Bacteria have an important role in a person’s health. People have the misconception that all bacteria are bad for health. The truth however is far from it. In the human intestine, the beneficial bacteria control the growth and activities of the bad bacteria. These good bacteria also help in building and maintaining a strong barrier in the gastrointestinal region against the invasion of the bad bacteria and viruses.
The human intestine has maximum surface area among all organs. The surface area of the intestine is 150 times larger than our skin. This helps in better absorption of nutrients and at the same time make it vulnerable against the bad bacteria and viruses. That is why the role of the beneficial bacteria become all the more important. The total number of bacteria in the intestine is estimated to be more than 100 trillion (which is far higher than the number of body cells). The nature created our body in such a way that we are a host to both good and bad bacteria, where the beneficial bacteria controls the activity of the bad ones and in addition to that provide our system with a great deal of other benefits.
Benefits of Probiotics:
The word probiotic means “favorable to life”. The concept of probiotics is not new, fermented milk products (like Indian Curd and buttermilk) is a good source of probiotics. These were used in the Indian Subcontinent to replenish the body with the friendly bacteria for health benefits for 1000s of years. However only in 1907, a Russian Nobel Laureate Elie Metchnikoff proved the concept that the friendly bacteria can kill or prevent various disease causing bacteria. Some of the other benefits of probiotics are
- A vegan will not get any Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) in his normal diet. However the beneficial bacteria in our intestine will produce the required vitamin B12 for the body to absorb.
- Probiotics shorten the duration of infectious diarrhea
- Prevent diarrhea associated with antibiotic therapy
- Prevent eczema
- Control Asthma
- Prevent Milk Protein Allergy
- Control Inflammation after colon surgery
- Prevent Crohn’s disease
- Prevent Vaginal Infection
- Prevent dental decay and peridontal disease
- Prevent Intestinal damage
Probiotics are truly a timeless concept. There are several diseases that can be treated without antibiotics and by the usage of probiotics. However prevention is better than cure, a daily dosage of right amount of probiotics in the form of probiotic yogurt (the Indian Curd or buttermilk) can go a long way in making your body immune to the bad bacteria. If you don’t have access to Curd then you can try Acidophilus Supplement Capsules