What are Probiotics? Uses, benefits, types and side effects here

Probiotic Food: Why in the News?

CFTRI has recently informed that it is working on probiotic food to protect children that are prone to the third wave of Covid infection. Know all about the probiotic food and how it would help to save children from the third wave of Covid 19.

About CFTRI:

1. The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is a lab of CSIR in Mysuru.
2. It is working to develop food that can boost immunity and prevent diseases.
3. It is currently working on developing probiotic food to help the children who can be affected by the third wave of Covid 19. 
4. During the first wave of Covid, CFTRI distributed 

1. Spirulina chikki 
2. Mango energy bar
3. High protein wrap
4. Banana cereal bar 
5. Spiced water with bio-active antioxidant ingredients

It was all distributed to the migrant workers, frontline warriors and Covid patients.

Organization Structure of CSIR-CFTRI

1. Prime Minister of India-Narendra Modi, President of CSIR
2. Dr Harsh Vardhan, VP-CSIR
3. Dr Shekhar C Mande- Director General, CSIR & Secretary DSIR
4. Dr Sridevi Annapurna Singh- Director, CSIR CFTRI

What is Probiotic Food?

Probiotics are foods that are made up of good live bacteria or yeasts that naturally stay in the human body. Human body is a host to good and bad bacteria. Whenever one gets an infection, there is more bacteria that is bad. 

Probiotic supplements add good bacteria to the human body.

What are Probiotics made of:

These are a combination of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that naturally stay in the human body. Bacteria is not always a negative addition to the body, it is positive too. 

Probiotics are part of a larger picture concerning bacteria and your body which is called your microbiome. These microbes are a combination of:

1. Bacteria.
2. Fungi (including yeasts)
3. Viruses
4. Protozoa

Where do Probiotics live in the body?

The most common place where beneficial microbes are is the gut of the human body. This mostly includes large intestines. There are also several other locations in the body that host good microbes. 

1. Probiotics exist in your:
2. Gut
3. Mouth
4. Vagina
5. Urinary tract
6. Skin
7. Lungs

Benefits of Probiotics in a Nutshell

1. Help the digestive system of the body
2. Keeping bad bacteria from getting out of control and making one ill
3. Create vitamins in the body
4. Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent bad bacteria that you may have consumed from entering your blood.
5. Breakdown and absorption of medications

Some common conditions that can be treated by probiotic food are 

1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
2. Inflammatory Bowel Disease
3. Infectious Diarrhea
4. Antibiotic caused Diarrhea

Types of Probiotics in use

Bacteria:

Lactobacillus

Bifidobacterium

Yeast:

Saccharomyces boulardii

Food containing Probiotics:

Yogurt, Buttermilk, Sourdough bread, Cottage Cheese, kombucha, Tempeh, Pickles, fermented sauerkraut, kimchi and soups. 

CFTRI: Benefits against third wave of Covid 19

Central Food Technological Research Institute is working on probiotic food that will be protecting the children prone to the third wave of COVID infection. 

The Director of CFTRI, Sri Devi Annapoorna informed about various processing methods that are being developed to increase the absorption of nutrients from plants, food and vegetables. 

This way a wholesome meal would be prepared and natural taste would be developed that would boost immunity in children to protect them from the third wave. 

CFTRI has developed probiotic food rich in Vitamin A, C, D and E including the micro-nutrients necessary to fight infection in the body. 

Also Read| World Food Safety Day 2021: Theme this year, History and Significance