Probiotic Health Benefits for Baby and Pregnant Women | Probiotics during Pregnancy

Probiotics for Pregnant Women:

Experts have found out that babies, if given a probiotic are less likely to suffer from fever and infections.
Professor Seppo Salminen, the director of Functional Foods Forum at the University of Turku, Finland, says, breast milk contains millions of beneficial bacteria, which act as probiotics.
Pregnant women should have a probiotic during the last trimester (last 3 months) of pregnancy and during the lactation period (breast feeding), so that the favorable and therapeutic effect is passed on to the baby.

If the woman does not breast feed, the baby food formula ought to incorporate a pro-biotic in it.

Probiotics Facts:

Probiotics were first discovered about 100 years ago, when, Russian scientist, and Nobel laureate Elie Metchnikoff observed that Bulgarian peasants who consumed lots of curd (fermented milk) lived longer and healthier lives.

What are probiotics?

• Probiotics are beneficial bacterial cultures such as lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Probiotics have significant health benefits and should be incorporated in the diet.
• Prebiotics are the food sources of the probiotics. They lead to the growth and multiplication of more gut flora. Unripe fruits, cooked pasta, yogurt and fermented milk products, and potatoes are good prebiotics.

Probiotics Health Benefits:

• Various probiotics have demonstrated immune enhancing and anti-tumor benefits. They make our immune mechanisms stronger, prevent cancers, and help in the detoxification processes of the body. They reduce the vulnerability to a host of infections and diseases.
• They fight conditions such as asthma and eczema.
• Beneficial bacteria maintain a normal intestinal flora, they balance and suppress harmful bacteria in the gut.
• Probiotics ward off several forms of diarrhea. Anti-biotic related diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea, and acute children’s diarrhea is managed well. They halt the infectious processes and pep up the gastointestinal function.
• They are also useful in the management of bowel disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.
• Probiotics stave off colds, influenza, fevers, and allergies.
• Different strains of cultured bacteria in dairy products, have a therapeutic effect on serum cholesterol levels.
• They keep the total cholesterol level and the low density lipoprotein level in check.

Probiotics Sources:

• Stick to natural sources of pro-biotics such as yogurt and other fermented milk products, rather than popping capsules, pills, or food products with added probiotics.
• Cultured milk and its products
• Milk is usually cultured using lactobacillus acidophilus (a strain of friendly bacteria).
• Cultured buttermilk is manufactured using whole or skimmed milk and lactococcus lactis strain.
• Kefir: Is a cultured milk product similar to yogurt.
• It contains different types of beneficial bacteria. Kefir can actually colonize the gastro-intestinal tract, a feat that even yogurt cannot accomplish.
• In addition, kefir also has several beneficial yeast which help eliminate harmful yeasts from the body.
• Cheese has loads of beneficial bacteria. It produces a growth factor, which stimulates the growth of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in the gut. They nourish the cells of the colon, prevent overgrowth of yeast, and also enhance calcium absorption.

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