Probiotic Facts

Let's start this discussion on probiotic facts by getting to know what probiotics are from a closer angle. So, what are probiotics? Well, probiotics are living micro organisms, usually certain species of beneficial bacteria, that are believed to impart health benefits to another organism - the host - if particular quantities of them are administered to the latter. The most common micro organisms that are administered as probiotics are Bifidus regularis and Lactic Acid Bacteria. Certain types of yeast are also included within the definition of probiotics, so are some particular types of bacilli. The tried and tested efficacy of probiotics in terms of improving the health of the host lies in their potency against disorders of the lower gastrointestinal tract, urogenital region and in boosting various immune functions. Now, let's take a look at some interesting probiotic facts and see how they are beneficial for us.

Facts and Information About Probiotics

• An average healthy human being houses around 100-300 trillion probiotic life forms, including bacteria and yeast, within his/her body. This means that there are more micro organisms in our bodies than there are cells (there are about 10 trillion cells in an average human body)!
• The total weight of all naturally occurring probiotics in our body comes to somewhere around 3.5 pounds which is more than what the brain weighs (3 pounds)!
• It's a misconception that probiotics reside only in our stomach and gastrointestinal tract. They are present everywhere in our bodies - eyes, ears, nose, mouth, lungs, appendix, armpits, joints, colon, tonsils, esophagus - you name it!!
• So you thought the appendix was a useless little organ that has been passed down since generations as remnants of our prehistoric ancestry, right? Wrong! Studies have shown that this little organ is the cradle of biologically occurring probiotics! The appendix is where the probiotics in our body incubate and the appendix has an active role in releasing probiotics into the cecum when the body is invaded by pathogens!
• Besides being effective against gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, constipation and improving digestive health, probiotics are also known to be effective against colon cancer, lactose intolerance, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.
• Fermented, curdled or churned food items such as yogurt, buttermilk, tempeh, kefir, misso (Japanese seasoning made from fermented grains or beans), kim chi (fermented cabbage), sauerkraut, etc. are top probiotic foods whose consumption provides us with natural probiotics.
• About 70-80% of our body's immune responses are activated thanks to probiotics!
• Probiotics are effective against even those pathogenic bacteria which are immune to antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics are responsible for lowering our immunity as they kill the good probiotic bacteria also. Read more about probiotics and antibiotics on Buzzle.
• All those 100-300 trillion probiotics that live inside our bodies are comprised almost 400 different species of microbes including bacteria, yeast and fungal cells!
• Probiotics aid the absorption of nutrients like copper, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, potassium, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and phytonutrients by our body. In the absence of sufficient amounts of probiotics, our bodies reject much of these nutrients during the course of digestion, thereby, leaving our system weakened despite eating the proper foods.
• The probiotics in probiotic supplements do not remain in our bodies for a long time. Therefore, it is better to eat probiotic rich foods to reap the complete health benefits of probiotics.
• Since the vaginal walls are richly lined by probiotics, a vaginal birth exposes the newborn to more of these beneficial microbes than a cesarean birth. This first dose of probiotics for infants automatically equips these tiny bundles of joy to face the various pathogens and infectants on their very first brush with the outside world.
• There are certain probiotic side effects that call for careful and moderate consumption of these supplements. These range from mild bloating to disruption of the metabolic machinery to over activation of the immune responses.

Those were some interesting probiotic facts and revelations. I'm sure you enjoyed reading them as much as I did writing them! As far as I am concerned, I never knew these micro organisms came with such a truckload of health benefits for their hosts. Whoever said great things come in small packages deserves three cheers for his/her observations that begot this profound and philosophically correct one liner!