A healthy digestion – probiotics, prebiotics and how cedar oil can help. Our expert nutritionist Elena Garagulya shares some insight.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are a complex of bacteria that inhabit our intestines, which we call symbionts. They are beneficial to the body because they produce many vitamins and biological compounds. The human body is designed this way: what it cannot synthesize itself is produced by beneficial bacteria.
Probiotics are often prescribed by doctors to help maintain a healthy gut environment, but it is very difficult to artificially grow strains that will take root well and long-term in the intestinal wall. Therefore, before colonizing with bacteria, you need to prepare a nutrient medium. An alkaline environment without signs of inflammation of the mucous membrane is most favorable for preparation. If a person is bothered by abdominal pain, this is a sign of inflammation (redness, spasm, swelling, fever) of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Inflammation occurs when eating foods fried in unstable, oxidizable fats containing large amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids. For example, you cannot fry with sunflower oil; it oxidizes at high temperatures and creates a lot of free radicals that damage the intestinal mucosa.
Prebiotics
Microflora are capable of multiplying exponentially. To do this, they need a nutritious food substrate, which is then digested and used for life, growth and reproduction. This substrate is prebiotics (dietary fibre). Humans do not have enzymes to digest coarse fibre, but the bacteria have a special enzyme that breaks down and digests it, extracting all the nutrients from the depths of this fibre.
Research in dietetics in recent years have revealed a higher efficiency of not colonising the intestines with new species of bacteria grown in a different environment, but rather stimulating the growth of one’s own bacteria by creating a favourable environment for them and providing them with a nutritious substrate – prebiotics, or plant fibre.
If there is a lack of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, coarse dietary fibre cannot be digested and increased gas formation and abdominal discomfort occur. Therefore, if your diet contains a lot of cookies, candy, and baked goods made from white flour (croissants, pizza, pancakes, buns, pasta), eating, for example, raw cabbage salad with coarse fibers will cause bloating. Frequent coffee consumption may also support inflammation in the mucous membranes of the intestines. Due to frying, the amount of acroalein and the C13 carbon isotope, which have carcinogenic properties, increases in it.
The best prebiotics for the intestines are:
– Raw berries, fruit, apple pectin
– Vegetables and greens in their raw form such as carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, radishes, onions, cabbage of all types, parsley, dill, spinach, lettuce, etc.
When cooked, the fibre in vegetables and herbs breaks down and does not work as a prebiotic.
Cedar Products to help Microflora
Cedar oil is ideal for creating favourable conditions for the growth of your own bacteria and the proper formation of the intestinal mucosa; for this, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in combination with vitamins E, A, zinc and selenium are important in the diet.
An indicator of inflammation of the intestinal mucous membranes can be a red, inflamed tongue. You can take cedar oil with sea buckthorn or propolis, 1 teaspoon 3-4 times a day before each meal. In case of dysbacteriosis, to suppress the growth of pathogenic flora, you can use cedar oil with the addition of cedar resin or MEGRE Elixir in the usual, fairly effective dose – 1 teaspoon 3 times a day before meals. For more intensive suppression of the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungal flora (as a subjective indicator – a coated tongue), you can take MEGRE Elixir 2 drops 4-5 times a day before or between meals. If you do not follow a diet that reduces the growth of pathogenic flora, it is recommended to take the Elixir constantly, as an addition to the diet in order to enrich it with vitamins A, E, Omega-3.6 fatty acids and natural antiseptics from cedar resin, pine cone oil and propolis.
Disclaimer: This article may contain health or medical-related materials that were created for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The owners, authors, editors or other staff of Megre LLC are NOT qualified health professionals or researchers and are not responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect information on this website. The use of any information on this website is solely at your own risk.
