We always thought microbes were the bad guys, we thought they made us sick. But there are millions strains of micro organisms in the world and while some of them cause diseases, others improve our health. In fact, without these good microbes called probiotics, we wouldn’t be able to digest many of our favorite foods and would instead get sick more often! Yes, these good microbes are present in our guts and not just in small numbers but 400 species of bacteria form the ‘gut flora’ i.e. bacterial lining around the borders of the human intestine that helps smooth digestion.
Probiotics is a 14 billion dollar industry and is thriving in the US. Companies in India, especially those selling milk products have caught up on the trend and many have incorporated probiotics in their products. Amul started this trend with introduction of ice creams (ProLife) with probiotics and then Nestle (NesVita) and Mother diary (b-Activ Dahi) followed with curds with probiotics. Yakult, the Japanese brand known world over for selling probiotic drinks has also made a presence in India with brand ambassador Kajol.
In this article, we inform you about probiotics and about the probiotic products available in the market-
Yakult is a Japanese company selling probiotic drinks since 1935. Yakult contains fermented milk with probiotic bacteria of Lactobacillus casei strain, discovered by Yakult’s founder Mr. Minoru Shirota. The company is marketing Yakult to be consumed everyday for improving digestion, helping immunity and fighting infections. Yakult is packaged in a bottle containing 65 ml of the liquid to be consumed at once.
The company claims that one bottle of yakult contains 6.5 billion lactobacillus casei which is greater than any other probiotics product. Yakult has a shelf life of 40 days when stored under 100 C.
Sweety Das, Nutritionist working in DENMARC (Diabetes Endocrinology Nutrition Management and Research Centre) says, “Drinking Yakult does help, there are many studies which show that probiotics helps digestion and even reduces flatulence (formation of gas in our intestine).” When asked which is better yakult or curd, Sweety replied that since not all the bugs in curd are good for us and only few survive in the environment of the stomach, yakult is much more effective.
Yakult contains Skimmed Milk Powder, Water, Sugar, Glucose, Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, added natural and natural identical flavors.
However because it contains 18% of sugar makes it unsuitable for diabetics and those who are trying to lose weight.
Dr. Shweta also agrees that though it can be taken by everyone without consulting the doctor, those who are overweight or suffer from diabetes should avoid yakult because of the high sugar content. She says that they can consult their doctors and start the probiotic capsules.
Curds and Ice creams: Curds and ice creams are another way of getting your dose of friendly bacteria. Since we are already used to eating curd, we have no problem accepting it but as for yakult it is different for our taste buds. Also curd does not contain sugar which makes it ideal for everyone including diabetics.
Ice creams are also good way to get the probiotics but one cannot have them every day as the sugar content in them makes them undesirable for those who want to lose weight and suffering from diabetes.
Capsules: Other than the commercial probiotic products, there are the probiotic capsules which can be taken for getting the benefits. These capsules cannot be taken over the counter and only doctors can prescribe these for you. Dr. Shweta says “It makes more sense to consume probiotic capsules as they are inexpensive.” You can also get more specific results out of probiotic capsules than through products.
“No magical pill”
People may think that taking a probiotic drink or popping a capsule a day will ensure that all the unhealthy things they do like skipping meals, eating less fiber in their diet, will be wiped away and they will have great immunity. But that’s not true; Dr. Shweta says “Probiotics are not a quick fix, you have to take them every day to get best results, also they do not make all the diseases go away. If you are feeling down, recovering from an illness or with weak digestion, taking probiotics will help you recover faster and better.” She says that it is can really help when you are on strong antibiotics which may kill the friendly bacteria in your guts too. Taking probiotics then will help to counter the antibiotics’ side effects too.
Postive side:
No side effects: Research shows that there are no side effects of probiotics in healthy people. However there are chances of side effects if you are suffering from intestinal and other health problems.
Effective against many ailments: Probiotics have been proven to be effective against many ailments. Primary research shows that these products are effective against the diseases that have not been effectively treated through traditional treatments.
Sweety adds to the benefits by saying “Probiotics are also known to reduce inflections, reduce the side effects of antibiotics and improve absorption of vitamins and minerals.”
Negative side:
Research unsure about effectiveness: A report in Food Standards Agency says that out of the probiotic products they tested in environment similar to that of the digestive system, most of the strains did not survive the acidic environment of the stomach. The probiotic strain Yakult survived the environment in one test but not in another test.
Another report in WHO’s (World Health Organization) bulletin has expresses doubts about the ambitious claims made by the companies regarding benefits of probiotics. It says that more solid evidence is needed to prove the actual benefits before companies sell their products as health products.
Needs to be taken daily: For the probiotics to be effective, you need to consume them every day. Dr. Shweta says, “The probiotics work in a way that you get the benefits for some time and then they die, you need to take it on a daily basis to enjoy all the benefits.”
Eating it every day may be expensive: A single bottle of Yakult costs Rs. 10 which isn’t very high but if you consider taking it every day for a family of four will make it little expensive. Sweety says, “If taking probiotics everyday seems expensive and if you have a good lifestyle with strong immune system, you don’t need to take it every day.” She however adds that those who have a stressful lifestyle, who travel frequently and suffer from digestive problems, need to take their daily dose of probiotics.
All good bugs aren’t the same: It is true that probiotics help with the digestive ailments and help building immunity but there is no one strain of bacteria which does it all. For example according to experts, there are different probiotics for improving immunity, different probiotics for treating diarrhea and another one for eczema. So you can’t have one all solution. But what you can do is take specific products or tablets to get the benefits of the one you need.
Bad for those with weak immune system and serious stomach ailments: One study published in magazine, Lancet shows that probiotics given to patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis or inflammation of pancreas suffered from a higher mortality rate than patients who weren’t. The researchers in this suggested that probiotics cannot be considered as a harmless supplement to nutrition to those with acute diseases or weak immune system.
What to check for in probiotic products:
- Read the pack carefully and select the products which say “contains active culture” like lactobacillus.
- Do consult a doctor if you are – pregnant, are giving it to child, suffer from disease of the pancreas or suffer from intestinal bleeding.
- You need to buy a probiotic product with at least 1-9 billion colony forming unit (CFU) in each dose of the product for it to be effective.
Natural Foods with Probiotics:
Probiotics is an old discovery and many of us were eating it before we even came to know about its benefits. Here are some foods with probiotics:
- Yoghurt or curd
- Buttermilk
- Cheese
- Dosas, idlis and uttappams
Dr. Shweta Iyengar says, “Everyone can get the benefits of probiotics by taking a bowl of curd which also contains friendly bacteria. Though they are not as enhanced as the commercial products, but they will be beneficial just the same.”
So if you think you want the benefits of probiotics but don’t know where to start, the homemade curd and buttermilk will be a good place and consult a doctor before you start any commercial probiotic product! So make friends with the friendly bacteria, it will only help you.
References:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/10/healthmag.probiotics.stomach/index.html
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/9/09-020909/en/index.html
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2007/08/23/stories/2007082350110300.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/probiotics/AN00389
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0905c.shtml
