Discovery of Probiotics!

Old-World Probiotics

Probiotics are the supplemental form of healthy bacteria that inhabit your gastrointestinal tract. These healthy flora (friendly bacteria) are essential for the health and proper functioning of the organs of the body in general, and the digestive tract in particular.

Before the advent of modern science and medicine, a prime source of healthy bacteria for the well-being of the intestinal tract was fermented borscht and sauerkraut.

Your grandmothers used to make homemade sour borscht from beets. The beets were soaked in barrels of water and stored in a warm environment. Towels and blankets were wrapped around the barrels to keep them warm until the beets fermented. In approximately four to six weeks, they produced a thick lather of fermentation.

The fermentation was the healthy bacteria of flora, which is now known as probiotics. The scientific names of the healthy flora are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. These live bacteria organisms are now included in yogurt and aid in digesting foods and strengthening the immune system.

The actual recipe for real homemade sour borscht is Grandma's best kept secret.

A laboratory test was performed where live E. coli bacteria was placed on top of the healthy bacterial fermentation of homemade sour borscht (live probiotics), and within a short period the E. coli bacteria was totally consumed or destroyed by the fermentation (or probiotics). E. coli, salmonella, shigella, and many other pathogens are among the unhealthy bacteria that are destroyed by probiotics.

Bottled borscht sold in supermarkets today is a distant imitation of the real thing and has a very scant positive effect on your health.

The healthy attributes of sour fermented borscht are already mentioned in the Talmud as of 1,800 years ago. The Talmud discusses various foods that are beneficial for different organs in the human body.

Caraway seeds, for example, are mentioned as being extremely beneficial for vascular health. However, they have a damaging effect on one's eyesight.

Conversely, there are foods that are good for the eyes but are detrimental to the heart and vascular system.

Sour borscht, which is fermented naturally from beets, is presented by the Talmud as beneficial for the eyes and the vascular system simultaneously. The Talmud further mentions that borscht also kills bad bacteria in the digestive system. Borscht is perhaps one of the precursors of modern-day probiotics. It was already identified close to two thousand years ago as the media of healthy flora for many vital organs of the human body.

A wise old man who lived in South Brooklyn used to research nutritional benefits for longevity of life. He would extol the benefits of caraway soup for vascular health and well-being. He perfected his own homemade recipe for caraway soup. He would constantly urge his friends to eat caraway soup for a healthy heart and long life. He lived to a healthy and ripe age of ninety years. However, for the last twelve years of his life he wore eyeglasses with lenses as thick as magnifying glasses. Obviously, his heart may have functioned well, but the caraway soup took its toll on his eyes.

Perhaps, had he known that fermented borscht can deliver "the best of both worlds," a healthy heart and healthy eyes, he would have extolled the benefits of borscht instead.

Sauerkraut is another natural medium for healthy probiotics for the digestive system. Fermented sauerkraut has similar properties to sour borscht and is very healthy for the digestive tract. Fresh cabbage is populated with healthy bacteria that are released upon proper fermentation conditions. Kraut is "cabbage" in German, thus sauerkraut is sour or fermented cabbage.

Increased awareness and popularity of the functions of probiotics are reawakening interest in the age-old leafy vegetable cabbage in its spiced and fermented stage that is known as sauerkraut. As the awareness of probiotics continues to be expounded, sour borscht and sauerkraut would probably be elevated to celebrity status in the natural and health food industry.

Probiotics Assist the Royal Navy in 1758

Spain, Portugal, Holland, and Great Britain were competing for world dominance of the spice trade centered on the Far East, particularly in East Indies (Indonesia). Trading in spices was very lucrative in the 1700s and brought great wealth to the countries.

While Spain, Portugal, and Holland were angling to outdo each other in naval supremacy, Great Britain was quietly building its navy into a supreme, world-class navy.

In that era, sailors at sea endured extreme hardships that made it physically difficult to remain seaborne for a lengthy period of time. Malnutrition, seaborne sicknesses, and many other ailments claimed the lives of more than 50 percent of the sailors on most voyages. They lacked refrigeration, and their fresh food supply depleted and spoiled in very short time. Scurvy and other debilitating diseases plagued many seafarers.

Magellan lost 80 percent of his crew while crossing the Pacific Ocean. Commodore George Anson was commissioned to lead a squadron of British ships in the Pacific in the 1740s to raid Spanish shipping. He lost thirteen hundred of his original two thousand crew members.

Captain James Cook was commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1758 to explore a new route for the spice trade and take possession of new territories for the Crown. In order to succeed, a system had to be established whereas sailors could endure long, hardy voyages. He successfully implemented many hygienic procedures at sea.

He was aware of the importance of specific foods needed to ward off sickness and strengthen the body's immune system. Special fruits and foods that supplied effective vitamins and probiotics were stored onboard to assure the health and strength of the sailors. He identified sauerkraut as an important source for strengthening the health of his sailors. It became a staple food for his sailors. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage, which contains an abundance of super-healthy flora (probiotics) that support the immune system and cleanse the digestive tract of the body. It also helps to ward off intestinal digestive diseases. It eases constipation and soothes sufferers of...