What are
Probiotics?
Probiotics are live micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeast and
fungi that are similar to the micro-organisms already inhabiting the human intestine.
Since probiotics
are mostly bacteria, they are often called "friendly bacteria" due to the beneficial
effects they have on the body. Probiotics
literally means ‘for life’ as the word PROBIOTIC is from the
two Greek words PRO (for) and BIOTIC
(life). A probiotic is
scientifically defined as a live microbial food supplement, which benefits the body by improving its
intestinal microbial balance. Probiotics have been proven to effectively fight many diseases,
from simple digestive problems to complex ailments such as colon cancers.
Since probiotics come in many species, and each species is split into
multitudes of strains, and each strain is effective for treating selective diseases; it behooves
the user to understand the strains and their effects on diseases.
Probiotic Bacterial Species &
Strains
As mentioned above Probiotics come in a variety of species and their
benefits vary according to strain, the major bacterial species and their strains are
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus inhabit the lower region
of the intestine in trillions. These bacterias guard the body against the destructive microbes
living in the large intestine and stop their invasion into the small intestine.
Bifidobacterium
The genus
Bifidobacterium species
maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora, enabling production of organic compounds such as;
lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid. Together these compounds increase the stomachs
acidity and restrain the growth of harmful bacteria.
The species survives through the digestive tract and colonize in the colon as
live micro-organism and are extremely beneficial for treating intestinal problems. The common
strains of this species are:
Bifidobacterium animalis: this strain regulates the
digestive system by relieving slow bowel movements that can cause constipation.
Bifidobacterium lactis: this strain alleviates symptoms of
colon cancer, diarrhea, allergies, H.pylori infection, intestinal inflammation and strengths the immune system of the elderly.
Bifidobacterium infantis: this strain produces acids that
may retard the colonization of certain foreign or harmful bacteria in the colon and alleviates
symptoms of abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating/distention and constipation.
Bifidobacterium bifidum: this strain assists with the
synthesis of B-complex vitamins and absorption of calcium and improves symptoms of diarrhea and constipation
Lactobacillus
The genus
Lactobacillus contains numerous species that create habitual intestinal flora in the body.
Some species of this survive the digestive process to reach the gut. This species are present
in the vagina and the gastrointestinal tract and help fight a number of diseases. The common
strains of this species are:
Lactobacillus acidophilus: actually means acid-loving
milk-bacterium, this strain has a superior survival rate in the gastro-intestinal tract compared to
other Probiotics. It is very effective for treating Candida albicans infections, allergies, intestinal tumor formations, bacterial vaginosis (BV) and yeast
infections.
Lactobacillus casei: this strain protects against
Salmonella, reduces allergic responses, and the severity of the H.pylori infection.
Probiotic Yeast
Species
Just like friendly bacteria there are a few
‘friendly yeasts’ to be found also. Among them the Saccharomyces species is especially
beneficial and transmit disease fighting pathogens. Although this yeast is not naturally produced
in the gut, it is however, resistant to stomach acids, bile and pancreatic juices, as it is can
tolerate varying pH levels.
Saccharomyces is valuable for treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea, infectious diarrhea, and acute diarrhea in
children, AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, Candida infection, and parasitic infections.
Saccharomyces boulardii: this strain from the Saccharomyces
genus is effective in preventing relapses of Crohn’s disease, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and treating pouchitis.
Medicinal Mushrooms (fungi) often
referred to as being Probiotic
Many antibiotics have been extracted from
fungi. Penicillin was developed from molds, and cyclosporin is derived from a fungus that
orignagted in insects. Mushrooms have been used as a health food and part of traditional Chinese
medicine for centuries. Recent studies show that some mushrooms and their extracts should be
labelled as probiotic, as they strengthen the human immune system. Mushrooms with medical
benefits are Reishi, Cordyceps, Shiitake, Maitake, Silver Ear and Hoelen.
Conclusion
There is no
doubting the fact that Probiotics are natural and safe treatments for a number of diseases, but it
is important to understand which strain is suited to which disease.
Other Information Available for the question "What are
Probiotics?"
WikiPedia: Web Definitions for Probiotics
Wise Geek: What are
Probiotics?
About.com: Acidophilus and other Probiotics
Mayo Clinic: Probiotics- Essential for a Heathy Diet?
WebMD: What are
Probiotics?
Next: Probiotic
Benefits
|
BlinkList
Delicious
Digg
Diigo
Facebook
Google Bookmarks
Slashdot
Spurl
Stumbleupon
Twitter
