WHAT DO LACTIC ACID BACTERIA DO?
Lactic acid bacteria are said to have a potential protective effect for the human body, thanks to their protective activity on the gut bacterial flora.
Lactic acid bacteria can settle feebly in the gut, partly preventing the proliferation of pathogenic bacterial strains. The “strengthened” bacterial flora would thus have beneficial effects on the body as a whole, thanks to the possible positive consequences on the immune system.
They are commonly, but inaccurately, called “live” lactic acid bacteria, associated with the entire group of lactic bacteria, bacterial strains involved in milk fermentation and lactose metabolism.
Even though there are different kinds of bacteria that can metabolize lactose, only a few of them are able to fulfil beneficial processes for humans. Lactic acid bacteria that can fulfil beneficial processes for human health are called “probiotics”.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVE LACTIC ACID BACTERIA AND PROBIOTICS?
Probiotics are a specific kind of bacteria or physiological yeast (that is, naturally occurring in the gut) which are selected and reproduced in cultures.
They are the ones commonly found in supplements, or in certain reinforced foods of human origin and resistant to digestive action. When taken orally and on an empty stomach they can reach the gut intact, where they can reproduce themselves, therefore improving its health.
These lactic acid bacteria, if introduced through foods like yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, certain soft cheeses, etc., are mostly eliminated by the gastric barrier because of its high acidic pH level. They are used to balance gut functions, to strengthen the immune system, and to counteract the collateral effects of antibiotics drugs. Moreover, probiotics are commonly prescribed as therapeutic “support” in case of digestive disorders.
To summarize, the difference between probiotics and live lactic acid bacteria is that the former are still alive inside the gut, while the latter, once swallowed, do not survive the passage from the stomach to the intestine, although they still help maintain balance in the gut bacterial flora.
IN WHAT WAY DO THEY EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCE OUR HEALTH?
Lactic acid bacteria are very important for the functions of the bacterial flora, and they additionally provide:
● Resistance: when our body is targeted by viruses and infections, and we take antibiotics for too long;
● A barrier: when certain gastric acids attack our body, causing vomit and weakening us;
● Temperature regulation: when dysentery related flus alter our body temperature.
They seemingly play a certain role in diminishing cholesterol levels in blood and in improving the symptomatology of food allergies.
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