Health Benefits of Probiotic Yogurt - Essay Example

Probiotic yogurt Introduction Probiotics can be defined as micro organisms that offer some kind of health benefits to the host. Probiotics are found in different kinds of foods including yogurt. They are believed to play a major role in regulating proper intestinal function and digestion which is achieved through balancing intestinal micro flora (Hunter, 2008). The probiotics or good bacteria are considered to be live micro organisms whereby if administered in the right quantity confer a health benefit to the host. This is according to the World Health Organisation. Probiotics are usually consumed in foods that have active live cultures such as yogurt. They are also available in supplements in form of capsules, chewable and liquid. There are various strains of probiotics but the most common are lactobacillus and bifid bacterium. Discussion Many of the health claims about probiotic yogurt still require more scientific research to be carried out in order to ascertain the claims. One of the major claim is that probiotic yogurt can change the makeup the gut bacteria for the better. A study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles in the USA discovered that probiotics can alter the brain function as well. As such, these findings could guide experts in creating dietary interventions that alter mood, anxiety, and stress as well as pain sensitivity. Scholars assert that symbiotic gut bacteria which are the complex ecosystem of micro organisms that are found in the human digestive system promote health benefits by boosting a person’s immunity and as such help with food digestion, maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure (Heasman et al, 2001). Probiotic yogurt can be used at the work place to keep the workers energized especially for those who do manual work such as construction. It can also rejuvenate the emotional state of the people who are undergoing training or when seated in a seminar hall listening to lectures. This will keep people alert as it is said to boost concentration. Students should also be encouraged to take probiotic yogurt to enhance their understanding in class as well as improving their brain performance. Studies done on rodents seem to suggest that dietary changes to the gut bacteria altered the emotional behaviour and sensitivity to pain. However, there is little evidence to prove that bacteria eaten in food can alter brain function. In a study by the same university, a research was conducted that revealed that those who ate probiotic yogurt for a month showed improved brain function in both resting brain activity and when responding to an emotional attention task. The findings of the research indicate that some of the contents of yogurt can actually change the way the brain responds to the environment. The research showed the gut-brain function as a two way street (Llong, 2011). The above mentioned study was conducted in 36 women between the ages of 18 and 53 with a healthy body mass index of approximately 23 kilograms. The women were divided in to three groups with one group taking probiotic yogurt twice a day in one month; the second group ate a dairy product that contained no living bacteria while the third did not eat any dairy products. in the middle of the research and at the end, researchers performed Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) on the women. The MRI was conducted when the women were lying down and the other when undergoing an emotional attention task. The end result showed that during the emotional task, the women who had had probiotic yogurt had reduced activity in a brain network including the somatosensory cortex as well as at the prefrontal cortex. The other two groups of women showed no change over time. In the resting state, women who had taken probiotic yogurt showed stronger connectivity in a neural network which responds to pain and emotion (Chandan & Kilara 2006). Other claims about the benefits of probiotic yogurt are that it is a cure for diarrhoea. Certain strains of the good bacteria have demonstrated positive results in treating gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. Some scholars posit that probiotics available in yogurt that contain lactobacillus species are a safe and effective form of treating infectious diarrhoea among young children (Harris, 2006). It also reduces the risk of nosocomial diarrhoea in infants. However, the University of Swansea, in Wales, UK reported that it does not reduce the risk of diarrhoea in adults. It is also said that probiotics can reduce cholesterol esters especially the one associated bad saturated fatty acids in the blood. This is according to a research that was presented at the American heart association scientific sessions in 2012. This research asserts that the formulation of lactobacillus found in the probiotic yogurt reduce the bad cholesterol in human bodies. Probiotic yogurt is also associated with reducing blood pressure. There is growing evidence that probiotic yogurt reduces and treats irritable bowel syndrome and in specific the Bifido bacterium Infantis. The National Academy of sciences in a study found out that probiotics prevent bacterial infections (Harris, 2006). In Ireland, at the university college of cork, scientists reported that probioitics have health benefits for patients with psoriasis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Conclusion Further studies continue to be carried out to identify the available health benefits in probiotic yogurt. A study done in Britain in 113 patients taking antibiotics revealed that probiotic yogurt given to them aided in diarrhoea. This therefore shows that a new treatment could be put in to practice that could save the health sector money in such treatments (Tannis, 2008). Despite lack of conclusive studies to reveal the benefits of probiotic yogurt, people are still driven by desire to take probiotic yogurt due to the health claims. As such, manufacturing companies have continued to enjoy immense profit from these sales. However, people need to be vigilante as unscrupulous traders could sell normal yogurt claiming that it is probiotic to make money. It should be noted that not all probiotics are equal. Different probiotics have different strains as well as concentrations of bacteria with different properties and only a minority of them have gone through clinical trials. Yogurt contains two strains but they fail to pass the gastrointestinal tract intact. They get destroyed by the acid in the stomach and the enzymes of the pancreas (Dunn, 2008). As such, nothing reaches the colon and therefore not beneficial. However, some yogurts are now available that are enriched with live strains of bacteria. Some of them are able to pass through the colon and as such beneficial such as activia. More studies should be directed towards probiotics study to fully comprehend the available benefits. Reference list Hunter, B. T. (2008). Probiotic foods for good health: yogurt, sauerkraut, and other beneficial fermented foods. Laguna Beach, CA, Basic Health. Heasman, M., & Mellentin, J. (2001). The functional foods revolution healthy people, healthy profits? London, Earthscan. Chandan, R. C., & Kilara, A. (2011). Dairy Ingredients for Food Processing. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. Harris, T. (2006). Prebiotics: healthy foods. Laguna Beach, CA, Basic Health. LIong, M.-T. (2011). Probiotics: biology, genetics, and health aspects. Heidelberg, Springer. Dunn, C. (2013). Nutrition decisions: eat smart, move more. Burlington, MA, Jones & Bartlett Learning. Tannis, A. (2008). Probiotic rescue how you can use probiotics to fight cholesterol, cancer, superbugs, digestive complaints and more. Mississauga, Ont, J. Wiley & Sons Canada Read More