probiotics Archives - Cathy Biase

We go together
Like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong…

Are you a Grease fan? Yes? No? Undecided? It really doesn’t matter because from here on in what I’m going to focus on has nothing to do with one of the all-time best movies EVER! Except for one stolen line from a song.

And in this space what goes together are food sources that contains both prebiotics and probiotics.

Here is a simple equation that I want you to put into memory:

Prebiotic Food + Probiotic Food = Symbiotic Food

And here is why. If you want to improve your gut health or maintain the good gut health you already have, there are two things you must do. Consume probiotic foods and consume prebiotics foods. And for the biggest bang for your buck consume them together.

Probiotic foods contain beneficial organisms that help our gut perform its duties. They have amazing health benefits for us.

Examples of probiotic foods are sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, yogurt, kefir, miso, natto, pure apple cider vinegar (with the mother in it) and true balsamic vinegar.

As a side note here, in order to deliver the beneficial organisms from fermented foods to the gut, as well as the enzymes these foods also contain, do not heated past a temperature of 118 degrees F (48 C).

Prebiotics are types of fibre like inulin, resistant starch, GOS and FOS that help feed our good bacteria. Prebiotics also enhance the absorption of calcium and magnesium and are involved in appetite regulation as well as lipid metabolism.

Examples of prebiotic foods are Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, garlic, onions, beans, lentil, citrus fruits, pears, apples, bananas, berries, almonds broccoli which contains soluble fibres like inulin and FOS.

Resistant starch (starch that escapes from digestion in the small intestine) is found in foods like legumes, potatoes, wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice, spelt, kamut, and other grains.

GOS is found in dairy products.

We have two types of bacteria strains in our gut: residential and transient.

Residential bacteria strains are the bacteria that live in our gut naturally and we must re-populate them to stay healthy. We need prebiotics to help us feed and increase our residential bacteria.

Transient strains of bacteria pass through us (usually within 3 days) but while they are there, they help the gut do its work and keep us healthy. Probiotic foods contain transient bacteria.

Knowing this, it’s easy to understand why consuming both prebiotic and probiotic foods on a regular basis is essential. It nourishes our gut microbiome and helps to establish new colonies of microorganisms.

Symbiotic Eating

Back to this equation:

Prebiotic Food + Probiotic Food = Symbiotic Food

Symbiotic food combines the characteristics of probiotic food and prebiotic food. Specific foods that are symbiotic are tofu, sauerkraut and tempeh.

Eating symbiotically by combining foods can be as simple as mixing banana slices into your yogurt or serving sauerkraut with a meal that contains garlic and onions.

Research is continuing to discover how fascinating these substances in food are and how together, with our good bacteria, they are involved in a complex relationship to help us be healthy.

References:

“The benefits of symbiotic foods” SHA Wellness Clinic

Inulin-Type Fructans: Functional Food Ingredients1,2 Marcel B. Roberfroid, 2007 American Society for Nutrition

Health effects of probiotics and prebiotics A literature review on human studies, Henrik Andersson, Nils-Georg Asp, Åke Bruce, Stefan Roos, Torkel Wadström, Agnes E. Wold, Food and Nutrition Research, Vol 45, 2001

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics: approaches for modulating the microbial ecology of the gut 1,2M David Collins and Glenn R Gibson, 1999 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

Lowbush Wild Blueberries have the Potential to Modify Gut Microbiota and Xenobiotic Metabolism in the Rat Colon

Alison Lacombe,Robert W. Li,Dorothy Klimis-Zacas,Aleksandra S. Kristo, Shravani Tadepalli,Emily Krauss, Ryan Young,Vivian C. H. Wu mail Published: June 28, 2013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.006749

A Systematic Screening of Total Antioxidants in Dietary Plants1, Bente L. Halvorsen et al, Institute for Nutrition Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo; Akershus University College, Bekkestua, Norway; †Agricultural University of Norway, Ås, Norway; and the Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Current knowledge of the health benefits and disadvantages of wine consumption, John F. Tomera, Trends in Food Science & Technology – TRENDS FOOD SCI TECHNOL 01/1999; 10(4):129-138. DOI: 10.1016/S0924-2244(99)00035-7

Probiotics have become a common supplement in many people’s daily health plan. But what exactly are probiotics? What are their benefits and how do we know which one to choose?

The term probiotic is derived from the Greek language meaning “for life” but for our purposes I will use the definition as per the World Health Organization.

WHO defines probiotics as:

live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.”

For clarification, ‘live micro organisms’ are beneficial bacteria. ‘The host’ is you.

Now what exactly qualifies as live also needs to be clarified. In a scientific space, ‘live’ refers to ‘survivability’. Survivability through the harsh environment of the stomach, through the small intestine and in to the colon.

Of great importance also, is the fact that the beneficial bacteria that we consume when taking probiotics do not colonize in the gut. They confer their health benefits but within days of stopping use, the probiotic it is no longer found in the gut. This means that these bacteria are transient.

Benefits of Probiotics

The studied benefits of probiotic are many. There is strong and increasing evidence supporting beneficial effects of probiotics to:

improvement of intestinal health
enhancement immune response
reduce levels of serum cholesterol
prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea
cancer prevention

Within the cancer sphere, the exact mechanisms are under investigation.

studies have demonstrated that certain members of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. decrease the levels of carcinogenetic enzymes produced by colonic flora through normalization of intestinal permeability and microflora balance as well as production of anti-mutagenic organic acids and enhancement of the host’s immune system.

In vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that probiotic bacteria might reduce the risk, incidence and number of tumours of the colon, liver and bladder.

Now if you have taken the foray in to the world of probiotic supplements it can be a confusing arena.

First let’s take a look at the naming of probiotics.

Probiotics are named according to Genus, Species and Strain. In this example Lactobacillus Gasseri M58820, “Lactobacillus” is the genus, “Gasseri” is the species and “M58820” is the strain. This is commonly abbreviated to L. Gasseri M58820.

Now that we have naming aced let’s consider what goes in to you purchasing the right probiotic.

3 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Probiotic

What are you taking your probiotic for?

Different probiotics will be beneficial for different health conditions. In one study for example a group of people who took a combination of Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 and Bifidobacterium longum MM-2 showed decreased inflammatory markers after 3 weeks of use.

Determine the health reason that you want to take a probiotic for and research the strains best suited to help you.

Is the supplement company reputable?

There are many reputable supplement companies with good quality probiotic products. Some offer many strains of bacteria in their supplements. Some may offer single strains. Some companies offer both. Many are research backed and offer novel delivery methods.

Check out the company. Read their research and settle upon a company that resonates with you.

Is the strength appropriate for the strains used?

The strength of a probiotic is the number of Colony Forming Units or CFU’s found on the label

Some probiotics may be effective at dosages of 1–2 billion CFU per day, while others may require at least 20 billion CFU to achieve the desired effects.

The number of colony forming units that you need really depends on what you are using the probiotic for.

For general good health, experts recommend between 6 to 10 billion CFU’s each day.

For minor health problems 20 to 30 billion may be adequate.

For more serious health problems, professionals may recommend higher doses. VSL#3 for example could be recommended for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis. It contains over 100 billion CFU’s.

Do your research. Ask these questions and you will find what works best for you.

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References:

https://seed.com/probiotics-101/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045285/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20187714/

https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-probiotics#how-to-start

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25909149

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Tag Archives: probiotics