Gastrointestinal health depends on several factors… Let's discover them together with the Nurtifarma experts.
The modern interpretation of the human organism offers a rather complex definition, in fact we no longer speak simply of an organism formed by eukaryotic cells (the cells that commonly make up the structures of our body) but of a meta-organism formed by the combination of eukaryotic cells + prokaryotic cells.
Prokaryotic cells, the bacteria that are beneficial to our gastrointestinal health
These prokaryotic cells they are nothing other than the bacteria that we have commonly heard mentioned in many contexts, sometimes with positive effects, other times with negative effects on our health, this means that our existence is due to the set of different families of cells and that a balanced bacterial presence is fundamental for our Health and for our well-being.
Why are these bacteria good?
Because the profound interactions that are generated between our organism and these "good" bacterial species (when obviously everything remains in a state of equilibrium) set in motion a sort of collaborative process, where each contributes to the well-being and benefit of the other, with a view to a common good.
In this way, our body provides these bacteria with nutrients, and they provide substances that are useful for our health and well-being, contributing to their maintenance.
Overall, the set of all these bacteria that live in our organism is considered a real "diffuse organ" identified with the name of microbiota, and rightly considered “The central point of well-being”.
How to intervene in case of gastrointestinal bacterial imbalance?
However, they do exist different conditions Due to dietary imbalances, stress, pathological conditions, or prolonged antibiotic therapies, which can disturb the balance of the microbiota, how can we intervene in this area?
There are two possibilities:
- generic or primary care intervention;
- specific intervention.
An example of a generic intervention can be hypothesized for example following a classic gastrointestinal disorder or prolonged antibiotic therapy, conditions where due to disease in one case and due to the effect of the drug in the other, the balance of the microbiota is disturbed.
The intervention in this case can be simply aimed at reconstituting the populations generally responsible for maintaining a balanced intestinal function, that is Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, which can be supported by prebiotics, that is, substances that act as a sort of "feed" for probiotic bacteria and possibly some specific yeasts such as Saccharomyces.
Read also:
What are Saccharomyces boulardi?
Saccharomyces boulardi appears to be the forefather of these applications because, in addition to exerting probiotic effects, it also shows interesting capabilities in resisting antibiotic action (as it is essentially a fungus and therefore not affected by them), becoming the ideal resource especially in the case of antibiotic therapy.
But beyond these general applications, there are also specific interventions, carried out using bacterial strains with specific functions and applications. Let's look at some examples.
A very interesting case is represented by the probiotic microorganism Bifidobacterium Animalis SSP LACTIS B420 SD6685.
What is Bifidobacterium Animalis?
This probiotic has attracted the attention of numerous researchers as it is capable of exerting interesting effects that are absolutely unexpected for a probiotic, acting from a metabolic point of view.
In several studies, the intake has shown interesting effects in counteract insulin resistance, with such a significant scope of application that it also shows potential effects from the point of view of weight management.
Advanced study models have shown how treatment, but especially pre-treatment with this bacterial strain, is associated with a reduction of the occurrence and severity of cardiovascular accidents, especially due to its notable anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties capable of mitigating the unfavorable or aggravating conditions of these pathological manifestations.
Il Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Another probiotic strain of extreme interest has proven to be the Saccharomyces cerevisiae, CNCM I-3856: also in this case, as for saccharomyces boulardy As mentioned above, the use of yeasts shows numerous advantages as they are not sensitive to antibiotics, resistant to bile and gastric juices and non-colonizing, a combination of characteristics that allow their prolonged use in complete safety.
What have clinical studies shown?
Clinical work on Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 has demonstrated that 200 volunteers affected by irritable bowel syndrome were treated against placebo, showing a reduction in pain and intestinal discomfort after 4 weeks of administration at 63% in the treated group versus 47% in the placebo group.
Pain in the treated group returned after 3 weeks of withdrawal, confirming the role and effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856.
A subsequent study on 379 subjects affected by IBS with constipation demonstrated how the use of Ssaccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 is related to a reduction of abdominal swelling 11% and 14% higher abdominal swelling compared to the placebo group.
These brief and simple examples are just a small introduction to what the world of probiotics has in store for us in the future, significantly expanding the spectrum of potential applications for protecting health and well-being.
