Having strong defenses to avoid infections is of vital importance, and more so with the current situation that we live with the coronavirus, which does not make distinctions of age or physical condition.
In addition, the massive use of antibiotics has created a bacterial resistance that can only be fought with probiotics.
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What are probiotics?
They are living organisms that we can incorporate into our system through some foods that contain them or through supplements.
These living microorganisms serve to nourish the healthy bacteria that cover the intestines, creating a microecosystem known as the microbiome, which is essential for our health, even influencing our mood.
Foods that contain probiotics
There are many foods that are part of our diet and that contain natural probiotics. Taking advantage of their properties is as easy as taking them regularly. Some of them are:
The yogurt
It is probably the most common of all of them and that we consume practically daily. It is made by fermenting milk with different bacteria to form the final product.
Kefir
Kefir: a dairy product similar in appearance and taste to liquid yogurt, one of the probiotics par excellence and which is fermented by the joint action of bacteria and yeasts.
Sauerkraut
Typical of the regions of central Europe, it is made by lactic fermentation of fresh cabbage or cabbage leaves and cut into strips with sea salt to create a natural brine with the juices of this vegetable.
Pickles and olives
A healthy snack that is also a good source of probiotics since in its fermentation process live bacteria and yeasts are born that we later ingest.
Kimchi
If you like Korean food, you will know what this tasty and spicy snack is about, made by fermenting Chinese cabbage with salt, garlic, ginger and chili among other ingredients.
Miso
Without leaving Asia, we find one of the best-known probiotic foods in Japan, with which its most popular soup is made. This seasoning is a paste made with soybeans and sea salt fermented with the koji mushroom, which is also used to make sake.
Kombucha
This fashionable drink is made by fermenting green tea with sugar with what is known as Manchurian mushroom, a gelatinous mass in which various species of fungi and bacteria coexist.
Vaginal probiotics also help you improve your defenses
Vaginal probiotics are those drugs that contain beneficial live microorganisms to help us balance the vaginal bacterial flora, known as the microbiota.
This area is very delicate and the microbiota can be altered by hormonal changes, by menstruation, by lack of hygiene and also by the use of antibiotics, which act against the bacteria found in the vaginal flora.
Any alteration can cause an infection and these live microorganisms, which are harmless to our body, help to reestablish the vaginal microbiota.
We can find them marketed in different formats, being the usual ones for oral intake, such as sachets or capsules.