Probiotics
Our expert Azmina Govindji discusses functional foods - the lowdown on those added extras
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Transcript
Presenter - Probiotics. I've heard a lot about probiotics. Again, I can't understand that. How can a probiotic be good for you and an antibiotic be good for you, and yet they are both opposites, aren't they? Pro and anti. It doesn't make sense! What's all that about?
Azmina - So -pro- generally means -for-, doesn't it? And -anti- is against. Right, so just let us go through that. So probiotic bacteria means you are actually taking something in that helps your own gut bacteria. We have about 400 species of bacteria residing in our gut. They are all happy there, create a lovely environment and they are good for us, and the reason why they are there is to help combat the harmful bacteria that come in via our food, via the air that we breathe, via everything that we touch etc. So they are our defence system. Around 70 per cent of your immune system actually resides in your gut. So it's really important to keep these bacteria alive and kicking and happy, and the way you can do that is with probiotics, because they work for your bacteria. The antibiotic kills the bacteria, because usually you'd have that when you have a cold or bad bacterial infection and you would take an antibiotic. And what that does is that kills off the bad bacteria but unfortunately it kills off the good bacteria and often you might get diarrhoea as well, which means you're losing all that good bacteria. So that's a really good time to think, -Oh, I've got to get the probiotic into me so I can balance the effect of the antibiotic.-
Presenter - How do we get probiotics into us? What foods contain probiotics?
Azmina - Masses of them. There are own-brand labels, there are manufacturer-brand labels, they are very clearly marked. They are usually in, again, another 100ml yoghurt drink type of pot and one a day would be plenty to just keep your gut going.
Presenter - That's interesting, because you are having two of these types of yoghurt drink: the ones which lower cholesterol and the ones which give you good probiotics.
Azmina - They're healthy anyway. Yoghurt's a great food. They will give you a little bit of calcium, a little bit of protein too. And if you are someone who feels you've got a dodgy gut - you know, you react to things or your immune system is comprised - it does help your digestion as well.
Presenter - Yes, what about bloatedness, for example, or the feeling of bloatedness? Probiotic drinks will help that?
Azmina - Yes. They will have different claims but generally these -bio- yoghurts etc will all help to reduce bloating, to help your gut bacteria, just help your digestion.
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