A few amazing facts about probiotic

Here are some fast and amazing facts about probiotic that you should know.

1.Your intestinal tract has over 100,000 billion micro — organisms.

This means that there are approximately 10 times the number of micro—organisms in your body than there are cells!

2.Your body plays host to more than 500 different species of bacteria.

Only 50 per cent of the strains are known to mankind.

We do not yet know what some of them do.

3.The bugs in your intestinal tract are able to cover a full tennis court, if spread out

4.You have, at any one time, 1 — 2kg of bacteria in your intestine.

5.Most bacteria just live in our intestinal tract, doing nothing, but many are essential to our well — being.

6.The bacteria genome is vastly more complex than the human genome.

“Genome” refers to the total genetic material of an organism.

7.All babies are born completely sterile.

A baby’s gut microbiota is established during the first few months of life.

After this period, the microbiota remains remarkably stable, unless upset by powerful antibiotics, poor eating habits and stress.

8.The combination of micro—organisms present in the gut is unique for every individual — almost like fingerprints.

9.Lack of exposure to health — promoting micro — organisms is thought by many to be the reason why certain diseases like allergies and asthma are increasing in affluent societies.

10.In order to work effectively, a true probiotic needs to be derived from human origin — usually cultivated from breastmilk and a mother’s vaginal tract. Help the good bugs Here are some things that you can do help the good “bugs” in your gut live well and longer:

a.Avoid antibiotics.

They kill all germs — good, bad and neutral

b.Avoid water with chlorine and fluorine in it.

They kill germs too.

c.Avoid meat that you know has been fed with antibiotics.

d.Go for organic fruit and vegetables.

Conventional fruit and vegetables have some harsh chemicals in them that can harm bacteria.

e.Avoid highly refined foods — starch and sugars — that kill bacteria and encourage fermentation and growth of other bacteria.

f.Take cultured foods like yogurt, kefit, tempeh and tapai.

g.Take probiotic supplements.

If you do, make sure that the probiotics are of local origin.

Ask your pharmacist to point to brands that are of locally derived strains.

Remember the more “local” they are, the better and longer they will survive in the gut.

h.Look for bacteria locked in spores.

Spore forming bacteria are coated in spores that allow them to better survive the harsh stomach acids that would otherwise kill them.