great role in fighting chronic candida.
Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Acidiphilus and Streptococcus Thermophiles help the intestine to digest and absorb lactose (milk sugars).
Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624, Lactobacillus Plantarum 299V and Bifidobacterium Bifidum MIMBb75 , regulate bowel movements and relieve gas, bloating and pain.
Look at the colony forming units
20-50 billion is a good place to start. Consult your health professional if you want to find the best dose for your individual needs
- Avoid unnecessary ingredients
