The Holy Bacteria

The idea of some bacteria being good for you is hard to appreciate - at best, it appears to be an oxymoron. But nutritionists agree that there’s a little “environment" in our intestines that houses both harmful and beneficial bacteria. This microbiome, as scientists call it, requires a balance between the good bacteria and the bad ones to sustain good health.

Pro-biotics

This is where probiotics come to play a great role in your gut health. Probiotics is derived from the words ‘pro' which means supporting and ‘biotic' which means life, and they do just what their name implies. Studies have shown that these good germs are capable of reducing the risk of hearts disease, diarrhoea, and even mental health in general. A review of 15 human studies found supplementing with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains for 1–2 months can improve anxiety, depression, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and memory.

Immune Booster

Even more intriguing is the claim that these bacteria go a long way to boost your general immunity. Ironic right? some probiotics have been shown to promote the production of natural antibodies in the body. They may also boost immune cells like the IgA-producing cells, T lymphocytes and natural killer cells which help to fight infections in the body.

The benefits of these good germs are numerous , but their sources are quite few. Why are these bacteria restricted to fermented foods?  Foods that are fermented go through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food, creating lactic acid. This process creates an environment that preserves the food and promotes beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as various species of good bacteria. It’s important to note that some foods lose these vitamins and good bacteria during this process and hence, not all fermented foods contain probiotics, for example, alcohol.

Some people may find fermented foods distasteful and , somewhat, strong-scented,  and may resort to supplements instead. However it’s quite clear that whether it’s from Greek yoghurt or from a simple bowl of maske (iced kenkey), we need these good bacteria to survive, take a bowl of these for a healthier gut. 

Hope you learnt something new here, even if you haven't, leave something in the comments for me please. And oh, it's anonymous, thanks.

References

1. Reid, G., Jass, J., Sebulsky, M. T., & McCormick, J. K. (2003). Potential uses of probiotics in clinical practice. Clinical microbiology reviews, 16(4), 658–672. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.16.4.658-672.2003
2. Wang, H., Lee, I. S., Braun, C., & Enck, P. (2016). Effect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review. Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility, 22(4), 589–605. https://doi.org/10.5056/jnm16018
3. Hempel, S., Newberry, S. J., Maher, A. R., Wang, Z., Miles, J. N., Shanman, R., Johnsen, B., & Shekelle, P. G. (2012). Probiotics for the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA, 307(18), 1959–1969. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.3507