Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Seyer, on the importance of probiotics in nutrition

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Medicine Vice-Dean and lecturer from the Department of Medical and Clinical Microbiology, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Seyer announced that probiotics have positive effects on human health; however, they must be used correctly.

Seyer recalled that probiotics are living microorganisms, and choosing the right amount with the correct microorganisms will positively affect the person's health.

It was explained that the common probiotics generally include bacteria in Lactobacillus, Bifid bacterium and Bacillus species, and Saccharomyces yeasts. “The most correct use of probiotics is the use of probiotics containing the microorganisms that the person needs during that period,” said Seyer and added: “Since most people do not choose the type of probiotics they use according to their needs, they often experience digestive problems such as gas and constipation after using probiotics”.

Furthermore, Asst. Prof. Dr. Seyer stated that naturally fermented foods (yogurt, pickle, cheese, apple cider vinegar, etc.) are at the forefront of foods considered as probiotics and probiotic microorganisms in markets and various probiotic formulations in pharmacies are also sold.

The most important function of probiotics is to protect the intestine from harmful microorganisms and contribute to digestion, stated Seyer. She continued that using the right type of microorganism containing probiotics solves health problems such as eczema, antibiotic-related diarrhea, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), obesity and positive results were obtained in regulating high cholesterol levels.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Seyer pointed out that another concept related to probiotics is prebiotic; “It is important to consume appropriate foods to support these microorganisms that are taken into the body even though the person is using the right dose and type of probiotics.”

Prebiotic foods are complex carbohydrates, besides, probiotics use these complex carbohydrate foods as a metabolic fuel in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the effect of probiotics can be observed more strongly in people who include prebiotics in their nutrition.