Probiotics - Beneficial Bacteria In Food

In 1908 Russian scientist Ilya Mechnikov discovered the positive effect of some bacteria, which contribute to the absorption of nutrients by the body, improve digestion and have other beneficial properties for health. For these discoveries, Dr. Mechnikov received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

According to modern scientific views, probiotics are defined as "living microbial biological additives, extremely useful for human health."

There are other definitions of the term "probiotics" adopted in recent years:

• Oral probiotics are living microorganisms that, when ingested in the digestive tract in certain amounts, have a positive health effect beyond that of the main diet. LABYP - consensus definition (Guarner & Schaafsma, 1998)
• Live microbial nutrients that are good for health - accepted for consensus definition by FUFOSE Concerted Action sponsored by the European Commission (Diplocket all 1999)
• Live microorganisms, given in adequate quantities, have a healthy effect on the host - a definition of the working group of the World Health Organization and the International Association of Probiotics (Reid et all 2003).
• Probiotic bacteria are living food supplements that are good for the health of the consumer - an official proposal from the European Commission.

• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Lactobacillus bulgaricus

In short, the beneficial effects that probiotics have on the body are the following:

• improve the digestibility of dairy products and other proteins
• stimulate lactose absorption in people who cannot absorb it
• support overall digestion and suppress the overgrowth of pathogenic microorganisms in the digestive tract
• suppress putrefactive processes in the stomach and intestines
• prevent the lack of B vitamins and vitamin K.
• support the healing process while taking antibiotics, etc. chemical substances
• restore the reduced intestinal microflora as a result of taking antibiotics
• prevent and treat diarrhea, including infectious
• reduce the risk of stomach diseases
• limit the occurrence of vaginal and urinary tract infections
• consumption of yogurt that contains specific species of Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium can stimulate the immune response
• help treat respiratory infections such as sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia
• reduce the risk of allergic diseases - asthma, food allergies and skin reactions
• help lower high levels of "bad" cholesterol
• reduce the risk of developing tumors of the bladder and colon

• Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) - short-chain sugars made up of fructose and glucose
• inulin - fructose-containing saccharide
• isomaltooligosaccharides - a mixture of glucose residues (isomaltose, panose, isomaltopentose, nygerosis, isopanosis, etc.)
• lactulose is a semi-synthetic disaccharide
• lactylol - a disaccharide analogous to lactulose
• lactose sucrose - a trisaccharide composed of galactose, fructose and glucose
• pyrodextrin - glucose-containing oligosaccharides obtained by hydrolysis of starch
• soybean oligosaccharides - trisaccharides (raffinose), tetrasaccharides (stachinosis)
• transgalactooligosaccharides
• xylooligosaccharides - obtained as a result of hydrolysis of polysaccharides
• galactooligosaccharide