What the Lactobacilli are and where they are
Lactobacilli are a genus of bacteria with a rod-like, Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. Most of these microorganisms have the ability to ferment lactose and other sugars, producing acids, in particular - but not only - lactic acid.
Lactobacilli also abound in the human intestine, while in women they constitute an important bulwark against intimate infections, localizing - especially in the fertile period - at the vaginal level.
Lactobacilli details are used as probiotics in supplements, dietary products and even in medicinal specialties. The probiotic term is up to all those microorganisms of human origin which, ingested in adequate quantities, manage to arrive alive and active in the intestine, colonizing it and exerting a positive action on the development of the intestinal microflora and the maintenance of health. All these qualities must not of course be lost during the preservation of the product.
Healthy Applications
Most probiotics belong to the genus Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Although the intestinal bacterial flora is a sort of digital imprint - therefore more or less variable from individual to individual in relation to the state of health, to the diet and to the possible use of drugs - among the most useful probiotic lactobacilli we recall Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, sp. rhamnosum, Lactobacillus johnsonii . These bacteria, among other things, are the subject of intense research and are widely used in probiotic preparations for food use. The most characterized therapeutic field is that of intestinal infections (gastroenteritis), followed by the restoration of a friendly microflora following prolonged antibiotic treatments, and by the improvement of lactose intolerance. However, the various therapeutic and health-promoting (preventive) applications are numerous and numerous, given the presence in the literature of a large amount of studies, unfortunately often with conflicting results and therefore still preliminary. The probiotic lactobacilli could for example be useful to prevent and / or treat (mainly as adjuvants) inflammatory bowel diseases, allergic phenomena, urinary tract infections, colon cancer, hypercholesterolemia and constipation.
