Beneficial bacteria for humans where they live. Beneficial microbes. What to Consider When Purchasing Probiotics

Most people associate the word “bacteria” with something unpleasant and a threat to health. At best, fermented milk products come to mind. At worst - dysbacteriosis, plague, dysentery and other troubles. But bacteria are everywhere, they are good and bad. What can microorganisms hide?

What are bacteria

Bacteria means “stick” in Greek. This name does not mean that harmful bacteria are meant.

They were given this name because of their shape. Most of these single cells look like rods. They also come in squares and star-shaped cells. For a billion years, bacteria do not change their appearance; they can only change internally. They can be movable or immobile. Bacteria On the outside it is covered with a thin shell. This allows it to maintain its shape. There is no nucleus or chlorophyll inside the cell. There are ribosomes, vacuoles, cytoplasmic outgrowths, and protoplasm. The largest bacterium was found in 1999. It was called the "Grey Pearl of Namibia". Bacteria and bacillus mean the same thing, they just have different origins.

Man and bacteria

In our body there is a constant battle between harmful and beneficial bacteria. Thanks to this process, a person receives protection from various infections. Various microorganisms surround us at every step. They live on clothes, fly in the air, they are omnipresent.

The presence of bacteria in the mouth, and this is about forty thousand microorganisms, protects the gums from bleeding, from periodontal disease and even from sore throat. If a woman’s microflora is disturbed, she may develop gynecological diseases. Following basic rules of personal hygiene will help avoid such failures.

Human immunity completely depends on the state of the microflora. Almost 60% of all bacteria are found in the gastrointestinal tract alone. The rest are located in the respiratory system and in the reproductive system. About two kilograms of bacteria live in a person.

The appearance of bacteria in the body

A newly born baby has a sterile intestine.

After his first breath, many microorganisms enter the body with which he was previously unfamiliar. When the baby is first put to the breast, the mother transfers beneficial bacteria with milk, which will help normalize the intestinal microflora. It is not for nothing that doctors insist that the mother immediately after the birth of her child breastfeed him. They also recommend extending this feeding as long as possible.

Beneficial bacteria

Beneficial bacteria are: lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, E. coli, streptomycents, mycorrhizae, cyanobacteria.

They all play an important role in human life. Some of them prevent the occurrence of infections, others are used in the production of medicines, and others maintain balance in the ecosystem of our planet.

Types of harmful bacteria

Harmful bacteria can cause a number of serious illnesses in humans. For example, diphtheria, sore throat, plague and many others. They are easily transmitted from an infected person through air, food, or touch. It is the harmful bacteria, the names of which will be given below, that spoil food. They give off an unpleasant odor, rot and decompose, and cause diseases.

Bacteria can be gram-positive, gram-negative, rod-shaped.

Names of harmful bacteria

Harmful bacteria can stay in the body for a long time and absorb beneficial substances from it. However, they can cause an infectious disease.

The most dangerous bacteria

One of the most resistant bacteria is methicillin. It is better known as Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus). can cause not one, but several infectious diseases. Some types of these bacteria are resistant to powerful antibiotics and antiseptics. Strains of this bacterium can live in the upper respiratory tract, open wounds and urinary tract of every third inhabitant of the Earth. For a person with a strong immune system, this does not pose a danger.

Harmful bacteria to humans are also pathogens called Salmonella typhi. They are the causative agents of acute intestinal infections and typhoid fever. These types of bacteria, harmful to humans, are dangerous because they produce toxic substances that are extremely dangerous to life. As the disease progresses, intoxication of the body occurs, very high fever, rashes on the body, and the liver and spleen enlarge. The bacterium is very resistant to various external influences. Lives well in water, on vegetables, fruits and reproduces well in milk products.

Clostridium tetan is also one of the most dangerous bacteria. It produces a poison called tetanus exotoxin. People who become infected with this pathogen experience terrible pain, seizures and die very hard. The disease is called tetanus. Despite the fact that the vaccine was created back in 1890, 60 thousand people die from it every year on Earth.

And another bacterium that can lead to the death of a person is It causes tuberculosis, which is resistant to drugs. If you do not seek help in a timely manner, a person may die.

Measures to prevent the spread of infections

Harmful bacteria and the names of microorganisms are studied by doctors of all disciplines from their student days. Healthcare annually seeks new methods to prevent the spread of life-threatening infections. If you follow preventive measures, you will not have to waste energy on finding new ways to combat such diseases.

To do this, it is necessary to timely identify the source of the infection, determine the circle of sick people and possible victims. It is imperative to isolate those who are infected and disinfect the source of infection.

The second stage is the destruction of pathways through which harmful bacteria can be transmitted. For this purpose, appropriate propaganda is carried out among the population.

Food facilities, reservoirs, and food storage warehouses are taken under control.

Every person can resist harmful bacteria by strengthening their immunity in every possible way. A healthy lifestyle, observing basic hygiene rules, protecting yourself during sexual contact, using sterile disposable medical instruments and equipment, completely limiting communication with people in quarantine. If you enter an epidemiological area or a source of infection, you must strictly comply with all the requirements of sanitary and epidemiological services. A number of infections are equated in their effects to bacteriological weapons.

Where do bacteria settle in the human body?

1. Most of them inhabit the intestines, providing harmonious microflora.
2. They live on mucous membranes, including the oral cavity.
3. Many microorganisms inhabit the skin.

What microorganisms are responsible for:

1. They support immune function. If there is a lack of beneficial microbes, the body is immediately attacked by harmful ones.
2. By feeding on the components of plant foods, bacteria help digestion. The bulk of products that reach the large intestine are digested precisely thanks to bacteria.
3. Benefits of intestinal microorganisms - in the synthesis of B vitamins, antibodies, absorption of fatty acids.
4. Microbiota maintains water-salt balance.
5. Bacteria on the skin protect the integument from penetration of harmful microorganisms. The same applies to the population of mucous membranes.

What happens if you remove bacteria from the human body? Vitamins will not be absorbed, hemoglobin in the blood will drop, diseases of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, etc. will begin to progress. Conclusion: the main function of bacteria in the human body is protective. Let's take a closer look at what types of microorganisms exist and how to support their work.

Main groups of beneficial bacteria

Beneficial bacteria for humans can be divided into 4 main groups:

• bifidobacteria;
• lactobacilli;
• enterococci;
• coli.

The most common type of beneficial microbiota. The task is to create an acidic environment in the intestines. In such conditions, pathogenic microflora cannot survive. The bacteria produce lactic acid and acetate. Thus, the intestinal tract is not afraid of the processes of fermentation and decay.

Another property of bifidobacteria is antitumor. Microorganisms participate in the synthesis of vitamin C, the main antioxidant in the body. Vitamins D and B-group are absorbed thanks to this type of microbes. The digestion of carbohydrates is also accelerated. Bifidobacteria increase the ability of the intestinal walls to absorb valuable substances, including calcium, magnesium and iron ions.

From the mouth to the colon, lactobacilli live in the digestive tract. The combined action of these bacteria and other microorganisms controls the proliferation of pathogenic microflora. Causative agents of intestinal infections are much less likely to infect the system if lactobacilli inhabit it in sufficient quantities.

The task of the little hard workers is to normalize the functioning of the intestinal tract and support immune function. Microbiota is used in the food and medical industries: from healthy kefirs to drugs for normalizing intestinal microflora.

Lactobacilli are especially valuable for women's health: the acidic environment of the mucous membranes of the reproductive system does not allow the development of bacterial vaginosis.

Advice! Biologists say that the immune system begins in the gut. The body’s ability to resist harmful bacteria depends on the condition of the tract. Maintain a normal gastrointestinal tract, and then not only will the absorption of food improve, but the body’s defenses will also increase.

Enterococci

The habitat of enterococci is the small intestine. They block the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms and help absorb sucrose.

The magazine "Polzateevo" found out that there is an intermediate group of bacteria - conditionally pathogenic. In one state they are beneficial, but when any conditions change they become harmful. These include enterococci. Staphylococci that live on the skin also have a dual effect: they protect the skin from harmful microbes, but they themselves can get into the wound and cause a pathological process.

E. coli often causes negative associations, but only some species from this group cause harm. Most E. coli have a beneficial effect on the tract.

These microorganisms synthesize a number of B vitamins: folic and nicotinic acid, thiamine, riboflavin. The indirect effect of such synthesis is the improvement of blood composition.

Which bacteria are harmful?

Harmful bacteria are more widely known than beneficial bacteria, as they pose a direct threat. Many people know the dangers of salmonella, plague bacillus and vibrio cholerae.

The most dangerous bacteria for humans:

1. Tetanus bacillus: lives on the skin and can cause tetanus, muscle spasms and respiratory problems.
2. Botulism stick. If you eat a spoiled product with this pathogenic microorganism, you can get fatal poisoning. Botulism often develops in expired sausages and fish.
3. Staphylococcus aureus is capable of causing several ailments in the body at once, is resistant to many antibiotics and incredibly quickly adapts to drugs, becoming insensitive to them.
4. Salmonella is the cause of acute intestinal infections, including a very dangerous disease - typhoid fever.

Prevention of dysbacteriosis

Living in urban conditions with poor ecology and nutrition significantly increases the risk of dysbiosis - an imbalance of bacteria in the human body. Most often, the intestines suffer from dysbacteriosis, less often - the mucous membranes. Signs of a lack of beneficial bacteria: gas formation, bloating, abdominal pain, upset stool. If the disease is neglected, vitamin deficiency, anemia, unpleasant odor of the mucous membranes of the reproductive system, weight loss, and skin defects may develop.

Dysbacteriosis easily develops even when taking antibiotic drugs. To restore the microbiota, probiotics are prescribed - compositions with living organisms and prebiotics - preparations with substances that stimulate their development. Fermented milk drinks containing live bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are also considered beneficial.

In addition to therapy, beneficial microbiota responds well to fasting days, consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.

The role of bacteria in nature

The kingdom of bacteria is one of the most numerous on the planet. These microscopic creatures bring benefits and harm not only to humans, but also to all other species, and provide many processes in nature. Bacteria are found in the air and soil. Azotobacter is a very useful soil inhabitant that synthesizes nitrogen from the air, converting it into ammonium ions. In this form, the element is easily absorbed by plants. These same microorganisms cleanse soils of heavy metals and fill them with biologically active substances.

Don't be afraid of bacteria: our body is designed in such a way that it cannot function normally without these tiny workers. If their number is normal, then the immune, digestive and a number of other functions of the body will be fine.

In addition to harmful ones, there are also beneficial bacteria that provide great assistance to the body.

For the average person, the term “bacteria” is most often associated with something harmful and life-threatening.

The most common beneficial bacteria are fermented milk microorganisms.

When it comes to harmful bacteria, people most often remember the following diseases:

• dysbacteriosis;
• plague;
• dysentery and some others.

Bacteria that are beneficial to humans help carry out some biochemical processes in the body that ensure normal functioning.

Bacterial microorganisms live almost everywhere. They are found in air, water, soil, and in any type of tissue, both living and dead.

A harmful microorganism can cause serious harm to the body, and the resulting pathologies can seriously undermine health.

The list of the most well-known pathogenic microbes includes:

1. Salmonella.
2. Staphylococcus.
3. Streptococcus.
4. Vibrio cholerae.
5. Plague stick and some others.

If harmful microorganisms are known to most people, then not everyone knows about beneficial bacterial microorganisms, and those people who have heard about the presence of beneficial bacteria are unlikely to be able to name their names and how they are useful for humans.

Depending on the effect they have on humans, microflora can be divided into three groups of microorganisms:

• pathogenic;
• conditionally pathogenic;
• non-pathogenic.

Non-pathogenic microorganisms are the most beneficial for humans, pathogenic microorganisms are the most harmful, and conditionally pathogenic microorganisms can be beneficial under certain conditions, but become harmful when external conditions change.

In the body, beneficial and harmful bacteria are in balance, but if some factors change, a predominance of pathogenic flora can be observed, which leads to the development of various ailments.

Beneficial bacteria for humans

The most beneficial for the human body are fermented milk and bifidobacteria.

These types of bacteria are not capable of leading to the development of diseases in the body.

Beneficial bacteria for the intestines are a group of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

Beneficial microbes - lactic acid bacteria - are used in the production of various milk products. In addition, they can be used in the preparation of dough and some other types of products.

Bifidobacteria form the basis of the intestinal flora in the human body. In young breastfed children, this type of microorganism makes up up to 90% of all types of bacteria living in the intestines.

These bacteria are responsible for performing a large number of functions, the main ones being:

1. Providing physiological protection of the gastrointestinal tract from penetration and damage by pathogenic microflora.
2. Provides the production of organic acids. Preventing the proliferation of pathogenic organisms.
3. They participate in the synthesis of B vitamins and vitamin K, and in addition they participate in the process of synthesis of proteins necessary for the human body.
4. Accelerate the absorption of vitamin D.

Bacteria beneficial to humans perform a huge number of functions and their role is difficult to overestimate. Without their participation, normal digestion and absorption of nutrients is impossible.

The colonization of the intestines with beneficial bacteria occurs in the first days of infants' lives.

Bacteria penetrate the baby's stomach and begin to participate in all digestive processes occurring in the newborn's body.

In addition to fermented milk and bifidobacteria, Escherichia coli, streptomycetes, mycorrhizae and cyanobacteria are useful for humans.

These groups of organisms play a huge role in human life. Some of them prevent the development of infectious diseases, others are used in medicine production technologies, and others ensure balance in the planet’s ecological system.

The third type of microbes includes azotobacteria; their impact on the environment is difficult to overestimate.

Characteristics of fermented milk sticks

Fermented milk microbes are rod-shaped and gram-positive.

The habitat of various microbes of this group is milk, dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, they also multiply in fermented foods and are part of the microflora of the intestines, mouth and female vagina. If the microflora is disturbed, thrush and some dangerous diseases can develop. The most common types of these microorganisms are L. acidophilus, L. reuteri, L. Plantarum and some others.

This group of microorganisms is known for its ability to use lactose for life and produce lactic acid as a by-product.

This ability of bacteria is used in the production of products that require fermentation. Using this process, it is possible to make a product such as yogurt from milk. In addition, fermented milk organisms can be used in the salting process. This is due to the fact that lactic acid can act as a preservative.

In humans, lactic acid bacteria are involved in the digestion process, ensuring the breakdown of lactose.

The acidic environment that occurs during the life of these bacteria prevents the development of pathogenic microflora in the intestine.

For this reason, lactic acid bacteria are an important component of probiotic preparations and dietary supplements.

Reviews of people who use such drugs and dietary supplements to restore the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract indicate that these medications are highly effective.

Brief characteristics of bifidobacteria and E. coli

This type of microorganism belongs to the group of gram-positive. They are branched and rod-shaped.

The habitat of this type of microbe is the human gastrointestinal tract.

This type of microflora is capable of producing, in addition to lactic acid, acetic acid.

This compound inhibits the growth of pathogenic microflora. The production of these compounds helps control pH levels in the stomach and intestines.

A representative such as the bacterium B. Longum ensures the destruction of indigestible plant polymers.

Microorganisms B. longum and B. Infantis, in the course of their activity, produce compounds that prevent the development of diarrhea, candidiasis and fungal infections in infants and children.

Due to these beneficial properties, this type of microbe is often included in probiotic tablets sold in pharmacies.

Bifidobacteria are used in the production of a variety of lactic acid products, such as yoghurts, fermented baked milk and some others. Being in the gastrointestinal tract, they act as purifiers of the intestinal environment from harmful microflora.

The microflora of the gastrointestinal tract also includes Escherichia coli. She takes an active part in the processes of food digestion. In addition, they participate in some processes that ensure the vital activity of the body’s cells.

Some varieties of the stick can cause poisoning if it develops excessively. Diarrhea and kidney failure.

Brief characteristics of streptomycetes, nodule bacteria and cyanobacteria

Streptomycetes in nature live in soil, water and the remains of decaying organic matter.

These microbes are gram-positive and have a thread-like shape under a microscope.

Most streptomycetes play a vital role in ensuring ecological balance in nature. Due to the fact that these microbes have the ability to process decomposing organic matter, it is considered as a bioreductive agent.

Some species of streptomycetes are used to produce effective antibiotics and antifungal drugs.

Mycorrhizae live in the soil, they exist on the roots of plants, entering into symbiosis with the plant. The most common mycorrhizal symbionts are plants of the legume family.

Their benefit lies in the ability to bind atmospheric nitrogen, converting it in compounds into a form that is easily absorbed by plants.

Plants are not able to assimilate atmospheric nitrogen, so they are entirely dependent on the activity of this type of microorganisms.

Cyanobacteria live most often in water and on the surface of bare rocks.

This group of living organisms are known as blue-green algae. This type of living organisms play an important role in wildlife. They are responsible for fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the aquatic environment.

The presence of such abilities in these bacteria as calcification and decalcification make them an important component of the system for maintaining ecological balance in nature.

Microorganisms harmful to humans

Pathogenic representatives of microflora are microbes that can provoke the development of various ailments in the human body.

Some types of microbes can provoke the development of deadly diseases.

Very often, such diseases can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person. In addition, a large number of pathogenic microflora can spoil food.

Representatives of pathogenic microflora can be gram-positive, gram-negative and rod-shaped microbes.

The table below presents the most famous representatives of microflora.

Pathogenic microflora can develop in the body for a long time and feed on useful substances, weakening its condition, which leads to the development of various infectious diseases.

The most dangerous bacteria for humans

One of the most dangerous and resistant bacteria is a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus. In the ranking of dangerous bacteria, it can rightfully take a prize place.

This microbe can provoke the development of several infectious diseases in the body.

Some varieties of this microflora are resistant to the effects of strong antibiotics and antiseptics.

Varieties of Staphylococcus aureus are able to live:

• in the upper parts of the human respiratory system;
• on the surface of open wounds;
• In the canals of the urinary organs.

For the human body with a strong immune system, this microbe does not pose a danger, but if the body is weakened, it can appear in all its glory.

A bacteria called Salmonella typhi is very dangerous. They can provoke in the body the appearance of such a terrible and deadly infection as typhoid fever, in addition to this, acute intestinal infections can develop.

This pathological flora is dangerous for the human body in that they produce toxic compounds that are very dangerous to health.

Poisoning with these compounds in the body can cause serious and fatal diseases.

The beneficial bacteria that inhabit the human body are called microbiota. They are quite vast in number - one person has millions of them. Moreover, they all regulate the health and normal functioning of each individual. Scientists say: without beneficial bacteria, or, as they are also called, mutualists, the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory tract would instantly be attacked by pathogenic microbes and would be destroyed.

What should be the balance of microbiota in the body and how it can be adjusted to avoid the development of serious diseases, AiF.ru asked General Director of the biomedical holding Sergei Musienko.

Intestinal Workers

One of the important areas where beneficial bacteria are located is the intestines. It is not without reason that it is believed that this is where the entire human immune system is founded. And if the bacterial environment is disturbed, then the body’s defenses are significantly reduced.

Beneficial intestinal bacteria create literally unbearable living conditions for pathogenic microbes - an acidic environment. In addition, beneficial microorganisms help digest plant foods, since bacteria feed on plant cells containing cellulose, but intestinal enzymes cannot cope with this alone. Also, intestinal bacteria contribute to the production of vitamins B and K, which ensure metabolism in bones and connective tissues, as well as release energy from carbohydrates and promote the synthesis of antibodies and regulation of the nervous system.

Most often, when talking about beneficial intestinal bacteria, they mean the 2 most popular types: bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. At the same time, they cannot be called the main ones, as many people think - their number is only 5-15% of the total. However, they are very important, since their positive effect on other bacteria has been proven, when such bacteria can be important factors in the well-being of an entire community: if they are fed or introduced into the body with fermented milk products - kefirs or yoghurts, they help other important bacteria to survive and reproduce . For example, it is very important to restore their population during dysbacteriosis or after a course of antibiotics. Otherwise, it will be problematic to increase the body’s defenses.

Biological shield

The bacteria that inhabit the skin and respiratory tract of humans, in fact, stand guard and reliably protect their area of ​​​​responsibility from the penetration of pathogenic organisms. The main ones are micrococci, streptococci and staphylococci.

The skin microbiome has undergone changes over the past hundreds of years, as humans have moved from a natural life in contact with nature to regular washing with special products. It is believed that human skin is now inhabited by completely different bacteria that lived before. The body, with the help of the immune system, can distinguish dangerous from non-dangerous. But, on the other hand, any streptococcus can become pathogenic for a person, for example, if it gets into a cut or any other open wound on the skin. An excess of bacteria or their pathological activity on the skin and in the respiratory tract can lead to the development of various diseases and the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Today there are developments based on bacteria that oxidize ammonium. Their use makes it possible to seed the skin microbiome with completely new organisms, as a result of which not only the smell disappears (the result of the metabolism of urban flora), but also the structure of the skin changes - pores open, etc.

Saving the microworld

The microcosm of each person changes quite quickly. And this has undoubted advantages, since the number of bacteria can be updated independently.

Different bacteria feed on different substances - the more varied a person’s food is and the more it matches the season, the more choice beneficial microorganisms have. However, if food is heavily loaded with antibiotics or preservatives, bacteria will not survive, because these substances are precisely designed to destroy them. Moreover, it does not matter at all that most of the bacteria are not pathogenic. As a result, the diversity of a person’s inner world is destroyed. And after this, various diseases begin - problems with stool, skin rashes, metabolic disorders, allergic reactions, etc.

But the microbiota can be helped. Moreover, it will take only a few days for a slight correction.

There are a large number of probiotics (with live bacteria) and prebiotics (substances that support bacteria). But the main problem is that they work differently for everyone. Analysis shows that their effectiveness against dysbacteriosis is up to 70-80%, that is, one or another drug may work, or it may not. And here you should carefully monitor the progress of treatment and administration - if the remedies work, you will immediately notice improvements. If the situation remains unchanged, it is worth changing the treatment program.

Alternatively, you can undergo special testing that studies the genomes of bacteria, determines their composition and ratio. This allows you to quickly and competently select the necessary nutritional option and additional therapy, which will restore the fragile balance. Although a person does not feel slight disturbances in the balance of bacteria, they still affect health - in this case, frequent illnesses, drowsiness, and allergic manifestations can be noted. Every city resident, to one degree or another, has an imbalance in the body, and if he does not do anything specifically to restore it, then he will probably have health problems from a certain age.

Fasting, fasting, more vegetables, porridge from natural cereals in the morning - these are just a few options for eating behavior that beneficial bacteria love. But for each person, the diet should be individual in accordance with the state of his body and his lifestyle - only then can he maintain an optimal balance and always feel good.