More friendly bacteria come from the surface of nipples as babies suckle at their mothers’ breast. This is why breast-fed infants are healthier than bottle-fed babies. Babies often put their fingers into their mouth, fingers that have been exposed to all kinds of germs. This way, they get a dose of probiotics from the environment. As they grow older, they are also fed salads and raw vegetables which are packed with bacteria. Again, this adds to the gut flora. Slowly but surely, we populate our gut with more than 10 trillion bacteria of more than 400 species. In terms of dry weight, they will weigh 1.5kg – yes, more than your brain, and almost five times that of the heart! There are good reasons for carrying so much weight. Even today, we have not quite figured out what these bacteria are doing in our gut, but listed below, are some of their functions. Food digestion Probiotic organisms contribute to the digestive process by secreting enzymes that help break down foods. Probiotics help us digest food the same way they partially digest the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in milk to create yogurt. People who are lactose intolerant can often tolerate yogurt because the lactose has already been partially broken down. Improved digestion can benefit anyone with impaired secretion of hydrochloric acid, bile, and pancreatic or intestinal enzymes.
Short-chain fatty acid production Among the most important by-products of probiotic metabolism are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as lactic acid which provide up to 70 per cent of the energy required by intestinal epithelial cells and have been used therapeutically for disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Without the energy provided by SCFAs, intestinal cells appear less capable of being a protective barrier.
SCFAs provide additional health benefits by making intestinal pH more acidic. Because most intestinal pathogens do not grow well in an acidic environment, their populations are kept in check. In addition, lower intestinal pH facilitates absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. Lowering intestinal pH may also help lower a colon-cancer risk. Studies have shown that low-risk groups typically have a lower fecal pH, while high-risk groups tend to have a higher faecal pH.
Immune enhancement Probiotic flora enhances both the cell-mediated and humoral branches of the immune system. Research shows that probiotic organisms increase the number of circulating white blood cells, stimulate phagocytosis, elevate levels of antigen-specific antibodies and increase production of such cytokines as gamma-interferon. One recent Lancet study of 4,718 women associates low levels of lactobacilli in the vaginal tract with increased incidence of HIV-1 in younger women. Findings like these drive home the importance of maintaining healthy flora to ensure proper immune function.
Food-allergy reduction The intestinal lining prevents movement of toxic and allergenic materials into the bloodstream. An imbalance of intestinal flora can contribute to increased intestinal permeability — the so-called leaky gut syndrome.
Intestinal hyperpermeability has been implicated in a variety of diseases including hypersensitive reactions to foods. A recent landmark study in the Journal Of Allergy And Clinical Immunology made clear the connection between intestinal flora and food allergy. Using a strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, researchers observed clinical improvements in a test group of 10 infants with food-allergy-related dermatitis. After a one-month trial, infants on the probiotic supplement showed significant improvements in their condition compared to infants given placebo. The authors conclude that enhanced intestinal barrier function leading to decreases in antigen translocation were responsible for the clinical improvements in the infants.
Anticarcinogenic activity Research is uncovering anti-carcinogenic activities that can be partially explained in terms of functions already discussed, such as lowering intestinal pH, reducing populations of toxin-producing bacteria, and enhancing immune function. The organic acids produced by probiotics also have a mildly stimulating effect on gut peristalsis, hastening the removal of potentially carcinogenic toxins from the intestinal tract. Recent research has shown that cell-wall components of certain probiotic organisms may promote specific immunological activity against malignant cells. In one animal study, Bifidobacterium longum was shown to inhibit mammary and liver carcinogenesis. This study is exciting because it suggests the anticarcinogenic activity of probiotics may extend beyond the intestinal tract.
Local is best All naturally ingested probiotics are local — from a mum's birth canal, the surface of her nipples, the raw vegetables, the dirt that we crawl on and later the fermented foods that we consume. Today, however, with the development of refrigeration technology and aviation, probiotics are imported from North America, Europe and Japan. If you are supplementing with probiotics, make sure it is local as these are best able to survive in your gut. If they survive, you thrive. The food that you consume – and hence, the food of your probiotics – is very different from that of Americans, Europeans or Japanese. This was why the winner of the Nobel Prize for medicine, Elie Metchnikoff, named the bacteria he was working on, Lactobacillus bulgaricus as it was cultured in Bulgaria.
No comments:
Post a Comment