Workshop by Yakult, ' the little hero'.

On the 14th of March 2017, School organised a workshop for the students of classes VI to VIII, in the A.V. Room. The workshop was conducted by Yakult, the probiotic drink company. The informative session enlightened students on the process of digestion, the harmful effects of bad bacteria and the significance of probiotics in fighting these.

The workshop started with a brief discussion on the human digestive system and the processes which occur during digestion. We were reinforced with how digestion starts in the mouth where saliva is secreted from the salivary glands. Saliva is capable of breaking down starch into simpler sugars that can be further broken down in the small intestine. The food then travels down the oesophagus to the stomach and from there to the intestinal system where nutrients are absorbed. The length of an average human digestive system varies from nine to twelve centimetres and quite interestingly, the weight of food a normal human consumes in his lifetime is equal to the weight of seven elephants!

However, in such a vast system there are both good and bad bacteria. The percentage of good bacteria is 85% and the remaining 15% are opportunistic bacteria. This 15% gets converted into bad bacteria if an imbalanced diet is consumed and a regular sleep pattern is not followed. This can cause harmful diseases.

Therefore probiotics are consumed to avoid the growth of bad bacteria and to fight them. Probiotics are live bacteria introduced into the body and which arent affected by digestive enzymes. These secrete lactic acid which doesnt support bad bacteria, in fact destroys them. It also trains the good bacteria to fight bad bacteria and increases immunity.

At the end of the session an animated video was played to encourage a better understanding of these concepts and samples of Yakult milk were distributed among the children.

Regular exercise, adequate sleep and a balanced diet increase the ratio of good bacteria. So, stop jumping on the fast food bandwagon and eat lots of vegetables to stay healthy in order to keep such bacteria at bay, was the call of the cause! Now, that the significant role played by Yakult is known, one must drink it daily, for, it is the little hero in our belly!

Divija Puri VIII-A.