[LifeStyle] Include probiotics in your diet to keep viruses at bay

[#Steeven.™]

There is an armor that is not shaped like a metal cuirass, but it helps us fight a thousand battles. Although it also dents with the spears and ends up rusting if it is not taken care of. The affronts come in the form of harmful bacteria, viruses, cold, stress, or old age. The maintenance of the armor is based on proper nutrition, healthy lifestyle habits and the consumption of probiotics. This is how our immune system shines.

 

Do you really know how the immune system works against viruses?
One of the worst enemies of that protection with which we are born, our immune system, are, without a doubt, viruses. With COVID-19, more than ever, there is talk of the importance of having a strong immunity to face it in the best way. How to get it?

Our armor is made up of three elements. First, physical barriers (skin, gastrointestinal lining), which prevent the virus from entering our interior. These surfaces are coated with chemicals that also participate in this function (skin sebum, mucus, stomach acid). And there is still a third defensive element: the set of microorganisms that live with us (microbiota) and that also collaborate to prevent the entry of infectious agents.

The microbiota is on all surfaces that cover our barriers: the skin, the mucous membranes of the intestine, the respiratory tract, or the genito-urinary tract ... Some viruses can manage to cross these barriers. In that case, we have the defenses or "innate response", cells that will be activated automatically to isolate or eliminate any intruder. In parallel, key defensive cells, T and B lymphocytes, will activate specific killing mechanisms against the particular infectious agent.

 

The ability to make antibodies has memory; if we re-infect ourselves with the same virus, our body will react faster

The series of drawings Once upon a time life explained it in a fabled way. Faced with the invasion of "bad guys", T lymphocytes organize the entire army of lymphocytes to destroy infected cells and B cells give rise to the famous antibodies, specific for each offending agent. These will envelop the virus to prevent it from continuing to multiply and infect. The ability to make antibodies has memory, so if we become infected with that same virus again, our body will be able to react faster.

 

Probiotics: a way to strengthen the immune system
To maintain an impenetrable armor against the enemy, it is essential to eat well, play sports or avoid alcohol or tobacco. For example, according to the International Society for Immunonutrition (ISIN), a varied and balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables - which contain antioxidants - helps the immune function properly.

The Mediterranean diet and all those that promote a healthy microbiota, improve the immune response. And then there are certain food supplements: probiotics. Its demand is booming, but do we know what probiotics are, how often they should be taken or if there are specific ones for each person?

 

80% of our immune system is in the intestine: the intestinal flora helps to strengthen it and fight common infections

The importance of protecting the intestinal flora
Probiotics are living external microorganisms (mostly bacteria or yeasts) that we can incorporate to improve the immune response and, therefore,

defense against infections, such as coronavirus, but also in many other cases. Of course, not all are good for everything. Therefore, the advice of the experts is to ingest probiotics in the context of a balanced diet. That combination is successful.

80% of our immune system is in the intestine: the intestinal flora can help us to strengthen it and fight against the most common infections. But the flora can easily become unbalanced and affect our defenses. Probiotics are nothing more than beneficial bacteria, just like our intestinal flora, which can help us improve our immune, digestive and respiratory function and our health in general.

 

Probiotics are external living microorganisms that we can incorporate to improve the immune response

Seasonal changes, the arrival of cold, stress, flu, colds and vaccinations or advanced age can weaken our defenses and that is when we may need extra help. This is where probiotics come in. To protect the immune system and the restoration of defenses, there are specific probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 7315 and CECT 7316, which in Spain only contain the probiotic Lactoflora® adult immune protector from STADA and whose efficacy has been proven in various clinical studies .

What to look for when choosing a probiotic
There are a large number of probiotics on the market, but according to the World Health Organization and the World Gastroenterology Organization, only those that meet certain requirements are of quality: the label must include gender, species and strain of each microorganism, with this structure , for example, Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lcr 35; colony forming units (number of live microorganisms in each capsule, sachet or bottle); recommended dose; storage conditions and pharmaceutical laboratory contact information.

When buying a probiotic, it is also essential to pay attention to the fact that it has its own studies carried out by the manufacturing laboratory that guarantee its efficacy and safety for the health indication that it promises. It is the clinical studies that mark the effective dose and that is why we must look at its presence on the labeling. That is, the fact that the label contains more microorganisms does not mean that the probiotic is better. In fact, in the case of probiotics, less can be more.