Probiotics in Betagen

        There is a very popular food for health concern people. Anyone who want to be healthy would know. It calls “Probiotic”. The health benefit of probiotic became viral for its delicious good taste and it will not cause a constipation. People who have it regularly will have a better health. So many of them who wanted to be trendy were rushing to supermarket to buy probiotic food to consume with very little knowledge about it. Let’s get to know probiotics!

        The term “Probiotic” from latin and greek means for life. Probiotics were known since 76B.C., the Roman historian Plinio suggested the administration of fermented milk products for treating gastrointestinal. Fermented milk were popular among Egyptian, Middle Eastern People, Kumis in Mongolia, Lassi in India, Tibetan, Bulgarian and Asian who live in the Balkans.
Probiotic were well known in the beginning of the 20th century. Russian microbiologist who won the noble prized in medical named Dr. Elie Metchnikoff. While he was living in Bulgaria, he suspicious what made many Bulgarians who live in rural area lived longevity. Ho noticed that one of the traditional home made food that was very popular among Bulgarian was fermented milk.
Dr. Elie Metchnikoff set hypothesis that there is lactic acid from fermented process in fermented milk which strengthen human body by enhancing human digestive system. To proof his hypothesis Dr. Metchnikoff, the next vice president of Plaster Institute in France, drank fermented milk cultured with the same microorganism with Bulgarian home made fermented milk Bacillus Bulgaricus every day. He cultured the Bacillus Bulgaricus in laboratory and fermented with fresh milk.
         Not so long after the experiment, he noticed that his body became healthy in many ways. He continued his research until he discovered that microorganisms in drinking yogurt could digest lactose to lactic acids, which are beneficial microorganisms. Not only reduce the growth of harmful bacteria, but also increase beneficial microorganisms in human intestine. It also prevents the occur of many diseases such as colon cancer, diarrhea by reduce spoiled food and reduce toxicity substances from food.
        Usually, there are both beneficial and harmful microorganisms in human gut. Beneficial microorganisms boost immune system, prevent from infection and protect human digestive system. These result in healthy digestive system. These microorganisms are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, etc. The harmful bacteria normally not live in digestive system, but it might be in human digestive system if we consume contaminated or rotten food. The large quantity of harmful microorganisms result in digestive system disease such as infection, diarrhea, heart burn, etc.
        Dr. Metchnikoff had officially been published the miracle of living organisms that he discovered. It had been announced the theory of healthy and the prolongation of life were accepted in 1907. At that time, scientist and physician were excited about his theory. He won Nobel prize in medical later on. It attracted more drinking yogurt consumer. This theory was talk of the town. Scientists and physicians were excited about it. He got the Nobel prize in medical later on. These made families and friends became drinking yogurt fan. Even the physician used to treat their patients who have digestion problems with drinking yogurt. Later on, Many species of good microorganisms were discovered, especially Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus bacteria.

        Dr. Metchnikoff passed away at age 71 years old. The popularity of drinking yogurt were reduced because the next generation scientists refused his theory. However they are scientists who continued their research in this topics. In 1930, Dr. Minoru Shirota, the Japanese Scientist had done research about Lactic Acid bacteria in human gut. He also found other microorganisms and he success in culture lactic acid microorganisms that can live in acidity as in human gut. These microorganisms are Lactobacillus Casei, Shirota strain that alive in human intestine. People turned to believe in Dr. Minoru Shirota studied. He came up with Japanese term “Kencho Choiu” means healthy intestine leads to a long life.Until mid 20th century, these microorganisms were called Probiotics. Probiotics became popular again after there were many research papers support the benefit of probiotics liked those of Dr. Metchnikoff.
        In 2001, a joint committee Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO and WHO) expert consultation on health and nutritional properties of powder milk with live lactic acid bacteria redefined probiotics as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

        Back in to the history, probiotics consumption was in human culture for thousand years in form of fermented milk. In the cow, sheep, goat and yak farming area in Balkan such as Bulgaria, Arab, India, Mongolia, Tibet. Farmer will milk those animal for food and beverage such as drinking yogurt and yogurt.
        Farmer will keep animal milk in animal skin bag and carry these bag while travelling. After a while they discovered that the milk became sour and thicker texture and it tasted better and they felt it good for health. Later on, they learnt to develop this discovery into home made food. Besides drinking it as a drinking yogurt, they use the thicker cream milk for yogurt. Which was also very popular.
        In different country, people were having different secret recipes for drinking yogurt and yogurt production. Normally, they boiled fresh milk until one third left, then poured back to animal skin bag or clay pot and sealed with clothes for natural fermentation until they became drinking yogurt or yogurt.
        Drinking yogurts and yogurt were homemade before until the health benefit of drinking yogurts were well known. Since then the production were moved from homemade to manufacturer process in Industrial revolution era.

Credit: IPST