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It’s universal knowledge that we Malaysians love our food, but we often don’t realise that when we practice an unhealthy diet, we end up causing problems to our digestive system.
Let’s understand first some of the most common problems we face:
#1 Diarrhoea
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This is when you are passing looser and more stools than normal. Even though there’s usually nothing to worry about, it can be a distressing and unpleasant experience.
Some of the main causes of diarrhoea include viral infections, contaminated food or water, food allergy, and poor public hygiene.
#2 Constipation
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The opposite of diarrhoea, being constipated is when you find it difficult to pass stool. You likely experience this when your body is dehydrated, not being active, and deliberately resisting the urge to poop.
#3 Stomach bloating
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Ever felt full, tight, or swollen in the abdomen? This is what happens when your gastrointestinal tract is filled with air or gas. It usually leads to pain, frequent burping, and gurgles, making it hard for you to participate in social or recreational activities properly.
What are probiotics?
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According to the World Health Organisation, probiotics are “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. In simple terms, probiotics are the entire collection of friendly bacteria and other microbes that, if present in optimal amounts, is beneficial to your health.
Although we usually associate probiotics with gut health, research have shown that making the correct lifestyle choices that support the growth of probiotics may even improve our immune system, nutrient absorption, and metabolism.
Fermented foods are a good source of probiotics. You’ve probably eaten them before, but here are some well-known examples that you can consider for your next meal: yogurt, natto, kimchi, tempeh and miso.
And what are prebiotics?
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In addition to probiotics, there are certain nutrients in our foods that we cannot digest, but the friendly bacteria living in our guts can. These non-digestible nutrients are also known as prebiotics.
Prebiotics are soluble fibres that are usually found in fruits and vegetables, but some may be derived from dairy products as well. So, not only are fruit and vegetables provide important nutrients for your body, they are also probiotics’ favourite food. Therefore, they play a major role in supporting a healthy environment in your gut.
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One of the lesser known facts about probiotics is that besides food alone, where you live also influence the type of friendly bacteria living in your gut. That’s right! Our very Malaysian community of gut friendly-bacteria is well-adapted to the diverse Malaysian foods we eat.
Hence, it is important to choose local probiotics if you want to maximise the benefits of a probiotic supplement.
LACTO-5® GOLD contains a synergistic blend of locally-derived probiotics with Japanese Ohtaka SuperfoodTM (containing 50 types of fruits and vegetables fermented for six months) and enhanced with Korean Tagatose natural prebiotics.
You can purchase it from all leading pharmacies nationwide. For more information, click here.