The Age of Probiotics
What are Probiotics?.. The market is flooded with Probiotics.. Know more about Probiotics…
Indian markets are flooded with probiotic supplements that claim to improve digestion, gut health and food absorption. They come in liquid form, capsules or powder form. Probiotics today have become a huge industry even when the published research is conflicting. What are probiotics? How effective are they and whether your body really needs these gut supplements? Be probiotic savvy before you decide to gulp these supplements. You can always opt for naturally occurring probiotics in your regular diet.
Understanding the Microorganism flora
Trillions of microbes, together form a microbiome – like a forest of diverse community of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast, viruses and protozoa. These naturally live on your body and within you. Interestingly, these co-exist peacefully. Each individual’s microbiome is unique determined by your DNA; no two people have the same microbial cells.
The gut microbiome plays a very important role in your health. It includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea (single-celled organisms) and helminthes (worm-like parasites). Most of the gut flora comprises of bacteria living in your colon or large intestine. Majority of these bacteria are harmless, in fact some are helpful while there are others that cause disease. The good bacteria help digest food, fight the disease-causing cells and produce vitamins.
Research suggests that imbalance in gut microbiome could be linked to diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes. When there is infection in your body, the bad bacteria knocks your system out of balance and does more harm than good. You need extra good bacteria to fight the bad ones. This is the time when probiotic supplements, which contain friendly living microrganisms, help in restoring good health.
What are Probiotics?
Mostly probiotics are good bacteria but certain types of yeasts also are used as probiotics. In addition to the supplements, you can also get probiotics from foods prepared by bacterial fermentation. When you ingest probiotics, they colonize your gut along with other microorganisms.
Probiotics are identified by their genus, species, and specific strains. Like broad-spectrum antibiotics, some probiotic supplements also are denoted as broad-spectrum or multi probiotics, which combine different species in the same product. The most common probiotic bacteria are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. Others include Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia and Bacillus. The most common yeast found in probiotics is Sachharomyces boulardii.
Probiotic-use
Probiotic bacteria most importantly help to build a healthy immune system. Currently researchers are trying to identify the disorders for which probiotics can be used. Certain conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea, constipation, yeast infections etc. can be controlled by increasing the quantity of probiotics through food or supplements. Certain research studies have shown that probiotics give relief from antibiotic induced diahrroea. Antibiotics fight an infection and kill the bad bacteria. But in the process even the good bacteria get eliminated. That is where probiotics may help.
Are Probiotics safe to consume?
Microbes in probiotics already exist in your body. Hence they are considered safe. However, there are people with certain health issues, who should avoid probiotic consumptions.
- Serious medical conditions
- Weakened immune system
- Recent surgery
Sources of Probiotics
Your gut microbe flora can be strongly influenced by the food you eat. Therefore, adding more probiotic rich foods to your daily diet can improve your overall health. Naturally occurring probiotics in food are in plenty, for instance, yogurt or curd, pickles, fermented tea (kombucha), fermented dairy drink (kefir), sour dough bread, cottage cheese, tempeh, kimchi, fermented sauerkraut, miso soup etc.
Probiotic supplements are commercially available. These come in many forms such as drinks, powders, liquids and capsules or pills. The supplements may be combined with prebiotics, which are foods for the microorganisms present in the gut. Prebiotics basically are complex carbohydrates. A combination of probiotics with prebiotics also called synbiotics can help maintain good gut health.
When you go to buy probiotics, check the labels to ensure their storage process and expiration date. This is because certain bacterial strains can be fragile and may break up due to heat, light, humidity and oxygen. Refrigeration may be required to keep some probiotics viable. If probiotics are shelf stable they do not need cooling.
A probiotic must meet stringent regulations if it is marketed as a drug for treatment of a disease. The safety and effectiveness then needs to be determined and approved by the medical community and drug advisory bodies. As such there is no specific dosage for consumption and data regarding the efficacy of a probiotic. Use your discretion to select a probiotic that you wish to consume.
-Dr. Parul R. Sheth
Freelance Science Writer. NCSC
