Surely, on more than one occasion, you have heard of probiotics. And if you have not heard it, do not worry because, throughout this article, we are going to explain what they consist of and the multiple benefits they can bring to your body.
It can be said that, basically, they are very good for your intestinal flora and your body. Although, to understand what they are, you must also know what microbiotics are. This refers to a set of microorganisms that reside in our body. Most of them are found in the digestive system, but we can also find them on the skin, in the genitals, in the mouth and in the lungs, among other places. The microbiota plays a fundamental role in strengthening our immune system.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria for health
In each individual, the microbiota is different, almost like the dna and its composition depends on many factors such as diet, lifestyle, drug use, environment or not having pets.
For their part, probiotics are beneficial bacteria for our health that live in the digestive system. Among its main benefits are the following that we list:
- Avoid constipation.
- Prevent high cholesterol.
- Help prevent some food allergies.
- Reconstruct the intestinal flora after some pharmacological treatment.
- Avoid fungus caused by certain medications.
- Fight diabetes.
- Improve irritable bowel symptoms.
What are prebiotics?
On the other hand, prebiotics, despite having a similar name, are not the same. Prebiotics are plant fibers, unable to be absorbed by our body but equally beneficial. Fundamentally, they are polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that favor the growth of healthy bacteria such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria and are even capable of modifying our intestinal microbiota.
If you want to ingest prebiotic fiber, it can be found in well-known foods such as garlic, onion, lentils, artichokes, asparagus, leeks, and whole grains, among others. In addition, they are present in many fruits and vegetables.
In recent years, special importance has been given to the microbiota and probiotics, highlighting their ability to improve people’s quality of life, caring for and improving their composition. If we learn to feed our good bacteria, we can get rid of the bad ones and enjoy good health, both digestively and overall.