HEALTH BENEFITS OF LABAN UP
More and more evidence indicates that probiotics – food and drinks e.g. Laban, which contain live bacteria – constitute a valuable therapeutic and preventive tool against a number of diseases in humans and animals. Probiotics which mean “pro life” or “for life” can confer on their hosts multiple beneficial effects including prevention and treatment of diarrhea, induction of protective immunity against pathogens and tumors, prevention of allergies, control of inflammatory diseases, modulation of gastrointestinal functions, and alleviation of lactose intolerance and hypertension. Numerous health and functional attributes of fermented dairy products are ascribed to the microorganisms that induce physical and/or chemical modifications of milk components. The mechanism for health benefits of LAB or the (Lactic Acid Bacteria) which was just historically known to help in the fermentation of cheese and yoghurt is multifactoral and probably relates to the complex interaction between milk components. LAB benefits the intestinal mucosa.

Recent studies have reported the particular role of the metabolic products derived from milk fermentation by probiotics. An important metabolic activity that occurs during milk fermentation is proteolysis. Proteolysis ensures LAB growth in the medium and consequently might influence the potential release of physiologically active peptides. These peptides are encrypted in the milk protein sequences in a latent state and might be released during food processing or after degradation by digestive enzymes. They have been shown to possess opiate, antithrombotic, anti-hypertensive, immunomodulating, antibacterial, antigastric, and mineral carrier properties. Hence, milk-related bioactive peptides and other derived metabolites from the fermentation might play an important role in health enhancement and reducing the incidence of many diseases. Physiologically active peptides might particularly contribute to the phenomena of probiosis due to their hormone-like activities. Many of these sequences can be found in the milk of a large number of mammalian species. Some multifunctional bioactive sequences present in overlapping sequence, in the beta caseins for example, are endowed with multiple physiological activities (morphinomimetic and immunomodulating peptides in soybean and rice albumin. Several peptides derived from milk proteins that have effects on behavioral, neurological, physiological, and vasoregulatory responses have been identified.