Lactic ferments are used for colitis, in order to restore intestinal function and the balance of bacterial flora . Also known as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis can arise due to bacterial or viral infections, diseases such as gout and diabetes or become a chronic form without a specific cause (ulcerative colitis, disease of Crohn's).
More than 20% of patients with colitis suffer from constipation-type evacuation disorders which, together with pain, tend to interfere with normal activities, occasionally compromising work capacity and social life.
Colitis: causes and symptoms
The term colitis defines a set of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions that affect the colon, the second section of the large intestine, where the residues (water and mineral salts) of digestion arrive, now poor in nutrients, and where the formation occurs. stool evacuation .
Among the symptoms reported are constipation or diarrhea, often alternating ; abdominal pain and cramps, sometimes relieved by defecation or expulsion of intestinal gas; swelling, meteorism ; and mucus emission along with the faeces (often a symptom of a local infection, especially when associated with fever)
Today the term should be limited to specific diseases of the colon, but in the past, with the name spastic colitis, a broader range of disorders was indicated (for example irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease). However, there is still confusion over the use of the term, which is often used in a generic way, or to indicate conditions in which the cause of the inflammation has not yet been determined.
In addition to psychological factors, colitis can in fact arise or worsen also due to: hypersensitivity or food intolerances ; the lack of a balanced diet; menstrual cycle (the intestine is quite sensitive to changes in female sex hormones); alteration of the bacterial flora, which causes the increase of pathogenic microorganisms and intestinal parasitic infestations.
In this pathology the surface of the colon is often inflamed, and ulcers (in ulcerative colitis) are therefore possible that can bleed, with consequent presence of blood in the stool and rectal bleeding. Diarrhea may also occur, although some forms of colitis are characterized by constipation and apparently normal stools.
The role of lactic ferments in the treatment of colitis
The use of lactic ferments for colitis is justified by the fact that these microorganisms regulate the functionality of the gastrointestinal system, favoring a correct digestion, facilitating the breakdown of foods and their assimilation and strengthening of the immune defenses .
Going to integrate our good bacteria, their presence favors many vital processes, indispensable for the physiological development of our organism, guaranteeing its general well-being, a situation that justifies the primary role that is attributed to lactic ferments in the treatment of inflammatory bowel syndromes and allergies or food intolerances.
