GO TRADITIONAL !!! GO PROBIOTIC !!!

June 12, 2020Gajanan BandodkarMusic

“Going back to the roots” is becoming the mantra for reinforcing our health and well being. Starting to apply the old traditional practices which our ancestors used, now seems to be wise and healthy. Having a look at these booming figures of health issues it all boils down to the processed food culture which we have introduced in our lifestyle. Our immunity has gone for a toss and we blame nature for it !! I remember my granny making pickles out of raw mangoes and storing it for months in salt water and I used to love eating them. It had some scientific reason, which I never realised until now.

Fermented pickles are a rich source of “GOOD BACTERIA” which is vital for a healthy gut flora. These fermented , non pasteurized foods types which are grabbing attention in the health industry are known as “ PROBIOTICS”. To put in simple words Probiotics are good live bacteria which aid digestion and immunity. PREBIOTICS on the contrary are fibers which are non-living and non-digestible by human carbohydrates, and serve as a food for the probiotics. So intake of prebiotics is equally essential.

Imagine pacman as the probiotic, enemies as the bad bacteria and the bonus points as the prebiotics.

A Healthy gut = good ( immunity+ brain health +digestion+mood+sleep)

Currently research in Parkinson’s disease is finding connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal system. Hypotheses such as the origin of Parkinson’s starts from the gut even before it starts in the brain are being claimed. A healthy gut with good flora and intact gut wall permeability should cut down the progression of the disease. Alpha( ∝ )- synuclein  is one type of protein found in substantia nigra of PD patients which is responsible for neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. This  ∝-synuclein is also found in the gut which causes oxidative stress, inflammation and weakening of the gut wall. Researchers reported there is a connection between the gut and the brain termed as the

“GUT-BRAIN AXIS”.

If the gut lining is weak there is a possibility of leaky wall thus transferring these ∝- synuclein to the substantia nigra. Probiotics have proved to be helpful in bracing the gut wall, to improve colonic mobility and to some extent lower the production of ∝- synuclein. One of the major non-motor symptoms of parkinsons is Gastrointestinal (GI )dysfunction. Constipation being the most common problem , around 80% of the PD patients face difficulty. It is found that patients have a history of constipation before getting diagnosed with PD, which leaves us thinking whether gut problems lead to PD. Studies have found probiotics to be useful in relieving constipation, abdominal pain and also working as antidepressant.

Lets have a look at how can you consume these “good bacteria”   

5 RICH SOURCES OF PROBIOTIC

5 RICH SOURCES OF PREBIOTICS

I personally tried 3 recipes of homemade probiotics and they turned out to be quiet awesome.

I would like to share with you the recipe and few pictures:

Tomato salsa

I have added 1 tomato,½ onion, small piece of chilly, coriander, garlic and salt

Mix them all in a glass jar as you add salt the onion will start releasing juice. Leave it for about 15 minutes. 

Use a spoon and try to squeeze the content so that it gets covered with the juices which came from the tomato and onions. Remember the mixture should fully immerse in liquid so if you feel the juices are not enough add some water to it.

I kept a heavy stone on the top of the mixture so it remains immersed….keep the jar for two days away from sunlight and you can enjoy the tangy salsa. 

After two days refrigerate it!!

Indian kanji

I added 1 carrot , 1 beet, 1 tsp pepper powder, 1tbsp mustard powder, salt and 1/4 tsp asafetida/hing, 3 glasses of water. Mix everything in glass jar and cover it with muslin cloth and kept in a daylight sun for 5 – 6 days.

It has a little sour taste . You might take a while to get accustomed to the taste!!

Sauerkraut

Add one small cabbage finely chopped and a mixture of salt and water which should taste like sea water in the glass jar. Add the mixture of salt water till it immerses the cabbage completely. Add one cabbage big leaf on top. Lastly add a weight on the top .Close the jar tightly and keep it away from sunlight for 5-6 days. Enjoy the sour salty cabbage probiotic. Refrigerate it later.

References:

1. Parisa Gazerani, Probiotics for Parkinson’s Disease, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(17), 412
2. Paula,The gut-brain axis in Parkinson’s disease: Possibilities for food-based therapies ,European Journal of Pharmacology, Volume 817, 15 December 2017, Pages 86-95
3. Tsung-Hsun Hsieh , Probiotics Alleviate the Progressive Deterioration of Motor Functions in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease, Brain Sci , 10(4), 206
4. Gizem Özata UYAR, A nutritional approach to microbiota in Parkinson’s disease, Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2019; 38(4): 115–127.