PROBIOTICS are known as “healthy bacteria” and refer to the live microorganisms that are present in fermented foods and cultured milk. When consumed in sufficient amounts, they exhibit favourable properties towards health, right from benefitting the skin to enhancing the immune system.
Types of Probiotics
- Lactobacillus species-this refers to a group of lactic-acid-producing bacteria in the human gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. They are considered friendly bacteria and provide nutritional benefits like increasing the bioavailability of minerals.
- Bifidobacterium species- It uses glucose and, as a result, produces lactic and acetic acids in the form of by-products.
- Bacillus species- It is a lactic acid-producing bacteria, which might reduce harmful bacteria from taking charge and dominating our system
Probiotic-rich foods
1 Yoghurt– It is a popular fermented dairy product, and is one of the best sources of probiotics as a carrier food. Apart from providing almost all the essential amino acids that our body needs, it can also deliver considerable amounts of helpful bacteria when ingested. It is supposed to be effective for lactose tolerance, immune enhancement, and the prevention of gastrointestinal disorders.
2 Cheese– In comparison to other fermented milk products, cheese can serve as a useful carrier to deliver microorganisms into the human gut. The dense texture of cheese, especially fresh cheese, can make it probiotic food to help in conveying beneficial microorganisms.
3 Lassi– It is a yoghurt-based beverage, and is a probiotic food of Indian origin. It aids in boosting the growth of beneficial microorganisms and is associated with enabling the smooth processing of intestinal activities. Lassi may play a role in maintaining cholesterol levels too.
4 Pickles– Various vegetables such as cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, carrots and other vegetables and certain fruits have been subjected to lactic fermentation since ancient times to preserve them. Probiotic fermentation of vegetables is considered healthy and safe and serves as a means of inculcating good bacteria in food. The Indian kitchen is very well-versed with a variety of pickles, and most households are well-equipped to make pickles, and many types of pickles are also available in food stores.
5 Tempeh– It is a kind of traditional fermented food made from soybeans, and has a high content of soluble fibres that serve as food for microorganisms. It also expresses microbial harmony. When consumed along with soymilk, both can help regulate and improve the composition of gut microbiota.
6 Miso– It is a fermented soybean paste that possesses beneficial effects on human health. Ingestion of miso may strengthen the immune response.
Health benefits of probiotics
1 Gut health– probiotics can easily thrive in the gastrointestinal tract and also eliminate harmful competitors, thus ensuring the ecosystem of microorganisms within our intestine stays healthy. Bowel diseases like Colitis and Crohn’s disease have been linked to gut health and microorganism flourishing in it. Since the advantages of probiotics include their ability to act as an anti-inflammatory and enhance immunity, they can help prevent and/or treat these conditions.
2 Immunity enhancement– favourable cultures can stimulate immunity. Probiotics’ benefits include their therapeutic applications in the treatment of infections and carcinogenesis.
3 Hypocholesterolemic effect– Probiotic foods benefit cholesterol levels as they help reduce total cholesterol as well as decrease the Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) which is known to be the type of ‘bad fat’ harmful to our body. They can also interfere with cholesterol absorption, thus ensuring our body excretes it.
4 Probiotics in diabetes and obesity– Insulin is a hormone that is secreted to maintain blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance is a condition when our cells can not obtain insulin, due to which the sugar in our blood increases. It is observed that the gut flora has a role to play in the behaviour of insulin resistance as well as body weight, and can be influenced by the consumption of probiotics.
5 Skin health– The benefits of probiotics are also linked to their positive effects on the skin. The ingestion of beneficial microorganisms may improve atopic eczema as well as wound and scar healing. Besides probiotics could help with overall skin rejuvenation.
6 Oral health– Antibiotic- resistance bacteria have been extensively studied, thus hinting at the advantages of probiotics in boosting oral health. They may be used to prevent oral diseases such as dental cavities.
While probiotics benefit our health in a variety of forms, for them to be effective in restoring normal flora, they must be able to persist in the intestine. Thus, it necessitates the selection of non-toxic and stable probiotics foods that will reach the target cells and help the person reap maximum benefits for good health.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
9th August 2023