Foods carry organisms that colonize the intestinal tract. The foods that carry beneficial organisms are called probiotics. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy explains.
Probiotics deposit "good" organisms that help maintain a healthy intestinal tract, fight invading harmful organisms and offer benefits for fighting allergies, cancer and heart disease.
The LSU AgCenter nutritionist says probiotics have been around since early human times, but they have been used more extensively in Japan and Europe than in the United States to treat various ailments. Normally, people have more than 100 trillion friendly organisms of 400 different types in their intestinal track. If harmful bacteria dominate, illness, gastro-intestinal distress and diarrhea can result.
For example, Roy says an unbalance can occur during antibiotic treatment. Both good and bad bacteria are wiped out with antibiotics. After treatment, the most active and rapidly growing bacteria take over. Eating a probiotic like yogurt can help reestablish the good bacteria. The good bacteria convert sugar to acid and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria.
"Probiotics are particularly useful for gastrointestinal disturbances such as inflammatory bowel disease," Roy says, adding, "In these situations, the beneficial bacteria condition the intestinal wall and make it healthier." She notes that probiotics are also helpful in children with diarrheal diseases. They can both protect against and treat diarrhea of various origins.
Another benefit of probiotics is the reduction of allergies in those who consume probiotics regularly, according to the LSU AgCenter nutritionist. She cites a study done on pregnant women, and followed in the infants up to 2 years of age, showing a decrease in skin disorders at age 2 in those whose mothers received a probiotic food daily for two months prior to delivery. The treated group had half as many skin disorders as the untreated group. Researchers concluded that the beneficial bacteria enhanced the immune response.
Probiotics are also thought to reduce cholesterol levels, Roy adds. The beneficial bacteria prevent cholesterol absorption in the intestinal tract. She notes that studies have shown a reduction in cholesterol absorption and an increase in cholesterol excretion with probiotics.
The longest known probiotic is yogurt. It contains the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus. These bacteria are thought to be responsible for the longevity of the eastern Europeans, who in the past generally consumed a very meager diet, but yogurt was one of their staple foods.
More recently, buttermilk, frozen yogurt and some cheeses have been found to contain beneficial bacteria. Acidopholus milk does, too. Acidopholus is a friendly bacteria and helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy.
When shopping for probiotic foods, look for terms such as "live yogurt culture" or "active culture." Bifidobacterium is another friendly organism.
Roy says the amount of live bacteria in foods such as yogurt, cheeses and frozen products depends on the temperature and length of storage. Over extended storage time, bacteria die. Temperature is also critical. Ideally, foods with live bacteria should be kept at refrigerator temperatures.
Roy also recommends contacting an extension agent in your parish LSU AgCenter office to learn more about probiotics.