"Functional" foods contain beneficial properties over and above their normal nutritional value. Probiotics, produced by the action of bacteria, usually lactic acid, and yeast are useful microorganisms that assist the gastrointestinal tract by breaking down sugars and carbohydrates to promote good digestion, boost the immune system, and maintain proper intestinal pH. There are two main types of microbes used in probiotics: Lactobacillus, or lactic acid bacteria, and Bifidobacteria.
Types
Probiotics were first used for lactose intolerance in the form of Acidophilus in milk. This bacterium primarily inhabits the small intestine and vagina, promoting efficient digestion, especially of dairy products. Lactobacillus lowers pH levels, creating a hostile environment for vaginal and urinary tract infections and may be responsible for inhibiting bacterial intestinal diseases, such as E. coli and Salmonella.
Bifidobacterium is most dominant in infants, but reduces as people age. Residing mainly in the colon, these microorganisms protect the intestinal lining and prevent the absorption of toxic disease-causing nitrates. In addition to helping with the manufacturing of B-complex vitamins, Bifidobacterium regulates bowl movements, according to the Environmental Illness Resource website.
Probiotic Foods
Probiotics are most common in dairy products that contain fermented live bacteria, such as selected yogurt, soft cheese, cottage cheese and kefir. Many fermented soybean-based foods are probiotic, such as tofu and tempeh. Other probiotic foods include some pickled products and sauerkraut, sourdough bread and alcoholic drinks, including wine, cider and beer. You can also take probiotics as a supplement in tablet, capsule or liquid form. Probiotics appear in snack bars, powdered drink additives and baby foods.
Benefits
Normal flora produces essential nutrients, generating by-products that reduce the risk of developing digestive disorders and disease. Many studies are inconclusive in proving that every probiotic boosts intestinal function and is safe or appropriate for all uses. However, probiotic bacteria-host relationships play a defined role in maintaining some important health benefits in certain cases. A study by the Digestive System Research Unit, Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Spain, to demonstrate the usefulness of bacteria to human health, concluded, "Probiotics and prebiotics are known to have a role in prevention or treatment of some diseases."
Probiotics have an impact on the prevention of diarrhea in infants, both antibiotic-associated, AAD, and from the rotavirus, the cause of intestinal infections like stomach flu. The "Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology" reported the conclusion of a clinical trial that determined the effect of probiotics on antibiotic-associated diarrhea in infants. The study shows that prevention against AAD in infants was obtained by a daily oral dose of probiotic compounds.
"The American Journal of Clinic Nutrition" deduced, from the results of 49 studies dealing with the effects of probiotics on disease, that the consumption of Lactobacillus to shorten rotavirus diarrhea, is well established.
References
- The Environmental Illness Resource: Probiotics and Prebiotics: Types of Probiotic Bacteria
- 1st Probiotics: Probiotics Food: Give Your Family Only The Best Probiotics Food For Their Daily Diet
- PubMed.gov: Gut Flora in Health and Disease: 2003 Feb 8;361(9356):512-9.
- Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology: A Randomized Formula Controlled Trial of Bifidobacterium Lactis and Streptococcus Thermophilus for Prevention of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea in Infants: May/June 2005 Volume 39 Issue 5: pp 385-389
- The American Journal of Clinic Nutrition: Effects of Probiotic Bacteria on Diarrhea, Lipid Metabolism, and Carcinogenesis
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