He found out that they contain the same living microorganisms as in our gastrointestinal tract, which help him to function successfully. The process of creating a fermented milk product is simple: milk is fermented with the help of one or another type of bacteria, and as a result, yoghurt, kefir, yogurt are obtained - it all depends on which bacterium participated in the process. However, no matter how different tastes of a fermented woman, acidophilus or ayran, they have a similar beneficial effect. At those sour-milk products which we see on shelves of shops, "narrow specialization" does not exist. Their effect and purpose are approximately the same: normalization of intestinal microflora and increased immunity. The healing properties of fermented milk products are all in our article.
Protection system
The intestinal microflora are microorganisms that participate in the process of digesting food and provide the intestine with immune defense, producing antibiotic-like substances. In addition, they help to neutralize toxins formed during digestion. Another important function of these bacteria is the production of vitamins, for example vitamin B12, which regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body, and folic acid necessary for the development of the circulatory and immune systems. (And by the way, it practically does not come to us with food.) The microflora of our body is a complex and unstable system. Overfatigue, emotional stress, infection, chronic diseases, prolonged use of antibiotics, unbalanced diet, changing sleep and rest regime - all this can kill certain bacteria and create favorable conditions for the development of others, which as a result becomes too much. The consequences of such shifts in the intestinal microflora can be very diverse: it is a violation of the motility of the gastrointestinal tract (in other words, diarrhea or constipation), increased susceptibility to infections, possible allergic reactions associated with the fall of immunity. In addition, when we experience stress, we stop eating regularly, and then there may be nausea, pain and discomfort due to intoxication with our own pathogenic microflora. Including a known condition called "traveler's diarrhea", when due to a change in the climate, food, or food, intestinal disorders occur. " Such "shifts" are exactly what doctors call a state of dysbiosis or dysbiosis. This disease, and it is treated by all the same bacteria, only the patient receives them not from yogurt, but from the drugs prescribed by the doctor based on the analysis to restore the microflora. Because "uncontrolled intake of a probiotic drug depending on its duration will either lead to the same dysbacteriosis, or will not have any positive effect. But to prevent dysbiosis, there are probiotic products with their preventive effect. Useful bacteria are in yeast bread, kvass, cereals ... but practically in an inconspicuous quantity. Their main source is sour-milk products.
Create a comfortable environment
For intestinal microflora, proper nutrition is a varied diet. And of course, including sour-milk products to maintain balance in the microflora. Also, a medium that is comfortable for it is created by cellulose and organic acids contained in cereals, nuts, vegetables, fruits and especially in germinated grains. But products with a high content of chemical components - for example, sweet carbonated drinks - lead to a significant reduction in the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Poorly influenced by them food with a high sugar content (it causes the processes of fermentation and decay), as well as an excess of refined products in which there is not enough fiber.
Only living
Today, the benefits of sour-milk products are no longer in doubt. They can be attributed to the so-called functional nutrition, which, in addition to proper nutritional benefits, also has the property to benefit our health. " However, in order for this benefit to really manifest itself, it is necessary to fulfill several important conditions. Probiotic strains contained in fermented milk products must pass through the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract, where they are found, for example, with gastric acid. Therefore, they must have qualities that will enable them to overcome such barriers and settle in the colon. " One of such qualities is, paradoxically, the very number of bacteria. That the sour-milk product effectively worked on the prevention of dysbiosis, the total content of microorganisms in it should be no less than one million per milliliter. In medicinal preparations with probiotics, the dose increases many times. But for microorganisms to "work", they must remain alive. And for this they need special conditions, primarily temperature ones, then they will be able to remain active for six weeks. Recommended temperature of storage of fermented milk products is from 4 to 8 ° С. But in the warmth the activity of bacteria rises, and their life cycle may have ended earlier than we will have time to benefit from yogurt or kefir.
From a store or pharmacy?
How to choose "your" sour-milk product? By their own taste, experts are encouraging. To date, scientists number up to 600 strains. Fermented milk products, as a rule, contain three main types: bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and enterobacteria (E. coli). Each of them should always be present in our microflora in balance with the others. Do we all need probiotics? The answer is simple: everyone! Restrictions are possible only if a person has an allergic reaction to the product or if it has lactose insufficiency, that is, milk intolerance. Probiotics can be for us the prevention of many diseases: allergies, gastritis, stomach ulcers, liver diseases. A healthy person needs two or four glasses of a sour milk product a day. But if he suffers for a long time from a change in stool or pain in the stomach, then it is worth talking only about the probiotics prescribed by the doctor. And a few more considerations. It is not recommended to use too acidic drinks (for example, acidophilus or matzoni) for those with increased gastric acidity. And people with excess weight should pay attention to the percentage of fat content of the product. In any case, if there are doubts, a nutritionist or nutritionalist will come to the aid, who will be able to choose a sour-milk diet, taking into account the individual needs of the organism. Prebiotics are substances of a non-microbial origin that are not digested by digestive enzymes and not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. They create conditions for the reproduction of "personal" bifido and lactobacillus. This is the main difference between probiotics and prebiotics: probiotics are living bacteria, of which our microflora consists, and prebiotics create a favorable environment for them, as if their food. The concept of prebiotics scientists formulated only 15 years ago. These substances are in small quantities in dairy products, oats, wheat, bananas, garlic, beans. But their content there is very small, so if necessary, preparations with prebiotics are prescribed by a doctor.