Of course, disease-causing germs can spoil food and cause massive gastrointestinal infections – but that’s just one side of the story. Other bacteria have been used in food production for centuries, because they are needed for the production and preservation of cheese, yogurt, but also sauerkraut or beet. For years, many products containing large amounts of lactobacilli or bifidobacteria have been marketed under the generic term probiotics. Mostly they are yogurts, but now there are also sausages and cheeses with probiotic properties.
Importance of probiotics for our digestion
The bacterial strains survive the attack of stomach and bile acids in large numbers, thus reaching the small and large intestines, where they can displace other bacterial species that are not so friendly to us – but only if taken regularly. Probiotic bacteria promote digestion – especially in cases of lactose intolerance – and alleviate the course of diarrhea. During pregnancy, they appear to reduce the baby’s risk of developing neurodermatitis or allergies. Positive effects on cholesterol levels and colon cancer risk are also discussed.
Living together with or without bacteria?
Since an imbalance among microorganisms makes people sick, one could come up with the idea of killing all germs in a person to get around this problem – unfortunately, animal experiments showed that this sterility leads to even a mild infection being fatal. So the only thing to do is to take a middle course and come to terms with our “roommates”: take steps to maintain the normal flora that protects you, for example, help your digestive system with extra lactic acid bacteria, and if possible, avoid medications such as antibiotics or massive disinfectants and detergents that disrupt the delicate system of bacterial diversity.
