The general task of the digestive system is to digest and absorb the nutrients in food and release them into circulation.
The surface of the digestive tract consists of 250-400 m2, that is, an area the size of a tennis court (the 2nd largest after the respiratory system). It can also be administered through the mouth. It is in constant contact with the external environment.
In a normal lifetime, a person consumes approximately 60 TONS of food. In addition to the beneficial substances for the organism, harmful chemicals, bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts are also absorbed through these foods and beverages.
Approximately 2 m2 of the human body is covered by the skin and 300 m2 by the mucosal surface. The number of bacteria living on the skin and mucosal surfaces is greater than the person's own cells.
While the normal flora in the Gastrointestinal System (GIS) is sterile at birth, it is acquired during the neonatal period and remains constant throughout life.
There are many factors that affect the type and amount of bacteria that make up the flora after birth:
• The mother's diet before and during pregnancy
• Consumption of products with high probiotic content. or whether he/she takes ready-made probiotics
• Method of birth (normal birth / cesarean section
• Gestational age
• The baby's nutrition style, especially in the first 20 days -6 months -2 years)
Factors such as affect the colonization of bacteria in the intestine.
What is Probiotic?
Some microorganisms and their numbers found in the digestive system are digestive tract microorganisms that are beneficial to health. Probiotics are live microorganisms that positively affect the health of the host when taken orally in sufficient amounts.
Prebiotics
Food that passes directly to the large intestine without being digested in the small intestine and improves the health of the host by positively affecting the proliferation and activity of bacteria in the intestine. items. Prebiotic Inulin is synthesized by many plants. It is found in onions, garlic, leeks and bananas. There are more than 130 types of prebiotics in breast milk.
Synbiotics
It is the form in which probiotics and prebiotics exist together.
Posbiotics
They are biologically active by-products of probiotic cultures. They are substances such as short-chain fatty acids that can have positive contributions to health when added to foods. (One purpose of fermentation is to increase these postbiotics.)
Probiotic bacteria are more resistant to stomach acidity than other bacteria. It is more resistant to bile salt. Probiotic bacteria control the proliferation rate of unwanted microorganisms in the intestines by producing antimicrobial substances such as lactic acid, acetic acid and bacteriocin. In addition, the characteristics sought in microorganisms used as probiotics are as follows;
-One of the important features of probiotic bacteria is their ability to adhere to the intestinal mucosa. This adhesion is stated as the most important and even a must-have feature in order to have a biological effect.
-It should be reliable and should not cause side effects in humans and animals where it is used.
-It must be stable and metabolized in the intestine without being affected by adverse environmental conditions such as low pH and bile salts.
-It should produce antimicrobial substances.
-It must be resistant to antibiotics. Since it can be used to correct the intestinal flora in antibiotic-related diseases, it should not be affected by antibiotics in the intestine.
Disruption of Intestinal Flora
-When the intestinal flora is disrupted, that is, when probiotics decrease, pathogenic microorganisms reproduce rapidly. These microorganisms themselves or their toxins begin to cause disease. These imbalances in the balance of the intestinal system are called "dysbiosis". -Dysbiosis destroys the intestinal wall, that is, the disappearance of the protective layer created by probiotics on the intestinal mucosa causes the permeability of the intestine to increase. ‘’LEAKY GUT ‘’.
-Normally, intestinal cells do not allow every substance in the intestine (especially undigested foods and toxic substances) to pass into the blood; that is, it creates a firewall (intestinal sealing).
-Many vitamins, minerals and amino acids pass from the intestine to the blood thanks to the carrier proteins found in the intestinal cells.
-Without these, transport would be very low. The transfer of bulk nutrients into the blood also decreases. yet Undigested food items and toxins pass into the bloodstream.
-The immune system is overstimulated against inadequately digested protein particles.
-Some of these foreign protein particles are very similar to the body's own proteins.
-When the immune system is overstimulated, it cannot distinguish what is self from what is foreign. While destroying it, it also destroys what belongs to it. These are called "autoimmune diseases." Maintaining its viability in the product, resistance to acidity and bile salts, and adhesion abilities are also important criteria in probiotic selection.
Probiotics that colonize the intestinal surface after adhesion create a barrier for pathogenic microorganisms. Colonizing probiotics can protect the intestinal surface from the harmful effects of pathogens with the antimicrobial substances they produce. In order for the protective effect of probiotics in the intestine to continue, fermented products and capsules containing probiotic microorganisms should be consumed regularly. Because colonization in the intestine is temporary.
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