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Do you know that you can find so many rich sources of probiotics and prebiotics in your own kitchen? You have read that right, now you don’t have to spend a fortune buying probiotic supplements when you can simply explore your kitchen and prepare them yourself. Ayurveda has stressed the importance of fermented preparations and a complete range of Ayurvedic therapeutic products known as casava-aristas are prepared through fermentation. Furthermore, many diet preparations mentioned in Ayurvedic texts have probiotic and prebiotic effects. Read the article till the end to understand the effects of probiotics on gut microbiota as well as how it helps in Gut Dysbiosis.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are living microorganisms like bacteria or yeast that have a positive impact on the body. These good bacteria are already present inside your body. Probiotics enhance the existing good bacteria inside your intestine and they help to fight against harmful pathogens and also boost your immunity against infections.
You might be surprised to know that our body has trillions of microorganisms that support our physiological processes and overall well-being.
What Do Probiotics Do?
Probiotics are the food and health products that boost the good bacteria inside your intestine. These good bacteria manage and prevent the condition known as gut dysbiosis. Gut dysbiosis refers to a condition in which there is a deficiency of good bacteria in the microbiome.
Why is it Essential to Maintaining Gut Health?
You might be wondering why it is essential to maintain gut health. Let’s discuss more about it as the bacteria and other microbes present inside the gut helps in digestion and support immune, heart and brain health. Gut is the foundation of most things. Gut is not only responsible for healthy digestion but also for absorption of nutrients which helps in maintaining energy levels. If your gut is unhealthy, it means your immune system is also not working properly. Gut also maintains the level of serotonin and other hormones.
Furthermore, the gut also helps to remove the toxins and metabolic wastes from the body. There can be an accumulation of excessive wastes if your gut is not functioning normally. It can lead to many health issues such as chronic tiredness, and swelling in the body. Individuals can have symptoms like brain fogginess, loose motions, constipation, and gastric issues. Therefore, it is important to keep the gut healthy to maintain overall wellness and health.
What are the Benefits of Probiotics?
Probiotics are rich in good bacteria and therefore, prevent bacterial and yeast infections like UTIs, cavities, antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Within the digestive system, the use of probiotics helps to break down and absorb some nutrients and medicines. They also help to break down and recycle bile after digestion. These probiotics also assist in training the body’s defense system to identify and remove the harmful microbes. They are very effective in issues like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and ulcerative colitis.
You might be surprised to know that probiotics have a positive impact on brain health also. According to researchers probiotics also helps in mood disorders and pain tolerance. These health supplements help in mental acuity and chronic tiredness.
How Ayurveda Can Help in Gut Dysbiosis?
Ayurveda has stressed on the use of fermented preparations like asava and arishtas and some pathya kalpas or the diet preparations which have probiotic effects. Ayurvedic texts have emphasized on the fermentation process (sandhana kalpana) in which liquids are infused with medicinal drugs and are put inside closed vessels for a particular span to support the natural process of fermentation. Sandhana kalpana (Fermentation) is a process in which alcohol is self-generated and all the processes that involve fermentation process falls under the category of sandhana kalpana.
Sandhana Kalpana is of Two Types:
- Madhya Kalpana (Alcoholic Preparation)
- Shukta Kalpana (Acidic Preparation)
1. Madhya Kalpana (Alcoholic Preparation)
Madhya kalpana or alcoholic preparations are of different types like sura, sidhu, varuni, asava-arishta, etc.
- Sura
Sura can be prepared by boiling the rice for fermentation and the different parts are clear fluid is prasanna, slightly thick part is kadambari, thicker and lower part is jagala and medaka is even thicker than jagala and the left over part after filtration is surabeej. According to Ayurveda, rice based fermented products have more health benefits in comparison to dairy-products. The main use of sura is for people who have weakness, or burning sensation in urine.
- Sidhu
Pakwa rasa sidhu can be made by fermentation of sweet juice of different fruits which does not involve any cooking whereas apakwa rasa sidhu is prepared by fermentation of fruit juice after boiling them. Sidhu helps to treat gastrointestinal disorders including gut dysbiosis.
- Varuni
It is prepared by fermentation of the juice of taal or palm and kharjur or date palm. This formulation makes the digestive system strong and increases the ratio of good bacteria inside the gut.
- Asava and Arishta
Both Asava and Arishta involve the fermentation process but the only difference is that Asavas do not involve any type of heat whereas arishtas are prepared after application of heat. Both Asavas and arishtas have effective results in gastrointestinal issues like chronic diarrhea, indigestion, flatulence, and vomiting. There are specific asava and arishta that are prescribed for gut dysbiosis like jeerakadhyarishta, kumarayasava, and others.
- Tushodak
It is a fermented drink which can be made by the fermentation of boiled broken yava, and godhuma with husk. When raw and broken barley is kept for the fermentation process then the obtained sour drink is known as tushodak or tushambu. This fermented drink is an excellent probiotic and help to maintain the balance of bacteria inside the gut.
- Souvirak
It is also a probiotic drink which is made by the fermentation of yava, and godhuma without husk. If the husk is removed from barley and it is cooked and kept for the fermentation process then the liquid is called souvirak and it is a type of kanji.
- Kanjika
It is a popular fermented drink which is prepared in many households using carrots, spices, salt, and oil. This drink aids digestion and also promotes the growth of good bacteria inside the intestine. It is best to prepare kanjika in an earthen pot and when you open the seal of earthen pot after 2 weeks then you will obtain a sour drink known as kanjika. The kanji is not only healthy but it is also delicious in taste and also helps in conditions like loss of taste, indigestion, loss of appetite, and gut dysbiosis.
- Sandaki
It can be prepared by the fermentation of muli (radish) along with mustard seeds (sarshapa). This preparation has many health benefits like for healthy digestion, and metabolism.
- Maireya
Maireya is a Madhya or alcoholic preparation which is made using jaggery and dhataki pushpa (Woodfordia fruiticosa) and cereals. It is very good for digestion and is helpful in conditions like chronic diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Chukra
When the fermented liquid loses its sourness and sweetness and the liquid gets spoiled. If the fermentation process takes place in vinashta then the obtained liquid is chukra. Chukra is also used as a probiotic and help in various gastro-intestinal disorders.
2. Shukta Kalpana (Acidic Preparation)
Shukta kalpana is the sour fermented liquid that is the result of fermentation. Shukta kalpas are made by the fermentation of tubers, roots, fruits, and others with oil and salt dissolved in liquid. According to Ayurvedic experts, when the madhya kalpana becomes spoiled then it transforms into an acidic preparation known as Shukta. Shukta is usually prepared with sugarcane juice or grape juice. Shukta is commonly known as sirka or vinegar.
Conclusion
Fermentation is one of the oldest methods to preserve food and it is believed that during the fermentation microorganisms change the chemical composition of raw materials. Fermented preparations like curd or dahi and butter milk or takra are rich sources of lactic acid bacteria and have the probiotic effect which maintains gut health and are also effective in conditions like Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or diarrhea. The lactic acid bacteria help to suppress the growth of bad bacteria and promote the synthesis of good bacteria.
If you or your loved one suffers from Digestive issues or an allergy, you can consult with IAFA’s diligent team of Doctors headed by Dr. Sahil Gupta. IAFA is one of the most trustworthy and committed institutions to making the world a better place through its original and holistic approach. Dr. Gupta’s team treats all types of allergies using 100% natural and herbal products.
References
Venkatasubramanian, P., Kukkupuni, S., & Shashikumar, A. (2015). Fermented milk products: Probiotics of Ayurveda. Journal of Medical Nutrition and Nutraceuticals, 4(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.4103/2278-019x.146149
