Fermented milk products are an integral part of the human diet, starting from childhood. The technology for their preparation is based on the fermentation of milk, which is obtained from various animals - goats, cows, sheep, mares, buffaloes and even camels. From the article you will learn what applies to fermented milk products. Their list is very long, but often it includes products that only “pretend” to be such, but in fact have a different origin.
Properties of fermented milk products
Features of fermented milk products
Products such as kefir, butter, yoghurt, cottage cheese and many others are familiar to us and are often eaten. All of them are the result of fermentation from different types of milk and its derivatives (cream, low-fat products, whey).
The basis of the technology for the production of fermented milk products is one - it is ripening with the help of yeast or bacteria. Sometimes milk that has been boiled or pasteurized is fermented. This is done in order to prevent the development of harmful microorganisms and protect people.
People have known about the properties of fermented milk products since ancient times. They were not only famous for their nutritional value and rich vitamin composition, but also for their medicinal properties. However, some nations are still unfamiliar or do not recognize such products. These are the Eskimos, Chinese, Australian aborigines and some others.
The benefits of fermented milk products
A special place among all micro- and macroelements in fermented milk products is occupied by lactic acid, which is able to fight the activity of putrefactive microorganisms in the body. In addition, fermentation products:
- well absorbed and easily digested;
- rich in vitamins that are well absorbed;
- allow lactose and milk sugar to be well absorbed;
- suitable for people who suffer from lactose intolerance;
- stimulate digestion processes;
- protect the intestines from infections and normalize its activity;
- prevent tuberculosis;
- increase calcium absorption;
- vitamins A, B, E, D.
Technology for the production of fermented milk products
All fermented milk products can be divided into three large groups:
- those produced by fermenting milk with bacteria are fermentation products. This includes yogurt, rennet cheese, yogurt, acidophilus, etc.;
- those that are the result of alcoholic fermentation and lactic acid. Milk sugar releases not only ordinary lactic acid, but also carbon dioxide, alcohol or volatile acids. These are kefir, kumis, shubat;
- those that are obtained without fermentation - cream, condensed milk, butter.
Types of fermented milk products
Varenets
Varenets is a fermented milk product that has been known for many centuries. It began to be prepared in Siberia from baked milk. The technology for preparing it is not complicated - the milk must simmer in a Russian oven. During simmering, the milk evaporates, and the creamy foam should always sink to the bottom. When milk is evaporated by 1/3 of its original volume, it turns into a thick mass with a slightly reddish tint. Then sourdough is introduced into it, which could well be sour cream.
Curdled milk
Yogurt is also a product traditional for Russian cuisine. The basis of its preparation is boiled milk that has cooled. Leaven is placed in it, which can become the crust of black bread. By the way, it is not even necessary to use sourdough starter, because it will ferment due to the action of lactic acid lactococcus. Milk with or without starter should be placed in a warm place, where it will remain for 10 to 12 hours.
Ryazhenka
Ryazhenka is a special type of curdled milk, only its homeland is Ukraine and it is prepared from milk with cream and clay pots. It is cooked while simmering on the verge of boiling, but does not boil. When the milk becomes creamy, a starter is added to it - sour cream or streptococcal bacteria.
Cheese
Cheese is also a fermented milk product, which has many different varieties that cannot be listed. Among them are soft and hard, with mold, young and many others.
Butter
Butter is a product that was prepared in Ancient Rus' and was one of the most expensive. It is prepared by churning milk and sour cream. Vologda butter has a special technology, and is prepared from cream, which is heated almost to a boil, but does not boil.
Kefir
Kefir is a product that undergoes double fermentation. “Kefir grains”, which have a very complex structure, act as a starter. Kefir has the most beneficial effect on the body, helps fight diseases and strengthens the immune system.
Shubat
Shubat is also a double fermentation product, only it is prepared from camel milk.
Cream
Cream is a product that is collected from the surface of fresh milk after it has stood for several hours after a goat, sheep or cow has been milked.
The list of fermented milk products is very long. Among them are ayran, cottage cheese, kurt, matsoni and many, many other products.
Fake dairy products
Among the products there are those that are considered to be fermented milk, although in fact they are not. Among them:
- tofu cheese made from soy milk, which has become very popular;
- margarine from fats in the composition. It may not even contain milk fat;
- spread is a type of soft margarine.
When purchasing fermented milk products, you should strive not only to try something new and choose something healthy, but also pay attention to expiration dates. A spoiled fermented milk product may not cause poisoning, but it will lead to not the most pleasant sensations and upset of the digestive system.
They are produced from milk fermented under certain conditions with various cultures of lactic acid microorganisms.
Many of them were produced in ancient times, and since each locality, each nationality had its own production “secrets”, which, due to disunity, were preserved for a long time, these products became national. They had features of the composition of milk and starter cultures, manufacturing techniques, etc. Among the national fermented milk products, the following are well known: among the Russians - Varenets, among the Ukrainians - ryazhenka, in Transcaucasia - matsoni, in the North Caucasus - kefir, in the Volga region and Central Asia - kumiss etc. Already in our time, the technology for producing these and other national products was scientifically substantiated, and they began to be produced on an industrial scale.
The technology and recipes of many new types of fermented milk dietary products were developed in the laboratories of research institutes and enterprises.
How to characterize the nutritional value of fermented milk products, say, comparing it with the value of the original milk? Science claims that the nutritional value of fermented milk dietary products is high, their effects on the human body are diverse and beneficial.
To the positive qualities that natural milk has, new properties are added to fermented milk products by invisible beneficial workers - lactic acid microorganisms. Under their influence, lactic acid fermentation occurs intensively in milk, during which part of the milk sugar is fermented mainly into lactic acid, and other substances are also formed: alcohols, carbon dioxide. Some waste products of microorganisms are biologically active, such as antibiotics and even vitamins. All these and other substances formed as a result of biochemical processes in milk during lactic acid fermentation contribute to the formation of a protein clot, partially break down (peptonize) milk proteins, and form the taste and aroma of the resulting products. As a result, fermented milk products improve the functioning of the digestive system and thereby increase the digestibility of food. Lactic acid, being an essential component of all fermented milk products, has a positive effect by changing the reaction of the environment in the intestines and promoting the development of beneficial microflora in it. In addition, it increases appetite and enhances the secretion of digestive juices.
In fermented milk dietary products, the clot consists of tiny flakes, and if you consider that under the action of enzymes secreted by lactic acid microflora, proteins are partially broken down, then it becomes clear why these products are absorbed faster and more completely than fresh milk.
However, an absolutely exceptional role belongs to fermented milk products and drinks in normalizing the microflora of the human intestine and limiting the formation of putrefaction products in it that poison the body. It is not without reason that the famous Russian scientist I.I. Mechnikov believed that lactic acid bacteria, taking root in the intestines and suppressing putrefactive microflora in it, promote longevity. He came to this conclusion by studying the diets of long-livers in the Caucasus, who always consumed sour milk in abundance. Fermented milk products have a tonic, strengthening effect on the body, promote better metabolism and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
The technological process of manufacturing dietary fermented milk products boils down in general terms to, on the one hand, suppressing and destroying foreign microflora in the original raw milk, and on the other hand, after pasteurization and cooling of the milk, providing “selected” types of beneficial microorganisms with the most favorable conditions for development and thanks to this, obtain a finished product with its characteristic properties.
The starter is added to the milk in an amount of 5%, and intense lactic acid fermentation immediately begins in it until a clot is formed, i.e. after 4-10 hours, depending on the type of product. In fact, the product is already ready, it is only cooled to 4-6 ° C, and some types are then allowed to ripen for several hours.
The question may arise: when and at what stage is the product packaged? Differently. The fact is that in the production of liquid fermented milk products, two production methods are used: thermostatic and reservoir.
In the first method, and it has been used for a long time, milk is poured into containers immediately after it is fermented. In a bottle, this milk coagulates, forms a clot, and acquires the taste, smell, and consistency characteristic of this product. And it is called thermostatic because to maintain the required temperature, bottles of milk are placed in special rooms - a thermostatic chamber, where a constant temperature is maintained at the required level. After a clot has formed, the bottles are moved to a refrigeration chamber, where the product is cooled and matured.
A more efficient method, which does not require such large movements and, therefore, labor costs, is the tank method for producing fermented milk drinks. It is called so because the prepared milk enters large reservoirs (tanks), where the starter is supplied and where all operations take place: milk fermentation, mixing and cooling of the curd. And the finished product is automatically filled into bottles or paper bags.
The products produced by these methods differ in consistency. With the thermostatic method, kefir, yogurt and other products retain an undisturbed curd in the container, while with the tank method, due to the mixing of the products before packaging, their consistency is homogeneous and more liquid. All their other indicators are the same.
Fermented milk products, of course, are produced only in small packaging: 0.2; 0.25; 0.5; 1 l. Glass bottles, jars, and paper bags serve as containers.
Range? It is very diverse. Depending on the microflora “inhabiting” fermented milk products, the latter are divided into two groups. The first group includes products manufactured with the participation of only lactic acid microorganisms. These are products of simple, or lactic, fermentation. The second group includes products obtained by mixed fermentation, in which both lactic acid bacteria and yeast take part. The first group is more numerous. Here are all types of curdled milk, acidophilus products, many national drinks and drinks offered recently. The second group includes kefir, kumiss and acidophilus-yeast products.
On the pages of this small book, it is, of course, impossible to give a detailed description of all fermented milk drinks and products that are produced by dairy industry enterprises. Yes, there is no need for this. We will present the most typical ones, those in greatest demand and, therefore, produced in the largest quantities.
In first place among them is, of course, kefir. This is one of the most ancient fermented milk drinks. Being a national product of the Caucasian mountaineers, it spread from there everywhere and was loved by the population in all corners of our country. In the total production of fermented milk products, its share accounts for almost %. A glass of cool kefir on a hot summer day is perfectly refreshing, quenches thirst, and thanks to the presence of carbon dioxide bubbles, it has a pleasant “tingling” sensation in the mouth. Its taste is pure, lactic acid, the consistency is homogeneous, reminiscent of liquid sour cream. In the manufacture of this product, both lactic acid bacteria and yeast are used. Thanks to the latter, a small amount of alcohol accumulates in kefir. If previously they produced mainly kefir with a fat content of 3.2%, now they produce kefir with a fat content of 6; 3.2; 2.5; 1% and low-fat, i.e. a whole series of product.
In addition to fat, kefir contains another 8.1% of dry nonfat milk substances (proteins, milk sugar, minerals and other substances). The acidity of this product is 85-120°T, i.e., slightly lower than the acidity of a number of other fermented milk drinks, and, obviously, such “soft” moderate acidity attracts the buyer.
It is also appropriate to note here that the calorie content of low-fat kefir, while retaining all other substances except fat, is half that of full-fat kefir (30 and 59 kcal per 100 g, respectively). This should not be forgotten by those who need to limit calorie intake. They can especially recommend kefir enriched with vitamin C, which is also produced by our dairies.
Tallinn kefir has become a “guest” on the shelves of our stores. What is special about this product? It contains only 1% fat or no fat at all, and is, of course, a low-fat dairy product. But Tallinn kefir contains almost 1.5 times more than all other substances in milk: proteins, carbohydrates, minerals. They got into it thanks to the addition of skim milk powder to the milk mixture during the development of the product. The consistency of this type of kefir is therefore denser and more viscous. It is especially recommended for use in baby food because it is rich in proteins.
Curdled milk is produced by fermenting milk of various fat contents with lactic acid microorganisms. There are several varieties of curdled milk: ordinary, acidophilic, Yuzhnaya, Mechnikovskaya, Varenets, fermented baked milk, puff, with flavoring additives. The type of curdled milk depends on what type of lactic acid microflora is involved in the fermentation of milk (mesophilic, thermophilic, rod-shaped, acidophilic, etc.), as well as the method of preparing milk (for example, Varenets Pryazhenka is prepared from sterilized or baked milk). When making curdled milk, flavoring substances (sugar, honey, cinnamon, jam - for puff pastry), as well as vitamin C can be added to it.
Curdled milk has a pure fermented milk taste and aroma, which distinguishes it from kefir by its freshness. Its consistency should have an undisturbed clot (if production is carried out using a thermostatic method), but for Varents and ryazhenka a creamy consistency is allowed. The acidity of yogurt is low (80-110°T), but those types that are produced using thermophilic and rod-shaped races are characterized by higher acidity (90-140°T). Based on fat content, yogurt is divided into low-fat, fat (3.2% fat) and high-fat (ryazhenka - 4 or 6% fat).
Of particular interest are fermented milk drinks obtained by fermenting milk with acidophilus bacillus. The fact is that this type of lactic acid microorganisms is able to take root in the human intestines, so its beneficial effect on the body lasts longer. The curd obtained by acidophilic fermentation of milk has a somewhat viscous consistency. However, such races of acidophilus bacillus are also used that do not impart viscosity to the product.
Acidophilic drinks are produced both by thermostatic and reservoir methods: in the first case, they have a denser, undisturbed clot, in the second, a more liquid, uniform consistency, reminiscent of liquid sour cream. The organoleptic properties of acidophilic products are characterized by a sour milky taste and a uniform, more or less viscous consistency.
Dairies produce the following types of acidophilus drinks: acidophilus milk (plain, sweet, vanilla, cinnamon), acidophilus (plain and sweet) and acidophilus yeast milk. Acidophilus-yeast milk is produced using a combined starter prepared from pure cultures of acidophilus bacillus and yeast. All of these types of drinks can be produced either fatty (3.2% fat) or low-fat.
An excellent product is acidophilus paste. It is obtained by pressing acidophilus milk or separating excess moisture from milk by thickening and adding sugar. It has a delicate paste-like consistency, a pleasant sour-sweet taste, and a white color with a creamy tint. Acidophilus paste is produced in 4% and 8% fat content. The moisture content in it is 60-80%, depending on the type, the acidity is 180-210° T.
Yogurt can be considered a relatively new type of lactic acid product. By the way, in a number of foreign countries this particular species is in greatest demand. A characteristic feature of yogurt is the increased content of skim milk solids, which is achieved by adding skim milk powder to the milk mixture. Therefore, the yogurt clot is denser and more viscous than, say, kefir or yogurt. When making yogurt, the milk mixture is fermented with a combined starter consisting of thermophilic races of lactic acid streptococci and Bulgarian bacillus.
Enterprises produce the following types of yogurt: without additives, sweet, fruit and berry. This product, like the previous ones, is produced with different fat content: 6; 3.2; 1.5%. The acidity of yogurt is slightly higher than kefir (80-140° T). Sweet yogurt should contain at least 5% beet sugar, and fruit and berry yogurt should contain at least 6% fruit and berry juices.
The fermented milk product “Molodost” is similar in composition to yoghurt. It is produced low-fat, as it is produced from skim milk, and in its organoleptic characteristics it resembles fermented baked milk, since the milk mixture is kept for a long time at high temperature.
The “Moskovsky” and “Lyubitelsky” drinks are also characterized by a low fat content (1%), they have a pleasant sour-milk taste, have a uniform creamy consistency, and the “Yubileiny” drink is available with a fat content of 3.2, 2.5, 1% and low-fat. It is prepared either without sugar or with fruit and berry additives.
The fermented milk drink “Shakhterskiy” is made from skim milk. Its peculiarity is that after fermentation, the drink is carbonated with carbon dioxide. You can also mix it with fruit and berry juices.
Not only skim milk, but also such raw materials as buttermilk are increasingly used to produce fermented milk drinks. Drinks such as dietary buttermilk, sweet buttermilk drink, and fermented buttermilk “Ideal” are produced from it. With a low fat content (0.4-1.0%) in these drinks, some milk components are contained in almost the same quantity and ratio as in natural milk, and this is their special value.
This type of secondary dairy raw material such as whey does not go unnoticed. From pasteurized whey, by fermenting it with a starter of pure cultures of lactic acid microorganisms and adding flavoring substances, excellent refreshing drinks are obtained: milk kvass and “New”, acidophilic yeast drink, whey drink with tomato juice.
In addition to the listed fermented milk drinks, of course, there are many others, developed by scientists from institutes and specialists from enterprises and associations of the dairy industry and produced in individual republics, regions and cities.
Despite the fact that fermented milk products and drinks contain a certain amount of lactic acid, which suppresses the development of foreign microflora, they are also perishable products. The standards for the listed products stipulate that even at a temperature not exceeding 8 ° C they can be stored from the moment of release from the enterprise for no more than 24 hours, and some - 36 hours, which should be kept in mind when using them.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
If we consider the daily diet of a modern person, it should be noted that fermented milk products occupy a leading place and are almost an obligatory food product, along with bread, vegetables, and meat products. There are no people on Earth who do not know, have not met, and have not eaten the products that the modern food industry offers around the world.
This feature is not some new trend or fashion, it has always been so, throughout the entire history of the existence of man and mankind, as evidenced by numerous historical documents, some of which date back thousands of years before the birth of Christ.
To understand why this happened, it is necessary to consider in detail what kind of products they are, what they are made from, and what their usefulness is for people.
What are fermented milk products
The simplest answer to this question is given by the etymology of the word fermented milk, one of the roots of which is the word lactic, from the word milk. This is a product somehow related to milk, which is oxidized, as evidenced by the second word.
Indeed, all products in this group are made from milk. For this purpose, any milk from cattle is taken - cow's, sheep's, horse's milk and even buffalo's and camels' milk. Such products obtain specific, sour qualities due to the introduction of lactic acid bacteria or yeast (made from fungi useful for digestion) into milk to change its original properties. This process is called fermentation, and the bacteria used (regardless of their type) is called sourdough.
Technologically, there are two types of fermentation in the preparation of all fermented milk products:
- fermented milk (one or more types of lactic acid bacteria are used to ferment milk)
- mixed (yeast, sugar, sometimes beneficial non-lactic acid bacteria, enzymes are used).
Milk is a natural habitat for such bacteria. First of all, because of the polysaccharide it contains - lactose, which bacteria feed on. After the breakdown of milk sugars, bacteria release by-products - lactic acid, which gives a specific sour taste, carbon dioxide, water. Modern manufacturers add other additives that become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Variety of fermented milk products and their main types
The types of fermented milk and other bacteria, additional ingredients, and the types of milk used in production determine their enormous diversity. Dairy production technologies regularly improve production and offer new types of dairy products. products.
The main types of k.-mol. products:
The list of types of fermented milk products is not limited to this, there are only thousands of types of cheese and it is prepared from different types of milk. About the diversity and ubiquity of types of k.-mol. There are many local drinks, widespread in a certain geographical area, with local specificity of production. Thus, kumys became widespread among the peoples of the Caucasus, ayran - in Central Asia, and local k.-mol. in Tatarstan. the drink is suzma and kort, in Bashkiria - orot and kaymak. Residents of Armenia prefer tan and machun, residents of Georgia produce matsoni, Ukrainians prepare Varenets. National k.-mol. The Egyptian drink is leben, and the people of Iceland drink skyr.
What are the benefits of fermented milk products?
Their benefits are directly dependent on the usefulness of the main raw material for their production - milk. Despite the processes of fermentation and fermentation, most of the beneficial substances in milk do not undergo any changes, and, one might say, are inherited by the mole. products.
Almost all proteins and amino acids, animal fat, vitamins A, B, D, PP, E, micro- and macroelements (calcium, magnesium, potassium, chlorides, selenium, iron, copper) of milk are “inherited”. Carbohydrates, mainly lactose (milk sugar), are broken down by bacteria into glucose and galactose. The vital activity of lactic bacteria also turns out to be useful for human nutrition.
The main usefulness is that they can be eaten by people who have problems with intolerance to the proteins and carbohydrates of milk in their pure form. Thus, people with hypolactasia (intolerance to milk sugar - lactose) can consume almost all types of milk. products, since they contain almost no lactose, even in fresh form they contain it in minimal quantities.
Patients with allergic reactions to pure milk proteins (for example, caseinogen) can use their fermented types in cheeses, cottage cheese, in which the protein structure changes to casein.
The amount of so-called “bad cholesterol” contained in pure milk is significantly reduced by bacteria. The structure of polyunsaturated animal fats changes, which makes milk fat less harmful.
Fermented milk proteins are easier and faster to digest and absorb by the body. Carbohydrates do not require additional body strength to break them down, since they are already broken down by bacteria into monosaccharides, which are the main building blocks for body tissues and cells.
Bacteria and their metabolic products are very useful for the normal functioning of the intestines, normalize metabolic processes, eliminate inflammation of the mucous membranes, and destroy most putrefactive bacteria. Probiotics and lactobacilli, which are found in yogurts, are especially useful in this sense. They are almost the only means that restores the intestinal microflora in the initial forms of dysbacteriosis of various natures. This property of yoghurts gives a clearly positive answer to the often discussed question: are yoghurts classified as or not?
Doctors recommend products with high fat content (sour cream, fermented baked milk, Varenets) and containing large amounts of protein (cottage cheese, cheeses) during the rehabilitation period after severe surgical interventions, underweight, dystrophy, and lack of muscle mass.
Low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, and yoghurts, due to their low calorie content, are a mandatory part of some diets and weight loss programs.
Why are fermented milk products harmful?
The harm of fermented milk products is also due to the characteristics of the harm from drinking milk.
Due to the increased content of organic lactic acid, it is not recommended to consume mol. drinks for those suffering from gastric ulcers, gastritis with high acidity.
Patients with a milk protein allergy are advised to refrain from consuming any dairy products until the allergen is accurately identified.
People with high cholesterol are advised to consume only low-fat mol. products.
Fermented milk products are obtained from milk, which Academician I.P. Pavlov called it “amazing food prepared by nature itself.”
In terms of their dietary and medicinal qualities, fermented milk products are even more valuable than milk. This is explained by the beneficial effects on the human body of microorganisms and substances formed as a result of biochemical processes occurring during the fermentation of milk (lactic acid, alcohol, carbon dioxide, antibiotics, vitamins).
The digestibility of fermented milk products is higher than the digestibility of milk, because they affect the secretory activity of the stomach and intestines, as a result of which the glands of the digestive tract more intensively secrete enzymes that accelerate the digestion of food. Their digestibility also increases due to partial peptonization (breakdown) of the proteins they contain. These products increase the motor activity of the digestive tract (intestinal motility).
Having a pleasant, slightly refreshing and pungent taste, they stimulate the appetite, thereby improving the general condition of a weakened body. Regular consumption of fermented milk products also helps strengthen the nervous system due to the accumulation of vitamins that are extremely necessary for humans, synthesized by lactic acid bacteria.
It has been established that the content of vitamins in fermented milk products increases as a result of alcoholic fermentation.
The history of fermented milk products dates back to ancient times. Long before the beginning of our chronology, the nomadic tribes of the Scythians knew a fermented milk drink made from mare's milk - kumiss. The ancient peoples of India, Rome, Greece, and Transcaucasia also consumed fermented milk products made from cow's or sheep's milk. That sour milk lasts longer and has a refreshing, pleasant taste was also known, obviously, to the cattle breeders who lived under the primitive communal system. By consuming this product, we were convinced of its beneficial effect on the body.
Over time, national fermented milk drinks appeared: ryazhenka - in Ukraine, yogurt and varenets in Russia, matsun - in Armenia, matsoni - in Georgia, chal - in Turkmenistan. In Northeast Asia they prepare kurunga, in the North Caucasus - ayran and kefir, in Bashkiria, Kazakhstan and Tatarstan - kumiss. Leben is made in Egypt, and yagurt (yogurt) is made in Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey.
The range of fermented milk products is huge. Different fermented milk products have different effects on the human body, but those containing so-called acidophilus bacilli are considered the most beneficial.
The dietary and medicinal properties of fermented milk products were pointed out by the Russian scientist I.I. Mechnikov. In his opinion, lactic acid bacteria contained in fermented milk products are able to take root in the human intestines and have a beneficial effect on the entire body. These bacteria produce lactic acid in the intestines, as a result of which the reaction of its environment from alkaline becomes acidic. Putrefactive microorganisms cannot develop in it - thus, the source of poisoning of the body is eliminated.
I.I. Mechnikov isolated a lactic acid bacterium from dairy products, which he named the Bulgarian bacillus (Bact bulgaricum), to which he attributed a beneficial effect on the human body.
Mechnikov's theory remains correct, but subsequent research has proven that the Bulgarian stick does not fully justify the role attributed to it. This role is performed perfectly by the acidophilic bacillus (Bact acidophilum), which is a permanent inhabitant of the intestines. Acidophilus bacillus is more resistant to alkalis, so it takes root and multiplies in the alkaline environment of the intestine.
It is capable of fermenting not only milk sugar, but also others, due to which its vital activity does not stop in the absence of milk sugar. Acidophilus bacillus - to a greater extent than Bulgarian bacillus - has bactericidal antibiotic properties against a number of harmful and pathogenic bacteria, including putrefactive, typhoid, and dysentery bacteria. Therefore, for medicinal purposes, products prepared with the participation of acidophilus bacillus should be used.
The medicinal properties of fermented milk products are based on bactericidal properties (the ability to paralyze “unwanted” microbes), lactic acid bacteria and yeast in relation to the causative agents of a number of gastrointestinal diseases, tuberculosis and other diseases, as well as on the beneficial effects on the human body of individual substances included in the composition. these products.
The bactericidal properties of fermented milk products are associated with the antibiotic activity of bacteria and yeast that have developed in them. Fermented milk products contain the following antibiotics: nisin, lactolin, diplococcin, streptocin, etc. They have a bactericidal effect on some organisms (kill them) or bacteriostatic (suppress their vital activity). Thus, all fermented milk products are, to one degree or another, sources of antibiotics and are used in the treatment of a number of diseases.
All types of curdled milk, especially Mechnikovskaya and acidophilus, have a laxative effect and improve the secretion of gastric juice and pancreatic juice. Therefore, they are useful for constipation, colitis with constipation, gastritis with low acidity, diseases of the liver and biliary tract, obesity, atherosclerosis and hypertension, myocardial infarction, anemia accompanied by loss of appetite.
Acidophilic yogurt most inhibits the development of pathogenic microorganisms in the intestines. It is used for intestinal diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, colitis, dyspepsia in adults and children, gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, diseases of the liver and pancreas.
Acidophilus milk is healthier than yogurt. It is obtained by fermenting pasteurized milk with specially selected acidophilus bacilli. Its consistency is creamy, sometimes somewhat viscous, which the consumer does not always like. The use of acidophilus milk is very effective for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and poisoning.
In the summer, it is also recommended to consume acidophilic foods to combat food poisoning. Acidophilus paste contains a huge number of beneficial acidophilic microbes, being a concentrate of antibiotics. As a remedy, it is used both internally and externally - in the treatment of purulent wounds and burns. The paste is useful for gastritis and colitis with low acidity, infectious diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid fever, dyspepsia in children and adults, and liver and kidney diseases. A paste is prepared from acidophilus milk, which is self-pressed in sterile bags until the whey is removed. The consistency of it resembles thick sour cream and is pleasant to the taste.
Popular fermented milk products include kefir, a drink with a sour, refreshing taste that quenches thirst well. The birthplace of kefir is the North Caucasus. This is a product of mixed fermentation (lactic acid and alcohol). It is produced from pasteurized milk using a starter prepared with kefir grains.
Yogurt is a fermented milk product with a pleasant taste, reminiscent of yogurt, from which it differs in appearance by its unique consistency. It is widespread in foreign countries, especially European ones, where it is often the only fermented milk product. Yogurt is made from a milk mixture with a high content of dry substances; fermented with a starter consisting of thermophilic streptococci and Bulgarian bacillus. This product differs in fat content and various fruit and berry fillings.
The nutritional value of cottage cheese is determined by the quantity and quality of the proteins, fat and mineral salts it contains.
Cottage cheese proteins contain the essential amino acid methionine and choline, which improve metabolism and prevent obesity and atherosclerosis.
Cottage cheese is especially useful for children, pregnant and lactating women, as it is rich in calcium and phosphorus salts, necessary for bone growth, blood formation, and for the functioning of the heart and nervous system.
Cottage cheese is recommended for patients with tuberculosis, anemic, and those in need of enhanced nutrition. It is useful for liver and kidney diseases with edema, because calcium helps remove excess fluid from the body.
Fat cottage cheese is very nutritious. You can prepare many delicious and healthy dishes from it. The fat contained in cottage cheese is absorbed by 90-95%.
Acidophilus-yeast cottage cheese, used to feed weakened children, as well as for gastrointestinal diseases, tuberculosis, and anemia, has increased medicinal properties. It is enriched with yeast and acidophilus cultures that improve digestion. Low-fat and acidophilus-yeast cottage cheese is also recommended for use for atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, hypertension and colitis with diarrhea.
Fermented milk drinks are divided into two groups according to the nature of fermentation:
Drinks obtained by only lactic acid fermentation (yogurt, acidophilus milk, yogurt, etc.);
Drinks produced as a result of mixed lactic acid and alcohol fermentation (kefir, koumiss, acidophilus-yeast milk, etc.).
In dietary terms, fermented milk drinks are even more valuable than milk, as they have high therapeutic and prophylactic properties and are even more digestible.
The high digestibility of fermented milk drinks (compared to milk) is a consequence of the fact that they affect the secretory-evacuation activity of the stomach and intestines, as a result of which the glands of the digestive tract more intensively secrete enzymes that accelerate the digestion of food.
The dietary and medicinal properties of fermented milk drinks are largely explained by the beneficial effects on the human body of lactic acid bacteria and substances formed as a result of their vital activity during the fermentation of milk (lactic acid, carbon dioxide, alcohol, vitamins, antibiotics, etc.).
The digestibility of fermented milk drinks increases due to the partial peptonization of proteins in them, i.e., their breakdown into simpler compounds. In addition, in products obtained as a result of mixed lactic acid and alcohol fermentation, the protein clot is penetrated by tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide, making it more accessible to the action of digestive tract enzymes.
Fermented milk drinks have a pleasant, slightly refreshing and spicy taste, stimulate appetite and thereby improve the general condition of the body. Fermented milk drinks obtained in the presence of alcoholic fermentation, enriched with a small amount of alcohol and carbon dioxide, improve the functioning of the respiratory and vasomotor centers and slightly excite the central nervous system. All this increases the flow of oxygen into the lungs and activates redox processes in the body.
It has been established that as a result of lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation, the content of most essential vitamins in fermented milk drinks increases. Therefore, with regular consumption of fermented milk drinks, the nervous system is strengthened.
The dietary and medicinal properties of fermented milk drinks were pointed out at the beginning of the 20th century. the great Russian physiologist and microbiologist I. I. Mechnikov. I. I. Mechnikov explained the large number of centenarians on the Balkan Peninsula and the North Caucasus as a consequence of the daily consumption of local curdled milk and other fermented milk products. According to I.I. Mechnikov, premature aging of a person is associated with the active activity in the human intestines of putrefactive microorganisms, which develop in a slightly alkaline and neutral environment, forming strong organic poisons (phenol, indole, skatole, hydrogen sulfide, etc.), and when consuming yogurt putrefactive intestinal microflora is suppressed by lactic acid. I.I. Mechnikov believed that the dietary properties of the Bulgarian bacillus (L. bulgaricus) isolated by him from sour milk increase even more since it can develop in the intestines and have an inhibitory effect on the development of putrefactive microflora. Subsequently, it was proven that the Bulgarian bacillus does not take root in the intestines, and this ability is possessed by the acidophilus bacillus (L. acidophilus), the bactericidal and antibiotic properties of which are more pronounced.
Bifidobacteria (Bifidobacteria) and lactobacilli (Lactobacillus) are probiotic bacteria that improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and normalize the composition of the intestinal microflora. Fermented milk products with probiotic bacteria are especially useful for restoring the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract after taking antibiotics and other medications for diarrhea.
The medicinal properties of fermented milk drinks are based on the bactericidal effect of lactic acid microorganisms and yeast against the causative agents of certain gastrointestinal diseases, tuberculosis and other diseases, as well as on the beneficial effects on the body of the substances that make up these products. The bactericidal properties of fermented milk drinks are associated with the antibiotic activity of bacteria and yeast developing in them, which, as a result of their vital activity, produce the following antibiotics: nisin, lactolin, diplococcin, streptocin, etc. These antibiotics have bactericidal (kill) and bacteriostatic (suppress vital activity) effects on some microorganisms. action. Therefore, for bacterial starters, it is necessary to take into account their bactericidal properties, i.e., their ability to produce antibiotics.
It should be borne in mind that fermented milk drinks are effective not as a primary means, but as an adjuvant for the treatment of certain diseases with the simultaneous use of medications and adherence to dietary regimens. Thus, in the treatment of tuberculosis in our country, kumis and acidophilus-yeast milk are widely used. In these products, with the joint development of lactic acid bacilli and yeast, stimulating each other, a significant amount of antibiotics that suppress tuberculosis bacilli accumulates.
Among products of animal origin, koumiss ranks first in terms of vitamin C content (up to 250-333 mg per 1 liter), which significantly increases its dietary and medicinal properties. Koumiss is also recommended for improving metabolism, for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, liver, etc. Kefir also has medicinal properties.
Fermented milk drinks are rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium salts, as well as essential amino acids.
Fermented milk drinks are also produced from skim milk and differ from whole milk products only in the absence of fat, but contain almost all the components of whole milk in the same quantities. In terms of dietary and medicinal properties, they are equivalent to whole milk products and are inferior to the latter only in calorie content.
