See also : [[probiotics]]<br>
Lactobacillus bulgaricus is found mainly in Swiss cheese, fermented milk and yogurt and is available as a dietary supplement. L. bulgaricus is used primarily as a starter culture to help other bacteria grow in the cheese- and yogurt-making process. Termed a probiotic because it is not a natural bacteria found in your gut, this strain of lactobacillus has health benefits not found in other probiotics.
==Special Precautions of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus==
* Digestion Aid : Bacteria in yogurt seem to present a self-digestible form of milk sugar that allows people with lactose intolerance to handle milk sugars. Milk sugar digestibility improves with yogurt consumption, according to the scientific survey "Yoghurts & Fermented Milks." L. bulgaricus facilitates digestion of lactose (milk sugar) because it delivers lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose in the intestines. Therefore, if you are lactase-deficient, take an L. bulgaricus supplement or eat fermented yogurt to receive this benefit.
* L. bulgaricus also guards and protects the delicate mucous lining of your intestine against harmful bacteria. That means less gas – so you can enjoy your favorite foods again!
* Lactose Intolerance Management : If, like a lot of people, you're lactose intolerant, you experience abdominal discomfort and gas after consuming foods that contain milk sugar, or lactose. This results due to an inability to produce beta-galactosidase, an enzyme found only in people of northern European descent. In a study published in January 2006 in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology, " Dr. Massimo Montalto of the department of internal medicine of the Catholic University in Rome explains that Lactobacillus bulgaricus is able to break down lactose using to its own beta-galactosidase supply. This bacterial beta-galactosidase activity is thought to be the reason that in many cases, people who are lactose intolerant are able to digest yogurt with no resultant symptoms.
* Diarrhea Prevention : Antibiotics are used to kill bacteria that cause disease, but unfortunately they are unable to distinguish between good and bad bacteria. As a result, the natural floras of the gastrointestinal tract are sometimes depleted during a course of antibiotic therapy. This leads to a condition known as antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Lactobacillus bulgaricus is one of several probiotic species that can significantly decrease a patient's risk of developing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. MedlinePlus states that a drink containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus, consumed twice daily, decreased incidence of antibiotic associated diarrhea in hospitalized adults.
[[Category:Treatments]]
[[Category:Probiotics]]