Prebiotic food: healthy bacteria

Microflora, or intestinal flora, called billions of bacteria that live in the human digestive system. It is a delicate balance of good and bad bacteria. Beneficial bacteria helps the digestive system to break down food nutrients that can be used by the body. When the digestive system is working correctly the number of beneficial bacteria is much higher than the amount of harmful. The balance of the intestinal flora can be disrupted due to the impact of internal and external factors. What are prebiotics, and the difference between prebiotics and probiotics? How to use prebiotics and probiotics safely and effectively regulate the micro-organism and maintain good health in general?

Probiotics

Prebiotics are necessary to promote growth of probiotics. Probiotics, prebiotics feed. Probiotics - a food containing living cells of beneficial microflora. One of the most popular foods is a probiotic yogurt. Here are a few examples of probiotics.

• Dairy products: yogurt, buttermilk, miso or kefir, cottage cheese and some mature cheeses.
• Soy products: miso, tempeh.
• Fruits and vegetables: sauerkraut, kimchi (pickled cabbage in Korean), tsukemono (sauerkraut in Japanese), kortido (sauerkraut in Latin America), pickles (Indian dish).
• Other products: wine, bread from sourdough, tofu and soy sauce.

Probiotics are live microorganisms originally present in the human intestine. They are extremely important for our health.

• They help the immune system fight infections, allergies and poisoning toxins.
• They regulate the digestive system, reduce lactose intolerance, as well as facilitate the manifestations of irritable bowel syndrome.
• Contribute to the absorption of nutrients, as well as the conversion of vitamins and minerals.
• Maintain a healthy colon.
• Contribute to the proper operation of the body's cells.
• Maintain the health of the genitourinary system.
• Good for health of the skin and respiratory system.
• Helpful in losing weight.

Probiotics also have other functions:

• Inhibits the growth of "bad" bacteria that cause the disease.
• Break down food during the digestive process.
• Produce lactase enzyme that promotes the absorption of milk sugar.
• The synthesis of vitamins in the intestines.
• Change the level of the acidic environment in the gut.

Probiotic food is synonymous with probiotic supplements. The growing demand for probiotic foods for two reasons.

• We realized that our diet contains enough probiotics, or their contents may fall below the optimal level.
• Understanding that maintain the necessary level of beneficial bacteria helps to minimize the damage caused by "bad" bacteria.

Furthermore, despite the fact that in the body of probiotic organisms is about ten times larger than the cells and the probiotics comprise about 70% of our immune system, it is often the situation when the number of probiotic microorganisms falls below the optimum level.

Antibiotics, for example, destroy not only harmful but also beneficial bacteria we need for health. In this case, to restore the level of "good" bacteria. Probiotics also spontaneously killed by severe stress. Subject to improper diet, due to environmental pollution and so on. Taking into account all these factors, recent clinical studies indicate that it is necessary to include in the diet of probiotic foods. This will help to heal a number of diseases, prevent disease and improve overall health.

What are prebiotics

Prebiotics - it is the food of probiotics. Mainly consist of non-digestible prebiotic carbohydrates. Typically, prebiotics include inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, polydextrose, arabinogalactan, lactulose and lactitol.

No matter what form used prebiotics: in their natural form in food, food supplements Food additives - basic classification   or in foods enriched with these substances - they work as follows. Generally, prebiotics are termed "soluble fiber" in the human body and they are not digested. Thus, prebiotics fall from the stomach into the intestines, where beneficial bacteria utilize them as food by fermentation. So Prebiotics stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Prebiotics are necessary to maintain efficient operation of beneficial bacteria. Otherwise, the possibility of active proliferation of harmful bacteria and the emergence of health problems.

The sources of probiotics include unrefined / whole grains, certain types of raw fruits and vegetables such as kiwi, asparagus, sweet potatoes, bananas Bananas: the benefits and harms health , Apples, berries, artichokes, chicory root, yam, barley, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, garlic, onions, peas.

Features and functions of prebiotics

• Prebiotics are not digested; That's great, is not digested food.
• Prebiotics fall within the gastrointestinal tract, where they serve as food and probiotic growth stimulator.
• Prebiotics are heat resistant.
• Prebiotics can be found in many foods, such as fresh garlic Garlic health: almost a panacea .
• Prebiotics can be isolated from plants (e.g. chicory root).
• Prebiotics can be synthesized (e.g., by fermentation of sucrose).
• Prebiotics neutralize harmful or pathogenic bacteria inhabiting in the intestine.
• Research has shown that probiotics improve absorption of some minerals (such as calcium and magnesium).
• Prebiotics also inhibit the increase of intestinal damage as adenoma and carcinoma Carcinoma - how to prevent disaster? Thereby reducing the risk of colorectal diseases.
• Prebiotics are not able to raise blood glucose or insulin levels.

Health benefits of prebiotics

• The increase in the growth of probiotics: probiotics create conditions favorable to the propagation of beneficial bacteria and inhibit the growth of harmful yeast.
• Protection against colon cancer: Studies have shown that probiotics are capable of stopping the development of colon cancer in the early stages of the disease.
• Absorption of calcium and minerals in the colon increases the absorption of calcium, which reduces the loss of mineral from bone.
• Improving immunity: significantly enhanced immune factors on the walls of the colon, which increases the body's resistance to infections. Children reduced the incidence of allergies and asthma. Significantly increased levels of the body's resistance gastrointestinal and respiratory infections.
• The impact on appetite and body weight: recent studies have shown that the inclusion of prebiotics in the diet leads to a decrease in appetite after a meal or reduce feelings of hunger and more rapid saturation.
• Improving the intestinal motility: the intestine is emptied easier to a greater extent and more regularly.
• Treatment of leaky gut syndrome: a rare disease in which the cells between the walls of the intestine produce large gaps. Through these can penetrate the blood bacteria, toxins and food remnants. The prebiotics enhance the intestinal wall and reducing their permeability ("leaky" intestine) and, hence, penetration of toxins.