360MEDICS:
Last week, KELECHI BENITA got us all to
stop believing in a bottled Staphylococcus. This week, she is now advocating
that we all fall in love with as much yoghurts and mushrooms as we can find in
the country. Now read to know which kind exactly, as certain yoghurts are
simply not good enough!
Munch munch munch. Guess what I'm
eating? Microorganisms…emm..ughh. Yep. Jeez. (Oh my God, is she alright?) Sure!
Yep. I'm fine. And you should feel safe too. At least, I am still typing, ain't
I? So, today we are going to explore a rare part of our existence as humans (talking a lot about microorganisms, again).
Taking a close look at certain aspects of our daily nutrients consumption,
which play a lot more role than we think. I will also be explaining why you
should pay a certain level of attention to a certain kind of food than the
other. So, turn that blasting radio down, let's do this. Nice!
So, in the real sense, no one can see microorganisms
as you eat them, but the fact is that they are always there. These particular
microorganisms which are being eaten or ingested are known as PROBIOTICS. The
world health organization definition of probiotics is “live organisms which
when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.
Probiotics are also microorganisms that provide health benefits. They are also
beneficial forms of gut bacteria that helps stimulate the natural digestive
juices and enzymes that keep our digestive organs functioning properly.
Our immune system when healthy is
largely helped by the presence of an army of trillions of friendly bacteria
which line the mucus layer of a healthy intestine. It is said that 80% of our
immune system is in the intestine. The truth is that these bacteria provide
immunity for us. They also help maintain healthy digestion by keeping the
harmful bacteria in check. We don’t have to work for them - they work for us.
We just need to provide them with the right environment to keep them nourished.
When these microorganisms {probiotics} enter our system, they work hand to hand
with the organisms already in the stomach to boost the immune system of an
individual. Probiotics have to be alive when administered.
However, only products containing live
microorganism can actually claim to be a probiotic. One of the best probiotic
food is live-cultured yogurt, especially handmade. Be on the lookout for brands
that have been infused with extra forms of probiotics like lactobacillus or
acidophilus (hope I am not scaring anyone?). Also bear in mind that yogurt made
with goat’s milk are particularly high in probiotics like thermophilus, bifidus,
bulgaricus and acidophilus (they are only scientific names). The microorganisms
mentioned here are probiotics and are useful in maintaining the immune system. Just
endeavour to read the ingredient list as
not all yogurt products are made essentially the same way. These
microorganisms are usually introduced into a food product during processing.
Another good example of probiotic organism is the mushroom.
Yea it is under a class of microorganisms known as fungi. Mushrooms are
valuable health food - low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, chitin,
iron, zinc, fibre, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. They have been
known to promote good health and vitality and it also increases the body’s
adaptive abilities. Another is dark chocolate. Probiotics is usually
added to high quality dark chocolate so know that eating a bar of high quality
chocolate will enhance your body’s immune system. This is only ONE of the
health benefits of chocolate. The common green pickle is also an
excellent food source rich in probiotics.
You can also find probiotics in raw
cheeses. This is because they have low acidity and high fat preserve which
help nurture these microorganisms while they move through the digestive system.
Another is yeast commonly known as brewer's yeast used in baking and in
the fermentation of beer.
In summary, our body's immune and
digestive system will be so much happier and healthier if we take these foods
as much times as we can lay our hands on them. They do a lot of work in seeing
that our immunity is bolstered up, which further translates to diseases finding
it a lot more difficult in breaking us down.
PS…. This is not intended to replace
the advice of your doctor. If you have any severe condition and illness, see a
doctor and do not ignore what he or she has to say with regards to your
condition.
I will be back next week.
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