Acidophilus is increasingly common on the shelves of grocery stores next to yoghurts and kefir. This fermented milk product is considered very useful, but sometimes you can also find statements that acidophilus can be harmful to health.
The beneficial properties of milk have been known for a long time. This drink is useful not only fresh, but also fermented. Fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt - these are some common products made from fermented milk. In this series, acidophilus takes a worthy place - a white thick drink with a light spicy aftertaste. Not everyone likes this taste, so modern enterprises also produce a sweet drink, in which the taste of the sourdough is almost not noticeable.
Acidophilus, unlike yogurt or kefir, is obtained by adding a special bacterial culture to milk - acidophilus bacillus. In addition to her, kefir fungus, pure milk streptococci, milk yeast are added to the starter culture.
The benefits of acidophilus
The drink has a very rich biochemical composition. It contains a lot of minerals and vitamins, sucrose, organic acids, lactose - milk sugar. The resulting balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats makes the drink useful for people of all ages. He is especially respected by people on a diet - with all the great benefits of acidophilus, it has a low calorie content, and 80 calories per glass of drink.
A drunk glass of acidophilus helps a person enrich his body with vitamins A, B1, B2, PP, C, minerals, including magnesium and sodium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and iron. In the process of maturation of the drink, the lactose contained in it turns into easily digestible, therefore, people with lactose intolerance are recommended to use acidophilus.
In addition to the increased content of minerals and vitamins, acidophilus is able to suppress the vital activity of bacteria found in the human intestine. Acidophilus bacillus, after entering the digestive tract, begins to secrete antibiotics, including: lactalin, nicosine, nisin and lysine, which suppress the processes of decay and kill harmful microbes.
Acidophilus bacillus is also distinguished by a beneficial effect on the function of the stomach and pancreas, therefore the drink is widely used in dietary and medical nutrition.
Why you can sometimes hear talk about the dangers of acidophilus
Acidophilus, like many other industrially manufactured products, has its own contraindications. This is, first of all, individual intolerance, manifested in the form of urticaria, that is, an allergic reaction. You should not drink acidophilus and those people who suffer from gastritis with high acidity.
Acidophilus has both supporters and opponents. The dangers of drinking the drink are mainly repeated by people who, due to the characteristics of the body, should not drink acidophilus, but due to negligence, they nevertheless consumed the drink. Those who are faced with the negative effects of the product on their body refuse to notice all the data on the usefulness of acidophilus. And you just had to look at the packaging when buying - it contains all the data about who should not use this product.
When buying acidophilus, you need to pay attention to the date of manufacture. Its shelf life is a maximum of 72 hours after production, the preferred storage temperature is not higher than 8 ° C. Correct handling of product information will avoid possible problems when ingested.
