I was invited for the DuPont probiotics bloggers meet at Chancery Pavilion, Bangalore on 8th Dec 2018. Probiotics was not new to me. I was introduced to probiotics when my daughter was a toddler. Whenever she was on antibiotics, the doctor prescribed her with some probiotic. I wanted to learn more about probiotics and hence I decided to attend the DuPont probiotic bloggers meet.
DuPont Nutrition & Health, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, combines in-depth knowledge with current research and expert science to deliver unmatched value to the food and health industries. DuPont Nutrition and Health is a global leader in the food & beverage, dietary supplements and pharma excipients segments.
What are probiotics?
In the human digestive tract both good and bad bacteria exists. If bad bacteria outnumber good bacteria in the digestive system then this imbalance can lead to digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and infectious diarrhea. Probiotics are good or “friendly” bacteria that promote gut health.
How do probiotics work?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Association defines probiotics as live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits to the host. The balance of good and bad bacteria in gut is important for digestive health and also for the immune system to fight off viruses, bacteria and diseases.
As a natural way to establish and maintain the proper balance of good and bad bacteria in digestive system, probiotics have been developed. Probiotics can be added to food or taken as supplement to help maintain proper digestive health, keep immune systems strong and have been shown to improve digestion and absorption of food nutrients.
The majority of the immune system is in the digestive tract.
What do their names mean?
Probiotics have families that are described by their names, such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. There is additional information we can learn from their names such as Lactobacillus = Family (or Genus), acidophilus = species, NCFM = strain.
Who should take probiotics?
- A normal human can take probiotics in the form of curd to maintain good gut health.
- Moderate exercise improves immunity. But during heavy exercise or intense training periods, immune health is compromised. Marathon runners should incorporate probiotics in their diet as nearly half of them experience upper respiratory tract infection.
- Children going to schools and day cares are easily prone to common cold and flu. They should consume probiotics as this can help in reducing the incidence of common cold and flu symptoms.
- People who travel frequently.
- Senior citizens.
Where can you find probiotics?
Dietary sources of probiotics were fresh fermented dairy products and other fermented foods. However nowadays probiotics are added to variety of foods, beverages and dietary supplements. Some include:
- Yogurt, drinks and Kefir
- Nutrition bars
- Chocolate and ice cream
- Refrigerated juices
- Dietary supplements
Additionally they can be found in some traditional sources like:
- Buttermilk
- Kimchi
- Miso Soup
- Pickles
- Sauerkraut
- Tempeh
Even South Indian food like idlis and dosas have certain amount of probiotics.
How often should I consume probiotics?
Probiotics are only ‘visitors’ in your intestine and will disappear, together with their health benefits, when not consumed regularly. A daily dose of probiotics is recommended in order to maintain a healthy intestinal environment.
Today’s lifestyle is stressful and leads to depletion of our good bacteria. Including more probiotics in diet ensures that you are giving your gut the best chance to balance itself. If you can’t get probiotics from food, then taking a high-quality probiotic supplement can supply you with all essential bacteria strains that you need for optimal health.
DuPont Danisco range of probiotics, popularly known as HOWARU can add documented health benefits to dairy products, beverages, confectionery and frozen desserts. HOWARU range of premium probiotics are scientifically proven to help keep the digestive system running smoothly and to support body’s immune system. With in-depth knowledge of market, current research and expert science, DuPont offers a good understanding of how probiotics may improve digestive and immune health. DuPont’s probiotic dietary supplements support immune and digestive health to meet consumer needs across differing age groups.
DuPont™ Danisco® probiotic cultures are scientifically proven to help keep the digestive system running smoothly and to support the body’s immune system. Doctors recommend them in supplement form to alleviate abdominal cramping, gas, diarrhea and the impact of antibiotic treatment on the digestive microflora.
The HOWARU Premium probiotics is a range of clinically-documented formulations that are optimized to meet specific consumer needs to help maintain natural immune defenses and are available as ready-to-market products or in concentrate form. These includes :
- HOWARU Protect Earlylife
- HOWARU Protect Kids
- HOWARU Protect Adult
- HOWARU Protect Senior
- HOWARU Protect Sport
- HOWARU Protect Shape
- HOWARU Balance
- HOWARU Restore
- HOWARU Transit
- HOWARU Dophilus
I learnt a lot of things about probiotics during the session. I also learnt that keeping immune system strong in active adults is critical. Thanks to DuPont and Ebix for conducting this insightful bloggers meet.
Wow. Informative post. Didn’t know all the benefits of probiotics . Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Shruti. Probiotics are really good for health.
Very informative post. Thnx for sharing
This is a great topic to share with all of us. Very useful information there.
I make sure that Aryaa has her probiotics without fail everyday and I also try and consume it regularly.
xoxoxo
Ritcha
Well written article… liked reading..
This is such an informative post. Thanks for sharing.