The 21st century is the scene of many changes in society. One of them, and not the least, concerns health. Where the post-war period saw the birth of fast food and pre-cooked meals promoting obesity, heart disease and therefore premature death, now is the time to respect one's body and its vital needs.
And who says good health, says healthy digestive system. This is how health professionals have become increasingly interested in the intestinal flora, a vast ecosystem containing several billion bacteria responsible in large part for our well-being.
A natural solution for intestinal rebalancing, probiotics are enjoying well-deserved success today. But what are they? And how do they work? Back on these food supplements like no other.
What is a probiotic?
Two types of bacteria live permanently in and on your body: some are good, some are bad. It was in the 1950s that bacteriologist Werner Kollath 1 baptized these bacteria: probiotics. Probiotics are made up of good bacteria and yeasts, which contribute to the health and proper functioning of your body.
Probiotics help digest food, destroy pathogenic cells or produce vitamins. They are therefore partly responsible for your general state of health . Many microorganisms in probiotic food supplements are the same or similar to microorganisms that naturally live in our bodies.
trendy probiotics
In 2015, the global probiotics market was worth US$41 billion. The SARS-COV-2 pandemic seems to have further boosted demand for natural remedies such as probiotics. A study by DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences found that the percentage of probiotic users taking supplements daily increased from 37% to 61% between November 2019 and May 2020 2 .
But what do the doctors think?
Seeing these figures, it is logical to wonder if we are dealing with a fad, a lucrative business or a real evolution towards better health? In 2020, a telephone survey of 1318 general practitioners across 8 countries showed that 80% of them recommend probiotics to their patients 3 .
A study conducted by Professor Hanssen in collaboration with Griffith University in Australia has shown that the ingestion of probiotics improves immune balance and sleep while reducing stress 4 .
How do probiotics work?
So how do these little microbes that are so precious to our health work? Researchers are still trying to understand the exact mechanisms behind how probiotics work. But here's what we do know:
Types of probiotics
Many types of bacteria are classified as probiotics. They all have different benefits, but most fall into two groups:
Lactobacillus
It is perhaps the most common probiotic. It's the one you'll find in yogurts and other fermented foods. Its different strains help in particular to fight against diarrhea and also help people who cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk.
Bifidobacterium
This is found in some dairy products. It may help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and certain other conditions.
What are they doing exactly?
Among other things, probiotics help move food through the gut by affecting the nerves that control bowel movements . Researchers are still trying to figure out which ones are best for certain health conditions.
Here are some of the common conditions they treat:
- irritable bowel syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Diarrhea caused by antibiotics
- Intestinal hyperpermeability, porous intestine
- Infectious diarrhea (caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites)
| A study conducted by the International Probiotic Association revealed that 65% of men between the ages of 55 and 65 reported positive effects of probiotic dietary supplements on their health, and this figure rises to 85% in women between the ages of 40 and 55 years old. 5 |
What is the difference between prebiotic and probiotic?
But in our gut, probiotics don't work alone. They cooperate closely with prebiotics to maintain the healthiest possible flora.
What is a prebiotic?
Prebiotics are plant fibers that act as fertilizers that stimulate the growth of probiotics in the gut.
Prebiotics are found in many fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain complex carbohydrates, such as fiber and starch. Not being digestible by your body, these carbohydrates become, via the digestive system, food for bacteria and other microbes.
Consuming prebiotics and probiotics in a complementary way
As you will have understood, if you do not have fertile soil in your intestines for the cultivation of probiotics, consuming them will only have a relative effect. It is therefore recommended, to build a healthy intestinal flora, to consume both types of supplements.
Humicol + Beocin: The optimal combo
As said before, prebiotics are fuel for probiotics, in the form of fiber. They are not only there to help the development of probiotics taken in supplements, but are also a fertilizer for the probiotics already present in your digestive organs. Taking a capsule of Humicol during lunch helps to spread its digestion over a longer period by allowing it to distribute itself better in your digestive tract.
Probiotics, on the other hand, should be consumed on an empty stomach, so that they reach the intestine as quickly as possible and are not “killed” by stomach acids and enzymes.
However, Beocin Forte is deliberately contained in a gastro-resistant capsule so that it acts in the right place in your intestine.
The combination of Beocin and Humicol is the optimal formula for healthy intestines and a balanced intestinal flora . Using them in symbiosis leads to better digestion, less fatigue and improved immune system efficiency.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic
- https://probioticreviewgirl.com/probiotic-statistics/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338499557_European_General_Practitioners_perceptions_on_probiotics_Results_of_a_multinational_survey
- https://www.chr-hansen.com/en/media/press-releases/2021/4/new-study-probiotics-may-offer-immune-balancing-benefits-while-improving-sleep-and-stress- of-rotate
- https://probioticreviewgirl.com/probiotic-statistics/
