Probiotic yogurt has become one of the latest and greatest things in Western health culture, even though probiotics have been used and promoted vigorously in Eastern medicine for a number of years already. Most people are introduced to probiotic yogurts through its marketing and advertising – but what does it really do, and what are probiotics good for? Probiotics are essentially living and active cultures of bacteria that have a beneficial impact on the environment of the digestive track. All yogurt naturally contains probiotics, however, the yogurts marketed as being probiotic usually contain an additional strain of beneficial bacteria, known as acidophilus. Much research has gone into studying the various types of probiotics and most manufacturers and scientists who deal with them claim great things and many people have found relief from not only digestive disorders, but an increase in their overall energy and mood.
The Benefits of Probiotic Yogurt
While our bodies do have their own natural storage depot of beneficial bacteria, it can become wasted and depleted over a period of time due to such factors as a bad diet, stress, building up of toxins in the intestines, antibiotics and certain diseases such as Irritable-Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The probiotics in yogurt help to replenish the body’s storage supplies of these good bacteria. The body also depends on these bacteria to aid with digestion and the regulation of the digestive process and the immune system. Having inadequate amounts of probiotic bacteria in the digestive track can lead to common digestive disorders and problems as well as some immune system problems and even the aggravation of allergies within the body.
These good bacteria also help the body by promoting a favorable environment for nutrient absorption, meaning you can potentially get more nutritional value per meal. Another distinct advantage is that these bacteria will help the regulate the speed at which the food passes through the digestive track – if it is too slow, a number of toxins will build up, causing constipation and depressing, whereas if the food is passing too quickly through the digestive track the body will be unable to absorb enough nutrients before the food is lost. If food passes too quickly through the process, it can also trigger the immune system to become activated and begin mistaking food in the digestive track for a foreign body, or invader. An over active immune system in the digestive system causes more problems then most people realize. IBS, immune system disorders and allergies can all have origins from this problem – it is also not uncommon for many gastrointestinal disorders to arise from issues such as these.
What Is The Best Probiotic Yogurt?
Ideally you want to find a probiotic yogurt that has the three most major strain of beneficial bacteria, and these would be: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and usually Streptococcus thermophilus. A good number of probiotic yogurt brands advertise their product as being able to give you extra energy, able to regulate your bowel movements and even help promote weight loss. These effects, as you now know, are all due to the fact that the beneficial bacteria in your intestines are able to help regulate how your body and your immune system interact to regulate you and the digestive process entirely.