It’s Interesting

Medicine and Stanford Hospital and Clinics researchers discovered the beneficial effects of probiotics on enhance of weight-loss programs.

What os probiotic? This is food that contains live bacteria, which is considered beneficial and not harmful to humans. The first example of probiotic food was the introduction of acidophilus to milk, which in some cases helped people who had difficulty digesting milk to be able to tolerate milk better. The specific bacteria used in probiotic food like acidophilus milk is Lactobacillus acidophilus. Such milk was available in the 1920s, and yogurt predates it, but was not specifically supplemented for probiotic effects. How does bacteria look? I guess something like this:-)

Most probiotic food is fermented at least partially. A short list of probiotic food choices includes miso soup, some soft cheeses, yogurt products like kefir, sauerkraut and many pickles. Those who feel probiotic food is beneficial are now also interested in prebiotic food. It does not generally contain bacteria but appears to help healthy bacteria grow in the intestines. Prebiotic foods include Jerusalem and regular artichokes, oats, honey, many fruits, and goat’s milk. Human breast milk is also thought to have prebiotic properties that may explain why it so benefits the human newborn.

Many people add probiotic bacteria to their food or take it in capsule form. However, it is unclear how well probiotic bacteria work. Lactobacillus GG, one of the newest probiotics, has shown that it can survive processing by the gut and be especially beneficial to the colon. Not all probiotics have shown evidence that they promote better intestinal health. Some studies do show that eating yogurt during antibiotic treatment may help prevent diarrhea, and is beneficial in reducing risk of yeast infections in women.