Probiotic for children and adults: when to use and what it helps with
All about probiotics: what they are, when to use them and how they work.
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.And to the antibiotic, a shielding probiotic - many people have heard this from their doctor. You may well have associated living bacterial cultures from TV adverts.
It's true, probiotics are the bacteria and yeast that reside most in our intestines. However, what's remarkable about them is how crucial a role they play in keeping your body healthy.
From this article you will learn:
- What probiotics are and what types of probiotics there are. .
- What probiotics are found in. .
- What ailments probiotics can help with. .
- How to take them and whether they can be overdosed. .
See also:
.
- Prebiotics
- Synbiotics
- Psychobiotics
- Sodium butyrate
- Antioxidants
- Adaptogens
- Best liver supplements
- Best heartburn pills
- Best over-the-counter sleep pills
What is a probiotic?
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Probiotics are live cultures of bacteria and yeast that naturally populate the human digestive tract to form its microflora. These bacteria help digest food and assimilate nutrients from it. Their metabolic products, or postbiotics, can protect the body from pathogenic microorganismsand.
Expert explains that when looking for a probiotic in a pharmacy, you should look at its composition, which should be written as follows:
- genus (e.g. Lactobacillus), .
- species (e.g. rhamnosus), .
- strain (e.g. ATCC 53103), .
Interesting facts
Foods containing probiotics were already appreciated by ancient civilisations (e.g. the ancient Egyptians), but Ilya Ilyich Mechnikovand was the first to introduce beneficial bacteria and yeast to the scientific world. He proved the health benefits of consuming fermented milk products (yoghurt and kefir) and linked them to the bacterial and yeast cultures present.
Probiotic versus prebiotic
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Probiotics are the bacteria and yeast that live in our digestive system, and prebiotics are the undigested food residues that provide food for them. Prebiotics therefore increase the amount of probiotic bacteria in the bodyand.
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The combination of probiotic and prebiotic ingredients in one product creates a synbiotic.
Natural probiotic
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Although probiotics are most often associated with the pills you buy at the pharmacy, you can also get live bacteria cultures into your body with diet. Live bacteria cultures can be found in products such as:
- yoghurts, .
- kefir, .
- buttermilk, .
- sugared milk,
- sour milk
- sauerkraut,
- sauerkraut
- sauerkraut,
- pickled cucumbers.
Some advice on probiotic-containing foods is provided by Magister of Pharmacy Ilona Krzak:
- Probiotic yogurts are those that have a specific strain of bacteria used in their production. They can be referred to as probiotics. They are usually the organic type of yoghurt.
- Probiotic yoghurts are those that have a specific strain of bacteria.
- When dealing with dairy products, it is advisable to choose less fermented ones. .
- The closer you get to the expiry date, the less live bacteria cultures you will find in the product. This is because the bacteria produce, among other things, butyric acid and lactic acid, which have a bacteriostatic effect and limit their growth in the product.
- Sauerkraut can provide probiotic bacteria provided it is pickled correctly, i.e. without air. Most probiotics are anaerobic bacteria. By making pickles small-salted (under a plate, with access to air) - the good bacteria are lost. .
"Therefore, for a specific clinical action, it is advisable to use probiotics in the form of pharmaceutical preparations containing probiotic microorganisms that are encapsulated and coated so that they reach the large intestine and colonise there. And treat probiotic foods as support in the therapeutic process," adds Mirosława Gałęcka.
Types of probiotics
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There are seven basic strains of probioticsand:
- Lactobacillus, .
- Bifidobacterium, .
- Saccharomyces, .
- Streptococcus, .
- Enterococcus,
- Escherichia,
- Bacillus; .
The first two - Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are lactic acid bacteria - most commonly found in diet supplements and OTC (over-the-counter) medicines. It is easy to supply them with food, just consume lacto-fermented productsand.
Each probiotic strain may have specific effects and differ from the others in terms of the effects of its supplementation. In the following article, you will learn which probiotic strains to use for which ailments.
Magister of Pharmacy Ilona Krzak lists what criteria a probiotic should meet:
- must have the ability to colonise the gut, .
- Must be resistant to gastric juice and bile acids, .
- Must have the ability to adhere to the intestinal walls,
- Must not produce harmful bacteria.
- must not produce metabolic products that are harmful to humans, .
Who can use probiotics?
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Because probiotics are microorganisms that occur naturally in the body - anyone can use them, regardless of age. The important thing is to take them in the right quantities and to follow your doctor's instructions or the manufacturer's recommendations in this regard.
Probiotics for babies
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The intestinal microflora in infants is only just developing. Diarrhoea, intestinal colic or constipation in them may be the result of disorders related to the microbiotaand. If this is the case, a probiotic may be helpful, but it is imperative to consult with a neonatologist or paediatrician.
Editorials
Meet the teamIlona Krzak obtained her Master of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of Wrocław. She did her internship in a hospital pharmacy and in the pharmaceutical industry. She is currently working in the profession and also runs an educational profile on Instagram: @pani_z_apteki
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