Author: Karen Lennox
Time for reading: ~2
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are normally contained in the intestinal microflora ...
Our body is inhabited by as many microorganisms as there are probably cells. They are contained mainly and mostly in the intestines, some of them aid digestion, others are considered conditionally pathogenic, ie in certain circumstances the latter can harm our health and cause diarrhea , constipation, flatulence , bloating and / or pain. in the abdomen ... That is why it is extremely important to keep the intestinal microflora in balance and to prevent dysbacteriosis.
Dysbacteriosis is not a disease, but a symptom that manifests itself for some reason. To solve the gastrointestinal problem, the underlying disease must be treated. Taking probioticsin such cases it is not a solution - moreover, the effectiveness is contradictory - but sometimes it can make sense.
When gastrointestinal discomfort is due to the intake of antibiotics , it is appropriate to increase the consumption of probiotics or they are imported into the body in the form of supplements. To make sense of their intake, products containing them should be taken two hours after antibiotics. Thus, it is assumed that the amount of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal microflora is maintained, which prevents the dominance and growth of pathogens in its composition.
In most cases, diarrhea in children is associated with rotavirus infection . In this case, it is recommended to increase the intake of products with lactobacilli, which shortens the disease by half, according to experts.
According to some studies, probiotics help even with lactose intolerance , no matter how contradictory it may seem.
As for the fact that yogurt - as a major source of probiotics - boosts immunity, scientists say the opposite is true. There is no way this product can affect the common cold or reduce the incidence of respiratory infection and cough. It is also pointless to take probiotics in the form of prophylactic supplements.
They may be more useful in disease and antibiotic therapy. Because the tabletor the capsule has a coating that prevents the loss of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli upon contact with hydrochloric acid in the stomach, something that cannot be completely assumed when consuming the lactic acid products containing them. However, which preparations can be expected to work effectively can be said by the doctor or pharmacist who has an idea of the production process of one or another product.
As for prebiotics, you should first know that these are carbohydrates that serve as food for probiotics. It is completely unnecessary to swallow in the form of supplements - they are contained in sufficient quantities in vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, asparagus, onions, garlic, artichokes, bananas. If you expect the dysbacteriosis to go away with their intake - this cannot happen. This can only supplement the effect of the probiotics taken during antibiotic therapy.