The benefits of probiotics
PROBIOTICS are live bacteria and yeast that are good for your health. Since recently, more foods, especially those tailored for babies, have been touting probiotics as part of their ingredients, and commercials and advertisements will list some of the benefits like aligning bacteria in the gut, helping to prevent gas, or simply keeping your digestive system healthy.
According to Dr Winston Dawes, CEO of Mahogany Health and Fitness, there are more bacteria than human cells in our bodies — 10 times as many.
He said while diets rich in sugars can cause diseases like diabetes, in our immune system the bacteria flora by itself can cause diseases. Dr Dawes explained that taking a long course of antibiotics can alter your bacterial flora and sometimes causes an overgrowth of fungus which leads to the diseases.
At this point, Dr Dawes explained that it would then be suitable to take probiotics.
“The bacteria also produce substances which assist in digestion and in the absorption and production of vitamins. Probiotics consist of healthy bacteria that will recolonise the gut and make it healthier,” he said.
He explained that not enough research has been done surrounding probiotics, but regardless, some people believe in it.
“We don’t know enough about the number and the types of bacteria that each individual has and what is the natural and normal thing,” he said.
Probiotics help with digestion and help protect against the bad bacteria in the body.
It can be found in foods such as yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products, and prebiotics, which act as food for probiotics, can be found in breast milk.
–KH
