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Reportlinker Adds Boosting Immunity Through Digestion: The Relation Among Probiotics, Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes
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Probiotic literally means "for life." The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization defines probiotics as "live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." Prebiotics are nondigestible carbohydrates that feed beneficial bacteria already residing in the digestive system and also provide fiber (bulk), an aid to good digestion. Prebiotics are found in a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and in certain other products, such as yogurt containing the probiotic Bifidobacteria.
The interest in foods and beverages that enhance digestive health is increasing worldwide, especially in developed countries. People in many third world countries have routinely consumed foods containing probiotics and/or prebiotics for centuries. Fermented foods are the primary source of naturally occurring probiotic bacteria, and such foods are a traditional part of most indigenous diets. This is because their health benefits were identified thousands of years ago. Developed countries have moved away from these vital foods, to greater or lesser degrees, and the health of people in these areas has suffered as a result.
In the past few years, there has been a growing awareness among consumers globally of the connection between digestive health and immunity. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is now recognized as a very active immune center. Indeed, the GI tract contains more than 80% of the body's antibody-producing cells. Importantly, the digestive tract comprises an entirely separate immune system, which was not fully appreciated until recently. The GI system confers an immunity different from the immune functions elsewhere in the body and is considered the largest of the lymph organs -- larger than the thymus and all the other lymph nodes scattered throughout our systems.
Aging populations and infants are the obvious groups that can benefit from digestive- and immunity-focused products, but awareness of the extensive and lifelong benefits of consuming foods for digestive health has the attention of people of all ages.
The most well-known foods that are beneficial to the GI tract are yogurt and high-fiber products. The probiotics market has recently begun to move beyond yogurt to deliver probiotics in an increasing variety of foods and beverages. Prebiotics are being added to an expanding array of products, from pudding to frozen chicken dinners. The probiotic category is more established than prebiotics in the digestive health market, but the prebiotics sector is the faster growing of the two. An adjunct category--and a new frontier for food and beverage manufacturers--is digestive enzymes. Many food and beverage products are ideal candidates for the addition of digestive enzymes.
There are two major trends contributing to the growth of foods and beverages that enhance digestive health--increasing numbers of categories of these products in which probiotics and prebiotics are included, and a growing public awareness of and desire to benefit digestive health and thereby enhance immunity.