Probiotics are bacteria that live in your gut and ensure good intestinal flora and digestion. Probiotics also support your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection. There are numerous known benefits of probiotics for a wide range of health problems and conditions. Curious what those are? Read it in this article.
What are probiotics?
The word probiotic comes from the Greek word pro, meaning “to promote,” and biotic, meaning “life.” Probiotics are living ‘good bacteria’ that ensure good intestinal flora, digestion, bowel movements and immune system. Many different types of bacteria live in your gut. Probiotics are effective at supporting the immune system, reducing inflammation, promoting healthy digestion, as well as maintaining beautiful skin, especially when combined with prebiotics, a type of dietary fiber that nourishes good gut bacteria. There are countless health benefits of probiotics, but first it’s helpful to understand how probiotics work.
Effect of probiotics
Every person carries about a hundred trillion gut bacteria with them. Your gut contains both beneficial (good) and harmful (bad) bacteria. When this ratio gets out of balance, it’s called a “bacterial dysbiosis,” meaning there’s too much of a certain type of fungus, yeast, or bacteria that negatively affects the body. With probiotic foods and supplements you can ensure that the balance is restored.
Health benefits of probiotics
Many health problems, such as thyroid imbalances, chronic fatigue, joint pain, psoriasis, and autism, are linked to gut function. Below is an overview of the health benefits of probiotics.
Good for digestion
Probiotics may help protect against inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Probiotics also appear to be effective against various forms of diarrhea, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Probiotics can also reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), aid in the eradication of H. pylori, and treat pouchitis, a condition that occurs after the surgical removal of the colon and rectum.
Decrease in antibiotic resistance
Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics due to overuse of prescription antibiotics, lack of diversity in these drugs and inappropriate use of antibiotics. By using probiotics, it is possible to help rebuild a good variety of gut bacteria after a course of antibiotics.
Anxiety and Depression
The gut is also known as our second brain. The gut is responsible for creating 95 percent of serotonin and can have a significant impact on brain function and mood. Taking probiotics, alone or in combination with prebiotics, can relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Mood disorders, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer and obesity can also benefit from probiotics.
Immune System and Infections
80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut. Many immune-related diseases can benefit from the anti-inflammatory effect of probiotics. Probiotics containing Bifidobacteria may even provide helpful protection against the common cold or flu.
Healthy skin
Research indicates that having a balanced gut environment benefits both healthy and diseased human skin. Probiotic supplements are effective in the prevention of atopic eczema in babies and children.
Food allergy protection
Babies with bad gut bacteria are more likely to develop allergies. This is likely due to the ability of probiotics to reduce chronic inflammation in the gut and regulate the immune response in both adults and children.
Diseases in Babies
When a pregnant mother takes high-quality probiotics during pregnancy, her baby is significantly less likely to develop these diseases, especially if the baby is breastfed after birth (and the mother is still taking the supplements) and/or when probiotics are used. added to baby food.
Lower blood pressure
Probiotics help lower blood pressure by improving lipid profiles, reducing insulin resistance, regulating renin levels and activating antioxidants.
Diabetes
Probiotic use may improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics and decrease the autoimmune response in diabetes.
More health benefits that probiotics can help:
– Kidney stones
– Non-alcoholic fatty liver
– Cancer
– Oral health
– Urinary tract infections
– Rheumatoid arthritis
– Weight loss
Probiotics intake
A good quality probiotic supplement is a great way to improve your gut flora or gut microbiome. Such a supplement often consists of lactic acid bacteria that belong to the bacterial genus Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. It is important for the efficacy and health-promoting properties to know which bacterial strains a probiotic supplement consists of.
You can also eat acidic foods such as apple cider vinegar or fermented vegetables (sauerkraut or kimchi). Foods used to be fermented to extend their shelf life, but since the advent of the refrigerator, this fermentation process has been lost and we’re missing out on probiotics. Other probiotic-rich foods include kefir, yogurt, tempeh, miso, and kombucha.