Phenomenal World was recently part of a health meet on probiotics by Dupont Nutrition at Chancery Hotel Pavillion. I probably heard probiotics in food the first time in 2004 when I saw probiotic yogurt in London. Yakult brought more awareness to the Indian consumer about the gut being an important part of digestion and general well being. This event was a good insight on what is probiotics, what kind of product should you buy and is there something called too much of probiotics.
What is Probiotics?
Probiotics are living microorganisms (or bacteria) that provide numerous health benefits. These bacterias have a symbiotic relationship with our body and aid in boosting health and immunity especially in the gut (intestines) by giving the digestive system a shot in the arm. Yoghurt is one of the best examples I can give you for foods with probiotic culture. Different probiotics address different health conditions so choosing the right type probiotic is essential. Even when you buy look for the CFU (Colony Forming Unit) in the product. You will need a range of atleast 5 Billion (for kids) to 15 billion (Adults). The curd or yoghurt that is consumed will not be able to provide this on a regular basis. This is why supplements are important. Yakult is one brand I know which is now doing well by spreading awareness of probiotics and its benefits. There are others of course. No this is not an ad for Yakult and I am not associated with the company and neither are they sponsoring this blog 🙂
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most common form of probiotics. These are “friendly” bacteria that normally live in our digestive, urinary, and genital systems without causing disease. The curd that I mentioned above has Lactobacillus. Bifidobacterium are usually found in the gastrointestinal, vagina and mouth of mammals including humans. I remember the doctor prescribing Bifilac to my kid during a bout of diarrhea
That Gut feeling is Real !!
The gut is the source of may of our medical problems right from gastrointestinal problems like constipation to diarrhea, acidity, indigestion to yeast infections common in women. The microorganisms in the gut is called gut flora.
Your gut flora performs many functions that are important for health. It manufactures vitamins, including vitamin K and some of the B vitamins. It also turns fibers into short-chain fats like butyrate, propionate and acetate, which feed your gut wall and perform many metabolic functions. These fats also stimulate the immune system and strengthen the gut wall. This can help prevent unwanted substances from entering the body. The diet you follow can impact the gut flora. An unbalanced gut flora is linked to numerous diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s and depression. Probiotics can help correct this balance.
Is there such as thing as too much probiotics?
It is very difficult to over indulge in probiotics. The body consumes as much as needed and the rest is excreted out.
The Event
After welcome by Reena Chaudhary, Communications Specialist and Kiran Punjabi, sales manager, the event really took off with Prateek Nag, Regional Product Manager introduced the concept of the “good bacteria”. This was followed by The Science of Probiotics by Dr. Anders Henriksson from Dupont Nutrition and Probiotics in Food Vs Probiotics In Medicines by Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi.
You can check out the live videos here
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Key Takeaways
It was a brilliant and insightful meet with the experts and I am much wiser to what probiotics is and am more inclined to make this part of me and my family’s diet.
Happy Faces
Of course you cant leave without selfies with the expert
References
http://www.dupont.com/corporate-functions/our-company/businesses/nutrition-and-health.html
https://www.culturelle.com/resources/culturelle-cfu-count
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-are-probiotics#1
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-super-healthy-probiotic-foods
