Probiotics and Garlic

Probiotics are live microorganisms, or friendly bacteria, similar to those in the gut. Found in supplements and many foods, such as garlic, probiotics can be used as complementary and alternative medicine, according to the National Institutes of Health. Probiotics help restore bacterial balance in the digestive system, which can be damaged by certain antibiotics and illnesses. Travelers who experience digestive upset may be able to relieve unpleasant symptoms by eating foods rich in probiotics.

Benefits

Probiotics like garlic can alleviate childhood allergy attacks and reestablish the bacterial balance in the digestive system of patients taking antibiotics, according to the 2008 article Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics, published in "Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology." Garlic is often taken as a supplement to help treat high cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure. Garlic's gastric benefits include protecting against stomach and colon cancers.

Features

Garlic is a pungent bulb used to flavor foods. The cloves of the bulb may be diced, crushed or left whole during the cooking process without damaging the garlic's probiotic benefits. Vinegar does kill the beneficial bacteria, however. Garlic may be consumed raw or cooked or in liquid, pill or powdered form as a dietary supplement. Individual body chemistry dictates whether garlic will cause unpleasant breath or other side-effects; "odorless" garlic supplements may be appropriate to obtain the benefits of garlic without side effects. Yogurt, acidophilus milk, miso, sauerkraut, soy beverages and tempeh also contain healthy probiotics.

Function

Garlic and other probiotics are part of a new line of study of foods referred to as nutraceuticals. In the 2006 article Nutraceuticals --- An Emerging Era in the Treatment and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, published in "Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology," the authors define nutraceuticals as foods with medicinal properties that can aid in preventing as well as treating some diseases. Probiotics can help reduce the effects of bacterial gastroenteritis in children, according to a 2004 study by Flinders University's Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development Program. Children under the age of five are especially vulnerable to diarrhea. Foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, garlic and cheese provide live lactic acid bacteria, or probiotics, that can help prevent gastroenteritis and other gastric disorders.

Types

Garlic is an allium, related to onions, which also carry probiotics. While a supermarket may have only the giant elephant garlic, which is actually a leek, and ordinary small white bulbs of garlic, more than 600 sub-varieties of garlic exist worldwide, according to Gourmet Garlic Gardens' website. Artichoke garlics (sativums or softnecks) are the small white garlics seen most in supermarkets. Other varieties include the hot (strong) Ajo Rojo, turban garlic and the purple striped Asiatic garlic.

Considerations

The study of probiotics, prebiotics and their marriage into synbiotics is still developing. Ongoing research into the benefits and possible drawbacks to consuming garlic and other probiotics will continually provide more answers into how and why these foods benefit the body. Because garlic and other probiotic foods are not drugs, supplements made from them are not regulated. Consult a physician before embarking on a program to add significant amounts of garlic and other probiotics to your diet.