Recently, many adherents of healthy eating have been talking about maintaining intestinal microflora. It's very simple: you need to eat fresh foods and also take in beneficial bacteria. Let's figure out what foods contain probiotics and prebiotics for the intestines and why they are needed.
About 100 trillion different bacteria live in the human body, a tenth of which is microflora. The rest are cells of microorganisms that live not only outside, but also inside a person. According to scientists, the human body contains about 2 kilograms of microbes that interact with cells and tissues.
What are prebiotics and probiotics for the gut?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be included in food products, for example, yogurt and kefir, medicines or dietary supplements. Their main task is to normalize the intestinal microflora, destroying bad bacteria.
Prebiotics are substances that are needed for the growth and development of good bacteria. If there are a lot of prebiotics in the body, beneficial bacteria feel comfortable and protect you from negative environmental factors.
The list of foods with prebiotics is long. These components are found in large quantities in fruits (bananas), vegetables (onions, corn, garlic, beans, peas), as well as in dairy products, bran and cereals.
Prebiotics include organic compounds:
- oligofructose;
- inulin;
- apple pectin;
- calcium pantothenate;
- lactulose;
- dietary fiber (fiber);
- algae extracts;
- glutamic acid;
- carotenoids.
When choosing probiotic yogurts in the store, pay attention to the number of lactic acid bacteria. In a high-quality drink there will be at least 10 7 CFU per 1 gram of product.
We take contraceptives
In this section we will present official methods approved by medical science to delay menstruation, in the next section we will indicate folk remedies, they do not give 100% effect.
Methods that we will conventionally call “scientific” are divided into two groups. The first are contraceptives, the second are hormonal agents based on progestin and gestagen. All these tools are available. They can be easily purchased at any pharmacy.
With the help of birth control pills, we can delay the onset of your period by several days. But the pills do not bring any benefit to the body, so they must be taken carefully. Next we will find out why birth control pills are needed to delay your period.
The role of pro- and prebiotics in the body
The main function of the intestines is to protect the body, which is impossible without good bacteria. This organ protects a person from poisoning, infections and eating disorders. Each organism has an individual intestinal microclimate - a community of bacteria that interact with each other and control everything that gets inside.
If harmful bacteria or other irritants enter the intestines, prebiotics and probiotics eliminate them, improving internal processes.
They supply the body with energy, biologically active substances, vitamins, regulate the digestion process and produce vitamin K, necessary for blood clotting. Due to stress, serious illness or treatment with antibiotics, bad bacteria penetrate the intestines and multiply, fighting the microflora. As a result of this struggle, there are fewer good bacteria, which affects your condition: the stomach begins to growl, flatulence appears, the digestion process is disrupted, which leads to nausea, diarrhea, or, conversely, constipation.
This greatly affects your immunity: it weakens and cannot fully protect against viruses coming from the outside, so you get sick more often.
Pros and cons of probiotics and prebiotics
In recent years, the topic of restoring microflora with probiotics and prebiotics has become very popular, so many nutritionists and adherents of a healthy lifestyle are confident in their benefits. Many people take drugs in capsules, powders, and “live” yoghurts to eliminate dysbiosis, strengthen the immune system and cleanse the liver.
However, there are those who are skeptical about probiotics and prebiotics. They are confident that the diagnosis of “dysbacteriosis” is a myth, and tests to determine it are a simple marketing ploy, since the ratio of bacteria “out” is not related to what lives inside a person. Skeptics do not consider it necessary to help the intestines, since they can easily recover naturally, and the effectiveness of good bacteria has not been proven.
The third camp understands the benefits of pro- and prebiotics, but is not sure that they reach the intestines. People argue that most of these bacteria are killed by hydrochloric acid, so there is no point in spending money on products containing them.
Folk remedies for delaying menstruation
- According to many supporters of traditional medicine, ordinary lemon . However, it should be noted right away that this remedy is strictly prohibited for those with stomach and intestinal problems. In order for menstruation to begin 3-5 days later than the due date, you need to start consuming lemons without sugar 5 days before the expected (natural) period of your period, eating 5 lemons during the day. You can enhance the effectiveness of this remedy if you immerse your feet in cold water for 10 minutes before going to bed while drinking lemons. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to this lemon treatment supplement, the main ones being ovarian inflammation and cystitis.
- A very good remedy for delaying menstruation by 3-7 days is nettle decoction . To prepare it, take 5 large spoons of dried nettle and add 500 ml of non-hot water. Then the composition must be placed on the fire, wait for it to boil and boil for about 5 minutes. After removing from the heat, the preparation must be kept covered for another 30 minutes. The strained medicine is drunk one day before the start of menstruation: in full and at one time. If there is bleeding in the body, this decoction should not be used.
- Water pepper is another helper for women in delaying menstruation. To prepare the composition, take 5 large spoons of plant material and pour in 500 ml of freshly boiled water. Next, the drug is boiled over low heat for 5 minutes. After this, the medicine is infused for 3 hours and filtered through gauze. Take it 2 tablespoons 3 times a day. Start taking 4 days before the expected date of menstruation. This remedy delays the onset of menstruation by 3-4 days.
- A decoction of parsley root is also used to delay menstruation . To prepare it, you need to take a tablespoon of finely chopped root and pour it with a glass of just boiled water. You need to infuse the drug for about 3 hours, then strain it thoroughly. You should start drinking the decoction 5 days before the start of your period. Drink it 3 times a day, a tablespoon. It should be remembered that in the presence of cholelithiasis and hypotension, this remedy is contraindicated.
- Able to delay critical days and herbal collection . After using it, menstruation begins about seven days late. To prepare the mixture, take 1 part each of mint herb, shepherd's purse herb and raspberry leaves. After mixing all the ingredients well, pour a tablespoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water. The composition is infused under the lid for about 30 minutes. Take the medicine 3 times a day, 120 ml, 4 days before the expected date of menstruation. The delay is 3-4 days.
- another fee for the same purpose . It requires mixing equal amounts of crushed valerian root, burnet roots, yarrow herb, cinquefoil herb and May nettle herb. After this, three tablespoons of the mixture should be poured into a 500 ml teapot and brewed with just boiled water. Then, after infusing the composition for 10 minutes, it is taken 3 times a day in a glass. You should start using the infusion 5 days before menstruation.
- A decoction of parsley herb is a powerful remedy for delaying menstruation. To prepare it, you need to take 50 g of herb, grind it through a meat grinder and brew 250 ml of boiling water. After infusing the drug for 3 hours, filter it and drink half a glass 2 times a day. Use the product for four days preceding the expected start date of menstruation, which can be delayed in this way by about 7 days.
- Will help not only delay menstruation, but also stop the already started wild strawberry leaves . This remedy is very strong, so it should be used with caution, as there is a risk of severe disruption in the cycle with its normalization only after 6 months. To prepare the drug, you need to take a large spoon of dried and crushed leaves and pour them with a liter of just boiled water. Then cover the composition with a lid and leave for 30 minutes. Use the product one quarter glass in the morning and evening, starting 2 days before menstruation. To stop menstruation, drink the drug one third of a glass 3 times a day.
- Viburnum berries are another natural remedy for influencing the female body. You need to take two teaspoons of berries and pour 250 ml of boiling water. Next, the drug is infused under the lid for 30 minutes. After filtering, it is topped up to the initial volume. Start using the product 2 days before menstruation, a tablespoon 3 times a day.
- You can try preparing another herbal mixture . For it, equal quantities are taken: knotweed grass, shepherd's purse grass and crushed sprigs of white mistletoe. Two tablespoons of the mixture are poured into 400 ml of water heated to 95 degrees. Infuse this mixture for 60 minutes. The infusion should be consumed in a glass in the morning and evening for three days before the onset of menstruation, which as a result will be delayed by 2-4 days.
- Burnet roots contribute to a noticeable shift in the onset of menstruation. To prepare the composition, you need to take a large spoon of crushed plant roots and pour 200 ml of boiling water. Next, the composition is boiled for 30 minutes. Then it is filtered and brought with boiled water to its original volume. The product is drunk 2 days before the expected start of menstruation, taking a large spoon 4 times a day before meals. The delay may be one week.
When you need beneficial bacteria
Probiotics help normalize intestinal function, and prebiotics (fiber) speed up the passage of food and its digestion in the intestines.
Probiotics are prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory diseases, diverticular disease, and for the prevention of antibiotic-associated colitis they can be used together with antibiotics on the recommendation of a doctor.
Be careful: self-medication not only will not solve the problem, but can also harm the body. Prebiotics are contraindicated in cases of intestinal stenosis, such as Crohn's disease, and an allergic reaction may occur to probiotics.
Many people try to stop diarrhea with probiotics. It is important to establish the cause of the disorder, otherwise you may miss the onset of a serious illness. In addition, each bacteria has its own “specialization”. For example, lactobacilli suppress putrefactive processes in the intestines and stimulate the immune system. However, without a doctor’s recommendation, it is not worth treating diseases with them: the effectiveness of certain microorganisms has been proven, and some bacteria are only being studied by specialists.
Also, microorganisms that inhabit the intestines secrete gamma-aminobutyric acid, which affects your mood. When the microbalance is normal, your mood improves and stress goes away.
Evidence-based effectiveness
Abroad, the manufacturer is required to prove the effectiveness of its products. For example, if beneficial bacteria have been added to a new yogurt, this does not mean that the product is healthy. In Russia, the law does not oblige manufacturers to conduct serious research, but there must be an evidence base.
For example, a well-known food manufacturer conducted double-blind, placebo-controlled studies involving 600 people. One part of the experiment participants drank a “pacifier”, and the second part drank a lactic acid product with a probiotic. When the study ended, an independent organization compared the participants' medical histories and found that people who consumed the probiotic product had less illness. So probiotics do strengthen the immune system and can speed up the healing process, but their effectiveness and safety in a specific product must be proven.
How to calculate your menstrual cycle
It is believed that the beginning of the menstrual cycle is the first day of menstruation, and its end is the day before the first day of the next menstruation. Even the day when the bleeding is insignificant should be considered the first.
Conventionally, the entire cycle is divided into “safe” and “dangerous” () days. The first and second phases of the cycle have a safe period, and the third phase, which lasts several days and is replaced by the fourth phase, preceding the start of the next menstruation.
To correctly calculate your cycle, you must keep a menstrual calendar for at least six months, marking the beginning and end of menstruation. Based on the calendar, the minimum and maximum cycle duration is determined. Knowledge of this data will be required in order to determine the period of ovulation and the so-called safe period.
Requirements for probiotic products
One of the main requirements for probiotic products is the survival of the probiotic strain in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in the finished product throughout the entire shelf life.
For such control, modern production facilities operate research centers and laboratories. Their main task is to select probiotic bacteria and study their properties. Some large production facilities have microbiological laboratories in which about 4,000 different strains have been collected. They determine which prebiotics and probiotics are better and more effective.
