Prebiotics are found naturally in breast milk and some fruits and vegetables: bananas, garlic, leek, onion, artichokes, asparagus, tomato, chicory root, and so on.

Due to its beneficial effects, has started to add inulin and oligofructose in foods such as yogurt, ice cream, milk drinks, juices, breakfast cereals, bread, snacks, confectionery … without adversely affecting the taste of them. Yogurt and fermented milks are the most common foods that we find the probiotics.

4. How do we benefit?

As a result of their action, can be highlighted a number of beneficial effects on the body:

Prebiotics:

- Prevents constipation and diarrhea.
- Decrease blood pressure and plasma cholesterol.
- They promote bone mineralization.
- They have protective properties against cancer colorectal.

Probiotics:

- Are useful in the prevention and treatment of infectious diarrhea due to antibiotic use.
- Decrease lactose intolerance.
- Reduce the symptoms of intestinal inflammation.
- Reduce cholesterol levels.
- Prevent colon cancer and atopic disease.

Functional foods are those which, besides its nutritional, show that exert beneficial physiological effects in the body, thus improving the health and welfare of people and even reducing the risk of certain diseases. Prebiotics and probiotics are the two types of functional food ingredients that most well known and studied, being and acting in a different way, achieve a profit similar to “promote intestinal health.”

1. Functional foods

Functional foods are those with a healthy addition to our diet. In addition to foods that naturally contain functional ingredients, food is traditional to the food industry has added, deleted, increased or modified any of its components to contribute to improve the functionality of the organism as a whole (hence is his name).

Among the fortified functional foods that most often we are in the market include milk, yogurt, juices, cereals, eggs, margarine, bread, salt, etc. The components most often added to these products are minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium), vitamins (A, D, E, C, folic acid), fiber, fatty acids ( oleic acid, omega-3, or conjugated linoleic acid CLA), antioxidants (isoflavones, carotenoids, selenium, vitamin E), phytosterols (plant sterols and stanols), phytoestrogens, prebiotics, probiotics.

Its benefits can include: improvements in growth and development in early childhood, the regulation of metabolic processes in the body, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal function, cognitive performance and improves mental and physical condition, among others.

2. What are prebiotics and probiotics?

They are the two types of functional food ingredients that most well-known and studied, being and acting differently, are able to obtain a similar benefit: “to promote intestinal health. Both are capable of improving the balance of the intestinal tract flora, favoring its proper functioning, as well as producing a beneficial effect on the immune system (protecting certain infections, both digestive and general).

They differ in nature and in its tactics. Prebiotics are indigestible food ingredients that ferment in the intestine, serving as food for beneficial bacteria (lactobacilli, bifidobacteria) and we all need in our digestive system. At the same time, hamper the growth of harmful bacteria, thus improving the intestinal flora and, ultimately, our health.

Probiotics are food ingredients consisting of living microorganisms, like those that are part of our intestinal flora, ingested in sufficient amounts through the foods that contain beneficial effects on health of people who consume them, to contribute to improve the composition of the intestinal flora.

3.2. Spring waters

The spring waters are those drinking water from underground sources that flow naturally through a spring or are drawn by men. May require physical treatment to remove undesirable elements. It allows the addition or removal of carbon dioxide. But drinking is not allowed. Within this water stand that once obtained the designation of medicinal mineral waters.

- The medicinal mineral waters.

Are those that come from natural springs, do not require chemical manipulation and are packed in their place of origin, and have high mineralization which is what gives it its therapeutic properties. These therapeutic properties make regular consumption can be limited in certain cases.

Like the rest of the public drinking water should not show contamination by microorganisms or parasites. They must ensure a constant ionic composition. According to this composition can be classified as bicarbonate, chloride, sulfur, sulfates, iron, radioactive and oligometalic.

3.3. Drinking water prepared

Prepared drinking water is that water consumption must be free of microbiological and parasitological pollution. Not guarantee a constant ionic strength. It enables physical-chemical treatments such as sedimentation, filtration, chlorination, ionization, etc. although they alter the initial chemical composition of water.

1. Classification of waters

For drinking water can be classified into two main groups are the public drinking water and bottled drinking water, divided into water tables or natural mineral water, spring water and drinking water ready.

2. Public drinking water

The public drinking water is that water is not packaged for human consumption or incorporated into industrial food products. Is commonly known as “Tap water” and takes the supply to homes and local communities through public anbastecimiento network.

They must meet the health requirements of absence of microbiological contamination, parasitological and chemistry. It is extracted from reservoirs or groundwater through wells. Normally undergo purification processes using chlorine, ozone, etc..

3. Bottled drinking water
The bottled drinking water, as we have seen include water table or natural mineral water, spring water and drinking water ready.

3.1. Table waters and natural mineral

Pets such as water table or natural mineral water bottled water those that are taken daily as a beverage. According to the WHO should be unpolluted waters beyond their normal viable bacteria, parasites or other pathogens and uncontaminated by chemicals.

They must come from an underground source that erupt from a natural spring or perforated. May require physical treatments such as oxygen decanting or filtration for the separation of undesirable natural elements. It allows the addition or removal of carbon dioxide. But it prohibited the use of chemicals for disinfection or modification of its microbial content.

Contain at source or after wrapping at least 1,000 mg of dissolved salts or 250 ml. free CO2 per kilogram (low mineralization) and have healthy properties. They also offer a guarantee of constant composition. All this should be recognized by the relevant authorities. Ingestion is not subject to any limitation there being a maximum of consumption. Not be regarded as table waters artificially gassed those seltzer water or soda water.

The main treatment of iron deficiency anemia is oral administration of iron. The amount absorbed is not linearly related to the amount consumed.

Furthermore, the emergence of side effects (nausea, constipation or diarrhea?) With iron preparations limit the number manageable. Treatment should continue for several months to replenish the body.

Dietary therapy is complementary to drug treatment and is intended to be included in the daily diet foods rich in easily absorbed iron and other foods, their nutritional composition that favor iron absorption both contributed through food as pharmacologically administered iron .

Through food, absorption depends on the chemical form in which minerals are found in food. Thus, the iron content in foods of animal origin (meat, liver, fish and egg yolk) and heme iron is better absorbed than nonheme provided by plants (or enriched grains, legumes, vegetables) .

There are nutrients that promote the absorption of iron from foods such as vitamin C and proteins, among others. Similarly, there are substances present in greater amounts in certain foods that interfere with iron absorption (oxalic acid, tannins, phytates?), And that should be taken into account when planning the food.

The main cause in the development and occurrence of iron deficiency anemia is a decrease in organic iron stores, causing a parallel reduction in the number of red blood cells.

The human body contains about 4 g of iron of which the majority (about 2.5 g) are attached to a protein (transferrin) to form hemoglobin.

Thus, iron is essential for the formation of hemoglobin. In the liver, spleen and bone marrow is stored as ferritin is the iron in the body.

Every day, an adult loses about 1 mg of iron through the skin, mucous, feces and urine. Fertile women have higher losses through menstruation.

During pregnancy there is a degree of anemia caused by an increase in demand for iron by the fetus accompanied by an increased volume of circulating blood.

In adults the most common cause is usually chronic blood loss or decrease in the absorption of this mineral from diseases affecting the duodenum, part of the intestine near the stomach that produces the absorption of iron (ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease , hemorroidesl?).

Children often have this type of anemia during periods of rapid growth and development by increased requirements due to the constant growth of tissues.

Hemoglobin deficiency may be due to a decreased number of red blood cells, also called red blood cell, blood volume or a reduction of hemoglobin content within them.

Red blood cells live approximately 100 days and is in the bone marrow where they are constantly producing new ones. To this end, the bone needs certain nutrients like iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and protein among others.

Different types of anemias are classified according to their etiologic basis, ie the cause that provokes it.

The anemia caused by inadequate intake of nutrients involved in erythropoiesis are often called nutritional, although its appearance can also be related to a suboptimal use of these nutrients.

The symptoms coincide in most cases of anemia: fatigue, fatigue, weakness, irritability, pallor, anorexia or loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores and hair loss, etc. The onset is usually insidious.

The skin, mucous membranes and nails are pale by the decrease of circulating hemoglobin. If anemia is long standing can be found atrophy of the taste buds of the tongue and other changes more pronounced.

The equilibrium point

The optimal amount to drink to be sure of being well hydrated is to quench our thirst, but add a little more. There is a convenient way to know whether we are replacing body fluids properly and is to observe the color of your urine.

If urine is dark and low, it means that the concentration of waste is high and therefore we should drink more water. When it is clear and abundant our water balance is adequate.

It is valid to clarify that if we are taking any medications or vitamin supplementation on urine color varies, and in that case the only indicator is the volume or amount of urine.

Deshidatración Other symptoms include fatigue, headache and exhaustion.

These sensations often occur in the summer. The following are symptoms that occur with heat stroke:
• cramps
• headache
• nausea, vomiting

• confusion and disorientation
• Weakness
• poor performance for the financial year

However, both the lack of fluid intake and excess result in an imbalance in our body. This is due to the presence of sodium, the most abundant mineral in the body fluids. If we drink in abundance, too much water accumulates in the body causing fluid retention.

This is not produced because the body has the ability to remove as much water intake. By removing sodium through urine and sweat, plus the amount of water drunk, the balance of this mineral is affected: its concentration in the blood decreases. This is known as hyponatremia.

To prevent hyponatremia at this exercise in a hot environment should:
• add some salty food
• Do not drink water
• drink sports drinks with sodium in small sips.
What role water plays in our body?
• transports glucose, oxygen and fat to the muscles that train, and removes carbon dioxide and lactic acid are produced.
• Eliminates waste metabolites via the urine.
• Regulates body temperature through perspiration.
• Aid digestion with saliva and gastric secretions.
• Lubricates joints.
• Protects organs and tissues.

In addition to water intake, we can replenish fluids by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, or search options in some sugar-free soft drink.

The importance of drinking water during high temperatures

Both the high temperatures and with exercise, body temperature rises, and so does our body to regulate it and keep it constant is through sweat.

As sweat begins to be generated, the skin is cooling, which in turn cools the blood and the inside of our body.
The constant internal body temperature is 37 º C. When it is above 41 º C our cells are injured, but after the 42 º C the cell dies by coagulation of proteins.

During intense exercise performed in hot weather, we should not go beyond our own boundaries. We must always be hydrated and as mentioned above, the sweat is who will regulate our optimal performance while preserving the proper body temperature.

Thirst is the mechanism by which we regulate the intake of water or liquid.

When the concentration of body fluids is abnormal, perceived thirst. When you sweat you lose water and the blood becomes thick, so the sodium concentration is higher than normal generating thirst. When drinking water to combat thirst, the blood returns to have a normal conclusion of its minerals.

It is always advisable and convenient for our body before you are thirsty to drink, because when the sensation of thirst appears we have lost between 1 to 3% of body weight in fluids, ie we are already dehydrated.

An important point to note is that children (not to be well developed thirst mechanism) and the elderly (having lost that feeling), are easily dehydrated on hot days. By not feel thirsty, drink and the fluids are not replaced.

People who have healthy lifestyles and eating a regular diet without having habits like smoking or drinking was seen more young people to look for a longer period of time.

What does it take for the skin and young look to last longer? Many people think that anti-aging drugs do wonders for your skin and remove wrinkles away in the moment they start to use them.

However, all these notions are false and can not do miracles as far as aging is concerned. Aging depends on the person himself and can easily control or delay the process, making lifestyle changes easier.

Too much sun exposure is bad and that is why people should protect your skin when outdoors. Human skin is the largest organ in the body and covers the entire body.

The skin needs a lot of nutrients in the day to stay healthy. Vitamins such as vitamin E and vitamin A, estrogens, and other important minerals play an important role in maintaining healthy skin.

A deficiency in any of these could cause the death of skin cells. Furthermore, the skin maintains the development of new cells and must find a sufficient number of nutrients in order to do this. The best way to support the skin and its complex structure is to have a healthy diet.