Probiotics

Probiotics can be classified as a set of functional food which has live bacteria that are beneficial and not harmful to the human beings. The first ever probiotic food introduced was adding acidophilus to the milk, this helped people develop better tolerance towards milk and also helped people who found it difficult to digest milk. Majority of the probiotic food available in the market is fermented partially. Food items that contain probiotic bacteria are mainly dairy products such as probiotic added fluid milk and yogurt. Two main bacteria that are probiotic are lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. These are a component of the lactic acid bacteria and are present in fermented dairy products. Probiotics have multiple advantages as listed below:

• Probiotics help keep up the balance between harmful and beneficial bacteria in the gut thus maintaining a healthy digestive system.
  
• Helps to remove gas and decomposes waste.
  
• Consumption of probiotics is very useful and beneficial for people who have taken antibiotics for a long time.
  
• Traveling abroad means facing travel induced diarrhea, probiotics help the body tackle this condition with ease.
  
• Probiotics help in stimulating the immune system thereby reducing infections.
  
• Useful in the treatment of diarrhea and infections in the GI tract.
  
• Improves digestion of lactose and deals with lactose intolerance. Also improves overall digestion and in particular is good for improving digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
  
• Helps prevention of colon cancer and prevents growth of substances that cause cancer.
  
• Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure in the human body.
  
• Helps improve mineral and nutrient absorption and reduces inflammation.
  
• Controls growth of harmful bacteria under stressful conditions.
  
• Plays a role in balancing sex hormones thus improving fertility.
  
• Infections such as athlete’s foot, candidiasis etc that is caused by yeast is kept at bay.
  
• Controls growth of pathogenic bacteria and virus.
  
• Crushes toxins and produces antibodies and anti carcinogens.
  

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common illness caused worldwide. It is caused due to various reasons; infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites of intestinal origin. The predominant clinical factor with respect to diarrhea is the onset of vomiting and fever causing extreme dehydration which is fatal and sometimes life threatening.

Bacterial diarrhea: In this case, bacteria such as Salmonella and Shigella and enterogenic E.coli cause damage to the intestinal wall causing more bowel movements and enteric fever. The diagnosis of bacterial diarrhea is done by stool culture and by serological analysis in case of Salmonella induced fever.

Viral Diarrhea: Viral diarrhea is most commonly noticed in children and it is usually self limiting after a period of four to five days. Symptoms include weakness, fever, irritability and sometimes vomiting.

Parasites: Intestinal parasites especially protozoan such as Giardia, Entamoeba and cryptosporidium cause diarrhea. Some are zoonotic on origin and mostly caused by feco-oral route.

Drug Induced: Diarrhea can also be caused because of the administration of certain type drugs such as antibiotics, anticancer and magnesium containing antacids.

Food allergies: Food induced diarrhea is common with those who eat at various places often. Some people are lactose intolerant and consumption of any diary product may induce diarrhea.

Treatment of Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be fatal if untreated. The most common form of treatment is through fluid replacement, rest and consumption of probiotics during the administration of antibiotics. Anti-parasitic drugs and antibiotics are most often prescribed. The WHO recommends ORS solutions in case children and adults as the preliminary step towards treatment and prevention of dehydration.