Acidophilus and Bifidus are names for probiotics, i.e. friendly bacteria that improve vitality and should make up 98% of the gut flora of healthy people. Together they are necessary to achieve optimal digestive health, strengthen the liver and blood, and boost our natural defenses.
Ideally, we should avoid factors that can disrupt our bacterial ecosystem. For most people this is impossible. Antibiotics, cortisone, contraceptives, alcohol, caffeine, chlorinated or fluoridated water, canned foods, carbohydrate and fat-laden menus, and busy lives can damage beneficial digestive flora.
Adding probiotics is one natural way to maintain good health. It can contribute to overcoming the upsetting effect that diets, our environment and mental stress create in our digestive system.
Take antibiotics for example – they are one of the great discoveries of medicine and in some cases they are life-saving. Their use, however, disturbs the state of the normal intestinal flora, because along with harmful bacteria they also kill some of the beneficial ones. In place of the beneficial bacteria, harmful bacteria, parasites or fungi then take up residence and dysbacteriosis results. It is especially dangerous in children and in people with a weakened organism. It is hidden and insidious and is a consequence of the vicious circle – more antibiotics are given to deal with the next harmful microbes, they in turn further disrupt the ecology of the intestine, etc.
Therefore, it is wise to take the probiotics Acidophilus and Bifidus after each antibiotic intake until full recovery and stabilization of the beneficial intestinal flora.
Lactobacillus acidophilus
This bacterium is a friend of the human organism. It is contained in some fermented dairy products and food supplements. When taken in sufficient quantities, it settles in the digestive and genitourinary systems and improves the ecology of the intestines.
- It prevents the development of disease-causing microbes by preventing their attachment to the intestinal walls, changing the pH and oxygen content and producing bactericidal substances (hydrogen peroxide, lactic and acetic acid, etc.);
- produces enzymes, including galactase, which is necessary for the absorption of milk sugar – so it can help people with milk intolerance and especially infants;
- protects the intestines, urinary tract and genital system from bacterial and fungal infections;
- reduces the formation of carcinogens in the intestine and prevents the development of harmful bacteria there;
- reduces diarrhea after undergoing radiation or chemotherapy;
- reduces the level of harmful cholesterol.
Lactobacillus bifidus
This is the other beneficial bacteria that is a normal inhabitant of the colon. It improves the digestion and absorption of proteins and fats, as well as the retention of minerals such as phosphorus, calcium and iron. It removes constipation and thus helps to cleanse the intestines and restore the liver. Reduces allergic reactions to milk. Participates in the breakdown of certain carcinogenic substances, reduces the level of harmful cholesterol, produces hormones and vitamins B and K.
Probiotics Acidophilus and Bifidus are recommended for:
- Sudden or prolonged emotional stress;
- Active and passive smokers;
- Difficulties in the absorption of essential minerals and vitamins from the diet (detected by the deteriorated quality of hair, nails and skin);
- Prolonged use of highly chlorinated or fluoridated water;
- Side effects of antibiotics, steroids, hormones, etc.;
- Digestive problems – often getting constipated or upset;
- Babies on artificial feeding or with sensitive digestion, colic, etc;
- Anemia, avitaminosis, intoxication of the body, when dysbacteriosis is assumed.
Probiotics and babies
Probiotics are especially important during the first two or three years of a person’s life. Babies on natural feeding suffer less from colic and other digestive disorders. This is due to the stimulating effect that breast milk has on bifidobacteria. They should make up 99% of the intestinal flora of healthy infants and are very beneficial to the health of the child because:
- provide protection against intestinal infections caused by Salmonella (food poisoning), Shigella (dysentery) and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (colienteritis);
- produce lactic and acetic acid, which prevent fermentation and the growth of unwanted bacteria in the gut. The more acidic environment in the gut indirectly prevents the development of putrefactive bacteria that form toxic amines from amino acids.
Providing large amounts of Bifidobacteria is very important for restoring normal gut flora, especially after taking antibiotics. Acidophilus is especially recommended for acute infections by enteropathogenic bacteria – most of them are sensitive to the antimicrobial substances released by it.
There are significantly lower amounts of Bifidobacteria in the faeces of artificially fed babies compared to naturally fed babies. After the cessation of breastfeeding, they decrease, and gradually the intestinal flora approaches that of adults. Ingested through food, Bifidobacteria lead to greater gain in babies due to better protein absorption. They also aid in the absorption of calcium and other minerals and vitamins. With their help, lactase (an enzyme needed for milk digestion) is produced.
Babies receive Bifidobacterium infantis and other beneficial microorganisms when passing through the birth canal. These bacteria enter the intestines through the baby’s mouth and attach to their walls before other, unfriendly microorganisms from the outside world do the same. Breastfeeding also helps the development of Bifidobacteria, especially Bifidobacterium infantis.
Dysbacteriosis
Babies born by caesarean section do not have the opportunity for such a powerful start with beneficial microorganisms. If they are also on artificial nutrition, their intestinal microflora is like adults, which is not good for their health.
The intestinal flora of infants, even breastfed and healthy, is relatively unstable. Small changes in the environment can reduce the amount of beneficial microorganisms and lead to overcrowding with unfriendly bacteria, thereby reducing nutrient resorption, etc.
Even natural feeding cannot provide an optimal level of Bifidobacterium infantis in infants. It is good B. infantis to be added daily to babies’ food. Regular intake of large amounts of these beneficial bacteria (1 million to 1 billion per day) further strengthens the body by helping the digestive system fight harmful and disease-causing bacteria.
It is very easy to add low-temperature dried beneficial bacteria to babies’ food. They are available together with algae AFA capsules. These capsules are opened and the powder contained in them is added to the fruit juice given to the child. If it is on a diet, the powder is mixed with a little boiled and cooled to 36ºC water and given with a dropper.
Babies can take the bacteria with food, because in them, unlike adults, these beneficial microorganisms are not destroyed by gastric juice. Older children and adults should always take the bacteria on an empty stomach in capsules, which protect them from the action of gastric juice and dissolve in the intestine.
Immunity and gut
Normally, the intestines of adults contain several kilograms of live bacteria. The strength of the immune system depends to a very large extent on the state of the intestine, since this is where the Peyer’s patches are located – special accumulations of lymphocytes, through which the most massive contact with various substances from food is made. It is interesting to note that while the skin area is only 2 m², the internal area of the highly folded digestive system is over 250 m². Therefore, it is not at all irrelevant exactly what microflora we are in constant contact with.
Given the serious deterioration of the ecological indicators of human life, the regular intake of sufficient quantities of beneficial microorganisms as a supplement to the diet is a matter of common sense and foresight. The results, prophylactically, are so good that it is worth a try.