Lately it seems everyone is shouting from the rooftops the abundant blessings of probiotics, our latest salvation in the world of health and wellness. So what are they and how are they so beneficial? The word probiotic come from the Greek language meaning “for life”, or “promoting life.” Some call these microscopic organisms that improve health “friendly” or “good” bacteria. Our bodies house around 100 trillion microbes in our gut. These bacteria need to stay balanced in order for our bodies to work efficiently, this balance can be referred to as a microbiome: the community of microorganisms working alone, together, or against each other to perform necessary bodily functions. This community of microbes function within our bodies much like an organ functions because of this many look at this microbiome as a “newly discovered organ.” An imbalance of bacteria within our body can lead to a variety of illnesses ranging from mild to serious. This is where probiotics come into the picture.
Probiotics bring balance to our intestines by replenishing the “friendly” bacteria our bodies may be lacking. This keeps any one strain of bacteria from “taking over”. You may find adding probiotics to your diet helps you in various ways, from weight loss to better brain function. This is a low invasive approach many will find beneficial. Did you know some hospitals automatically add kefir, a probiotic, yogurt-like beverage, to your hospital food when you are taking antibiotics? Researchers have found probiotics are extremely beneficial during an antibiotic regimen. Antibiotics destroy bacteria, but not just the disease-causing variety, they destroy the beneficial bacteria as well. Probiotics are a great way of introducing the friendly bacteria back into the microbiome within our bodies. According to the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition probiotics are useful in preventing and treating antibiotic diarrhea, a common side effect from taking antibiotics. Probiotics are beneficial for infectious diarrhea and traveler’s diarrhea as well. Many people who have frequent infections due to overuse of antibiotics will find probiotics a good option for preventing future infections. These good bacteria strengthen the immune system allowing it to better resist infection. Probiotics have a similar effect on those with compromised immune systems.
Probiotics can seem like a godsend for women who experience recurring infections related to the vagina, such as yeast infections or urinary tract infections. The bacteria bring the much-needed balance for improvement and prevention. What about the weight loss aspect? Can probiotics actually help with the weight loss process? Yes. Studies show probiotics make the intestinal walls less permeable which keeps microbes that may cause obesity, diabetes and glucose intolerance from entering the blood stream. It also appears that probiotics help you lose visceral fat, the fat that causes a bulge in the abdomen. This fat is considered dangerous as it wraps your organs, and reducing it can greatly improve your health. Another benefit? Healthy teeth and gums. Lactobacillusprobiotic reuteri, decreases the bacteria in your mouth, which causes tooth decay and inhibits the effects of gingivitis. And let’s not dismiss the benefit to our brain. UCLA researchers found that probiotics can improve brain function. There are other studies that show probiotics as having the potential to change the brain neurochemistry, and thus treating anxiety and many forms of depression.
Looking for probiotics? Probiotics are found naturally in cultured and fermented foods containing live bacteria. Foods like sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, kimchi, kefir and cultured yogurt are great sources of these friendly microbes. Probiotics are also available in supplement form as capsules, liquid and chewables. There are many different strains of probiotics, but the most common strains available today in are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Obviously there are many reasons to buy probiotic supplements for your diet. Are they a miracle cure? It’s too early to tell considering the study of probiotics is fairly new. So, we will see, but taking them would almost certainly benefit you in one way or another.