Essay On Bacteria

Bacteria – the good ones

Bacteria are usually associated with sickness and disease. What many people don’t realise is that many strains of bacteria provide health benefits. The digestive tract is one of our most complex and essential organs of the body. For our digestive system to remain functioning well, the body shares a mutualistic relationship with the trillions of microorganisms present.

Women’s health

Food contains many microorganisms which help the flora in our body to improve our immune system and to convert food into energy. These bacteria are called probiotics. The advantages of having probiotics in your diet are numerous, especially for women where these bacteria can combat vaginal infections, as well as protect bone and breast

A note of caution: Not all products classified as "frozen yogurt" contain live and active cultures. Some brands of "frozen yogurts" use heat-treated yogurt, which kills the live and active cultures due to the high temperatures they’re exposed to, or companies may just include cultures into the mix with acidifiers, and skip the fermentation step. Ensure that you check the manufacturing process before deciding to buy any kind of yoghurt to ensure that you are getting the essential probiotics.

Other sources of probiotics

If you aren’t a fan of yoghurt, or are disappointed that frozen yoghurt do not contain probiotics, fear not. As mentioned, there are fermented foods to choose from. Other than kimchi, things like sauerkraut and miso are alternative options for probiotics.

Fermented foods are foods that have gone through a process called lactofermentation. This is when the Lactobacillus bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid. It has been found that natural fermentation of foods can preserve nutrients in food and metabolise food for it to become easier to digest. This, coupled with the range of probiotics formed during fermentation, could allow us to establish the link between the consumption of fermented foods and improved