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Our intestinal flora is exposed to harmful factors every day. We often disrupt it ourselves. Meanwhile, her condition affects not only gastrointestinal ailments, but also immunity, tendency to gain weight, allergies and depression. Therefore, using high-quality probiotics is a good investment in your health.
Bacteria inhabiting the digestive tract, i.e. microbiota is nature’s richest ecosystem and affects all our cells. Its composition determines health and immunity. The balance between our body and two kilograms of bacteria in it is disturbed by highly processed food, a diet low in fiber, taking medications, excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and even excessive exercise. Therefore, you need to take care of the microbiota. – Good-quality synbiotics, such as Lactostad, can restore our intestinal flora to the proper condition within a few weeks – says biologist Dr. Patrycja Szachta from the Vitaimmun Medical Center in Poznań. He adds that our body sends signals that the microbiota needs more care. Unfortunately, we often neglect or misinterpret them.
Declining immunity
Frequent viral and bacterial infections may result from disturbed intestinal flora. About 70% of the cells of the immune system are found in the digestive tract. Everything that enters our body – food, liquids, medications – is controlled and selected in the digestive system. That is why all immune forces must be concentrated there. In addition, in the stomach, duodenum and intestinal epithelium there are receptors that can be a target for viral, bacterial and fungal particles. The main training of our body’s immunity is the intestinal flora, from the first days of our lives, when the intestine is colonized by bacteria.
That is why we must take care of the microbiota throughout our lives to keep the immune system in good shape. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that this is the most effective defense against infection. In addition to probiotics, it is worth providing adequate vitamins and minerals during this period to further support the body’s immunity, such as zinc and selenium. There are products on the market that combine probiotics with vitamins and minerals, e.g. the Lactostad Immuno dietary supplement.
Digestive system ailments
Chronic abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, constipation and acid reflux can be caused by disturbed intestinal flora. Every day, intestinal bacteria produce a large amount of short-chain fatty acids from dietary fiber, which regenerate the gastrointestinal epithelium destroyed by improper diet, drugs or alcohol.
They also regulate intestinal peristalsis so that it is not too fast, which can result in diarrhea, or too slow, because it can result in constipation. Many bacteria also have the ability to detoxify and can neutralize toxic substances. The desirable ones also lower the intestinal pH, protecting against the growth of harmful microorganisms. So if we are often troubled by ailments related to the digestive system, we also need to take care of the condition of our microbiota. How can I do this? A diet consisting largely of vegetables and fruits rich in fiber will be the key here. It is also worth not to forget about physical activity.
The severity of your allergy
Diseases apparently not related to the intestines may arise from abnormalities in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The proper intestinal ecosystem influences the maturation and differentiation of immune cells, and the proper functioning of the immune system also reduces the risk of developing allergies, which are, after all, a dysfunction of this system. Allergies occur when the immune system reacts in an extreme way to foreign substances or allergens, which usually do not cause any harm to most people. A bacterial imbalance in the gut can also aggravate food allergies. Therefore, in the case of frequent allergies, it is worth considering the condition of the bacterial flora of our intestines. The intestinal bacteria are also a factory of B and K vitamins. And let’s remember that vitamin deficiencies also have a negative impact on our immune system.
Weight gain
Research on the intestinal flora has shown that its composition may be related to the tendency to gain weight. Intestinal bacteria have the ability to break down polysaccharides and extract energy from them. The microbiome, by decomposing fiber into short-chain fatty acids, provides up to 200 additional kcal per day. Some bacteria can also inhibit intestinal transit, which promotes increased nutrient absorption. The type of bacterial microflora may also determine the intensity of fat storage by the body. Let us remember that obesity is not only a defect in appearance, but also a factor contributing to civilization diseases and cancer.
Fatigue and deterioration of psychophysical condition
An imbalance between the different types of bacteria, yeast, and fungi in the digestive system can cause depression. Depending on the type of bacteria that dominate the digestive system, we may have a better or worse mood.
The gut is often called the second brain because these organs are interconnected. About 90% of serotonin, known as the happiness hormone, is also produced in the digestive tract. And intestinal bacteria play a huge role in its production. So when we take care of the gastrointestinal microflora, our mental well-being will also improve.
How Do I Pick a Good Probiotic?
Dr. Patrycja Szachta emphasizes that a good probiotic must reach the large intestine through the very unfavorable environment of the stomach and small intestine. He recommends a synbiotic, i.e. a combination of a probiotic with a prebiotic that helps it colonize the intestines. He adds that preparations containing several strains of bacteria are the best for the reconstruction of the intestinal microflora, because each of them has different properties. Lactostad for adults is such a preparation, which contains 50 billion bacteria and provides 4 selected strains of bacteria. The specialist adds that not all available probiotics are of good quality. – You should pay attention to whether each bacterial strain contained in the preparation is described with a three-part name. It should contain information about the type of bacteria: eg Lactobacillus, about the species: eg Acidofilus and the collection number of the strain culture, which is the “passport” of the bacteria, eg la-14. Then we can check in the professional literature how a given strain works – he explains.
How to take probiotics
It should also be remembered that probiotics do not stay with us forever. It is an army that supports our forces when they cannot cope because they have been decimated by excessive stress, poor diet and medication. Once they do their job, they leave the body. This usually takes 21 days. Therefore, we should take probiotics for more than two weeks – explains Dr. Szlachta. During this time, they have to fight microbes that are multiplying too actively. Probiotics are able to effectively compete with them for a binding site on the surface of the intestinal epithelium, and thus pathogenic bacteria have nowhere to multiply. They also produce organic acids, and pathogenic bacteria don’t like acidic PH.
Dr. Szachta also explains that probiotics cannot be replaced with yogurt or silage, because the bacteria contained in the probiotics have been isolated from the gastrointestinal tract.
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