Probiotics contain microorganisms that naturally inhabit our body in terms of health and that allow us to develop a large part of our vital functions.
According to the Scientific ISAPP (International Association of probiotics and prebiotics) “a probiotic should be alive when delivered, survive the gastric environment, having spent a controlled assessment to document the benefits on the health of the host receiver, be a microbe or combination of microbes defined from the taxonomic point of view (to the level of genus, species and strain), and be safe for its intended use.” The formats in which we can find them are in capsules, chewable tablets, sticks or envelopes, as well as in bottles and blister, and the swallowing return the balance to our Microbiotic ecosystem .
The human microbiota consists of close to 100 trillion microbial cells, thus represents the 50% of our body and is extended by all our organs and tissues in addition to develop a wide variety of functions, including the production of vitamins, stimulation and proper functioning of the immune system and the modulation of the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
That is why it is considered as an organ: the microbiome, whose proper functioning depends on the maintenance of natural microbial diversity in our body and its optimal conditions for development and growth.
However, life habits of modern societies such as the use of antibiotics, fine dining, disinfectants and bleaches (detergents) decrease the diversity and functioning of these bacterial communities within us and in our environment, which has been related to the increase in metabolic and immune disorders associated with a whole range of illnesses.
The expedition in search of the health of our microbiomes
To offset the adverse effects of excessive hygiene habits and disturbances on our gut microbiome, the Catalan Biotech AB·BIOTICS proposed to collect and isolate strains of lactic acid bacteria in healthy people from all over the world.
With that goal AB·BIOTICS has embarked on expeditions to areas of the world in which the modern lifestyles have had less impact, and in which the original microbiota has been preserved, until they get to isolate today to more than 1,000 wild-type strains collected in their bank of microbial strains.
These represent the set of strains that are being lost in the most developed societies and whose populations must recover to increase health in different medical areas.
Among these has selected those that have greater clinical benefit at different levels: regulation of gastrointestinal tract, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, by reducing the levels of fats in the blood and with it the processes of atherosclerosis. Others can be applied in the oral care, colds, paediatric care, dermatological, renal, uro-gynecology, of the weight and the bones.
Let’s see how they get to generate these beneficial effects with probiotics in the cardiometabolic and in the immune system diseases.
Probiotics with cardiometabolic effects
The lines of probiotics based on strains of Lactobacillus, which play an essential role in the regeneration of the intestinal flora and protection against pathogenic organisms, since the latter do not tolerate acidic conditions that generate these species by fermenting lactose to lactic acid. On the other hand, according to the evidence from clinical studies also they allow to reduce a 12% cholesterol levels absorbed with the diet as the endogenous cholesterol, which translates into a decrease in the levels of cholesterol in blood.
The latter is what differentiates them from the rest of solutions that exist in the market, since they are able to reduce the levels of cholesterol, LDL CHOLESTEROL and oxidized LDL in the blood, slow down in this way the processes of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, collagen and inflammatory cells in the walls of the arteries, causing plugging, reducing blood flow and being able to cause as well infarcts and other cardiovascular diseases.
In this way, by reducing the availability of these fats in the blood of the arteriosclerotic plaque-forming, these probiotics have opened the way for the implementation of the probiotic therapy in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Following in this line, different probiotics combine the benefits of lactobacillus strains along with the action of the red yeast rice of the germinated (Monascus purpureus), and the action of Omega 3 ( linoleic acid alpha, ALA), to reduce the levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood.
The active ingredient monacolin K of Monascus purpureus effectively reduces total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in individuals with hypercholesterolemia, being also an inhibitor of the synthesis of cholesterol. This allows to maintain normal concentration of cholesterol in blood.
To include the effects of Omega 3, an essential fatty acid that our body cannot produce so we need to incorporate it with the diet (is introduced in the trophic chains from microalgae, which are the ones that produce it). Ala or Omega3 modulates the liver metabolism of cholesterol, contributing to the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels in the blood, and further reduces the production of triglycerides in the liver and therefore of VLDL.
These fatty acids are experiencing an increase in the beta-oxidation causing a decrease in their availability for the biosynthesis of triglycerides in the liver.
Probiotics reinforcing of the immune system
The microflora more abundant in our organism is present in distal parts of the intestine and contains a number of components capable of activating the immune system. The intestinal microbiota not only provides an important stimulus to the human innate and adaptive immune system, but also co-mediate in the metabolism and immune homeostasis.
It has been reported that the microbiota and its different components enhance immune responses such as phagocytosis, the activity of natural killers cells and production in the mucosa of the immunoglobulin A, especially in children, which leads to an optimal functioning of the immune system.
Some authors have reported that probiotics can enable the response of regulatory T cells that increase the production of immunomodulatory molecules such as IL-10 and TGF-ß. These cytokines remain active to T lymphocytes, and these ultimately are responsible for recognizing and eliminating the infected cells by pathogens and cancer cells or with serious impairments.
In this way, the probiotics formulated on the basis of Lactobacillus strains together with minerals and vitamins, provide clinical evidence of reducing infections during his administration. Increase the percentage of suppressor T-cells activated and of natural killers, allowing the general health in elderly population by improving the nutritional status and preventing the incidence of cold and coughing. They also increase the response to vaccines and help in conditions of immuno-senescence.
These are some of the examples of the benefits of probiotics . We leave you with the following video detailing the rest of lines of treatment developed by AB·BIOTICS, describing that diseases and disorders can be used as therapy and where it is extracted. We hope that you enjoy it!!
Image credits: Anatomy Insider, Kateryna Kon, crystal light, Designua / shutterstock.com
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