The pros of probiotics
The greatness contained in good bacteria
Your gut is full of bacteria and other microorganisms that perform vital functions for your body like the production of short-chain fatty acids and function as part of your overall immune system. The bacteria found in your gut and probiotics are different. Probiotics are living microorganisms that have been studied and shown to provide a health benefit when consumed in sufficient amounts. They are different from the bacteria found in your gut that make up your gut microbiome. Probiotics do not typically colonize or stay permanently in your gut, so it’s important that you consume them regularly to get their benefits.
The strength and type of benefits can vary based on which probiotic strain is consumed. A common misconception is that to be effective a probiotic must impact the composition of your gut microbiota. While probiotics generally do not colonize the gut, many do provide their benefits in the colon, having a beneficial impact on the bacteria already living there. The benefits of probiotics are strain-specific and are specific to the studied population. It’s important that the probiotic strain you chose has been studied for the benefit it’s promising and the amounts of the probiotic in the product match the amounts studied. The most commonly studied probiotic benefits include benefits for gut health and immune health, but new probiotic strains and benefits are being discovered all the time.
Fermented foods may or may not be a source of live microbes and even when they are, not all live microbes found in fermented foods have been identified as probiotics in the existing research. Many fermented foods like probiotic yogurts, cultured dairy drinks, and kefir may contain probiotics. They are also occasionally added to dried fruits and juices. The benefits of probiotics are strain specific so if the product doesn't list a bacteria by its genus, species and strain (for example Bifidobacteria (genus) lactis (species) CNCM I-2494(strain)) then it probably doesn’t have probiotic bacteria but live and active cultures instead. Live and active cultures have not been scientifically studied to provide health benefits.
Probiotics are friendly bacteria that can pass on health benefits when they are consumed in adequate numbers. By regularly eating probiotic foods you can provide a regular source of good bacteria that may have a beneficial impact on the bacteria already living in your gut.
Prebiotics are non-digestible dietary fiber that serve as food for the beneficial microbes that live in the gut. Prebiotics are found naturally in plants we eat—like onions, garlic, bananas, beans, and grains—and are sometimes added to foods and beverages.
Your gut is home to over 100 million nerve cells that make up its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system. This “second brain” is connected to the thoughts and feelings in your head across the gut-brain axis—a two-way communication highway where your mental state can impact your gut, and your gut can impact your mental state.
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The body has its own natural immune system, with the largest part residing in the gut. In addition to digestion, the gut microbiome performs a number of tasks that are essential for good health. This natural immune system protects the body from a wide range of everyday challenges, including pathogenic microorganisms, free radicals, or lifestyle factors such as psychological and physical stress.1,2,3 There are also probiotic strains that have been studied and shown to have immune support benefits, such as decreased incidence or duration of infections like upper respiratory infections, immune response to vaccines and allergies as well as, stimulation of the systemic immune response through measurement of cytokines and antibodies 1, 2.
Click here to learn more about the mind-gut connection
REFERENCES 1. Belkaid Y, Hand TW. Role of the microbiota in immunity and inflammation. Cell. 2014;157(1):121-141. 2. Dumitrescu L, Popescu-Olaru I, Cozma L, et al. Oxidative Stress and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:2406594. 3. Karl JP, Hatch AM, Arcidiacono SM, et al. Eects of Psychological, Environmental and Physical Stressors on the Gut Microbiota. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:2013.
The gut health glossary
Your belly’s report card
Your gut is part of your digestive tract. Gut health is often determined by how well the digestive system is functioning and if it is free of upset or issues.
The invisible world
This is the full community of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and molds—that are living in a your digestive tract. A unique, living ecosystem, there are many different kinds of bacteria that live in the gut.
Beneficial bacteria
The word “probiotic” translates to “for life” in Greek. Probiotics are live, friendly, good bacteria that pass on health benefits.
Feeding good health
A food source that stimulates the growth and activity of good bacteria in the gut. Though it sounds fancy, prebiotics are typically non-digestible fiber from food.
A friend of fermentation
Beneficial bacteria that’s used in fermentation that can aid in digesting and breaking down lactose.
SUPPORTS GUT HEALTH
FULL OF LIFE
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