The Top Health Benefits of Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements are great for improving overall health, boosting immune function, and lowering the risk of diseases. You can easily incorporate a daily probiotic supplement into your health routine. Probiotic supplements come in various forms, including creams and lotions for topical use, as well as powders, capsules, and liquids for oral administration. Some foods also contain probiotics, which can be easily added to your diet.
In today’s fast-paced world, probiotics are essential for maintaining a balanced internal environment because stress and unhealthful eating habits can upset our gut bacteria. These supplements can enhance digestive and immune system function, boosting metabolism and general health.
This blog will discuss probiotics, their advantages, and safe ways to include them in your daily wellness regimen. Join us as we explore what probiotics are, their proven benefits to our bodies, and how to use them safely for optimal health.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live yeast and bacteria that offer a variety of health benefits to your body, especially the gut microbiota in the body. The gut microbiome contains trillions of microorganisms from various species. You are born with beneficial microbes; as you grow, they multiply and diversify to support numerous biological activities. Probiotic bacteria help produce different chemicals and neurotransmitters while supporting the immune system. They also aid in increasing nutrient absorption.
A healthy gut indicates a healthy immune system, reduced inflammation, and regular bowel motions. Probiotics help them develop and reproduce, allowing you to benefit from the health advantages of a well-balanced gut. They reduce the number of harmful microorganisms in the stomach, which enhances your immune system and helps it defend against illnesses. In the past, many probiotics that our bodies needed were from fermented foods, fruits, vegetables, and healthy soil. However, due to pesticides and food processing, they have been removed from food and soil.
Functions of Good Bacteria:
Aid in immune function by activating the release of regulatory T cells and lgA.
Creating vitamin K2 and B12 as well as butyrate.
Producing enzymes that destroy harmful microbes.
Reinforcing the gut-intestinal barrier to protect the body against pathogens.
Growing out harmful bacteria to prevent their growth and spread.
Types of Probiotics
There are many types of probiotics, seven of which are the most common strains:
Bifidobacterium
Saccharomyces
Bacillus
Streptococcus
Escherichia
Enterococcus
Lactobacillus
Three types of genera are often used because they have been extensively studied, and these are:
The Bifidobacterium genus includes Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum.
The Lactobacillus genus includes Lactobacillus plantarum, L. acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and L. rhamnosus.
Saccharomyces.
Acidophilus is the most prevalent probiotic used in supplements. Its scientific name is Lactobacillus acidophilus, and it can be found in the urinary tract, mouth, vagina, gut, lungs, and stomach. Consuming as a dietary supplement can restore balance to the body’s microbiomes.
Side Effects
Always start with small dosages when taking dietary supplements and follow the recommendations carefully. Taking too many probiotics too quickly without waiting for proper digestion might result in diarrhea, bloating, and flatulence.
Probiotic Usage
Supplements mainly treat several gut health issues and a weakened immune system when prescribed probiotics.
Compromised Immune Systems
If you’re being treated for a particular health condition or problem, your immune system will be reduced. Beneficial bacteria will have been diminished, necessitating the use of probiotics.
Dysbiosis
Probiotic supplementation is mainly used to treat dysbiosis, which occurs when the microbiome lacks helpful gut bacteria. The gut microbes are primarily pathogenic bacteria that have grown and spread.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases(IBS):
Ulcerative Colitis
Probiotics can lower the risk of inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis. Based on a study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, probiotic treatment was beneficial to maintain ulcerative colitis remission.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Evidence suggests that probiotics may relieve IBS symptoms like abdominal pain. A review found that using multi-strain supplementation for 8 weeks improved the symptoms of IBS.
Celiac Disease
An imbalance in live bacteria in the gut may even be linked to celiac disease. According to this review, microbial imbalances were found in people with the disease, even after avoiding gluten.
Human Health Benefits
Probiotic supplementation has several beneficial effects on the body and multiple potential health benefits for different conditions.
Better Gut Health
Probiotics may relieve digestive problems by boosting the health of beneficial live microorganisms in the gut microbiome. This ensures that the digestive tract functions correctly. According to the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition review, probiotic supplements improved bowel movements, gastrointestinal systems, and stool consistency in healthy adults.
Prevention of Clinical Infectious Diseases
Several studies have shown the link between probiotics and health problems like diarrhea. Probiotics have been extensively researched for preventing and treating diarrhea, especially in children.
Infectious Diarrhea
It was found that infectious diarrhea in children was effectively treated with probiotics, in particular Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus GG, and Lactobacillus reuteri.
Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
A meta-analysis of 34 studies of 4,138 patients was conducted to determine the association between antibiotic-associated diarrhea and probiotic supplements. The results concluded that this was an effective preventative treatment.
Traveler’s Diarrhea
Bifidobacterium bifidum, saccharomyces boulardii, and lactobacillus acidophilus were effective and safe in preventing diarrhea for travelers according to the Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea.
Promotes Healthy Skin
Probiotics have been found to prevent infant eczema and pediatric dermatitis, thus proving beneficial to skin health in young children. Research has found that a healthy gut has a significant impact on skin health.
Improve Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when fat accumulates in the liver. Severe cases of NAFLD can result in liver failure, cirrhosis, or even death. A review of several clinical trials found that probiotics lowered symptoms and showed improvement in patients. This makes this dietary supplement a viable option as treatment for this disease.
Lower Antibiotic Resistance
The excessive use of prescription medications has resulted in a rise in antibiotic resistance, which complicates the treatment of severe conditions. A study from The National Library of Medicine shows that probiotics aid antibiotic functionality by decreasing harmful bacteria and protecting against these strains of bacteria from spreading.
Improved Mental Health
The gut-brain connection has been thoroughly explored, research shows that inflammation plays a significant role in exacerbating the symptoms of mental health illnesses, including depression. A review published in the journal Nutrients found that after analyzing several randomized controlled trials, the conclusion was that probiotics significantly lowered depressive symptoms.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Recent studies suggest that probiotics may help manage hypertension by improving lipid profiles, modulating insulin resistance, adjusting renin levels, and converting bioactive phytoestrogens to potentially replace sexual hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
Boosts Immunity
Inflammation is a normal immune response, but chronic inflammation can be harmful to the immune system. It may also increase the likelihood of serious health problems and diseases. A study on 12 adults ages ranging from 69 to 83, found that taking probiotics twice daily over six weeks increased their healthy bacteria and improved their immune systems.
Protects Against Food Allergies
Allergy development is linked to balanced microbial bacteria in the gut during the first year of an infant’s life. Therefore, probiotic exposure as young children is crucial for the development of healthy bacteria. Studies on the use of probiotics as preventative and therapeutic measures for food allergies in adults have shown promise.
Fermented Foods
Probiotic foods and beverages, as well as fermented meals and drinks, have less concentrated probiotic strains. To obtain more concentrated probiotic strains, a lively and active culture should be ensured.
Probiotic Food Options
Yogurt: Fermented with beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Kefir: A fermented dairy product similar to yogurt but with a wider variety of probiotic strains.
Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage, rich in probiotics and beneficial for gut health.
Kimchi: A spicy Korean vegetable ferment, often including cabbage and radishes. The dish is fermented with various lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacillus kimchii, and is high in iron, vitamin K, and vitamin B2.
Kombucha: A fermented tea drink with a range of probiotic strains.
Miso: A fermented soybean paste used in Japanese cuisine, containing beneficial bacteria.
Tempeh: A fermented soybean product that provides probiotics and is a good source of protein.
Pickles: Naturally fermented pickles (without vinegar) can contain probiotics.
Natto: traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. The fermentation process involves the use of a specific bacterium called Bacillus subtilis natto.
These foods help support a healthy balance of gut bacteria and can contribute to overall well-being.
Effective Dietary Probiotic Supplements
Ensure you choose the appropriate probiotic strain for your specific health issue, as different strains target different conditions. Always review the supplement label for details on colony-forming units (CFUs), strain, genus, and species, as well as storage and refrigeration requirements.
When selecting probiotic products, check that they fit the following requirements:
A trusted brand that has proven health benefits.
It has enough viable beneficial microbes to last the manufacturing process.
It is safe to use either topically or orally.
Contains any of the seven most common genera.
Well of Life’s Probiotic-40 Billion Blend
The Well of Life’s Probiotic-40 Billion Blend supplement contains 40 Billion CFU and 4 strains of probiotic bacteria. It improves digestion and intestinal health by balancing beneficial gut bacteria in the microbiome, increasing food absorption, improving metabolism, and lowering inflammatory levels.
Here is a list of the naturally beneficial ingredients used in probiotic supplements:
Alpha galactosidase
Studies have shown that alpha-galactosidase helps with carbohydrate digestion, thus reducing bloating and gas caused by eating these foods. Vegetables and beans are examples of foods that are packed full of complex carbohydrates like oligosaccharides.
Fungal protease from Aspergillus oryzae
Aspergillus oryzae is a fermented bacteria andstudies show that this enzyme is efficient in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Lactobacillus plantarum
This probiotic bacteria supports digestive health and weight management. Studies have shown that L.plantarum boosts barrier function in the intestine, supports immune function, and improves gut health.
Fungal Lactase
Fungal lactase breaks down lactose into galactose, simple sugars, and glucose. Research has shown this supports lactose digestion and absorption of the various sugars.
Lactobacillus acidophilus
This is a probiotic bacteria that also creates the digestive enzyme lactase. Fermented foods contain this enzyme, especially sauerkraut. It is particularly beneficial for people suffering from lactose intolerance, as it boosts nutrient absorption in the body and improves digestion.
Papain
Papain-derived enzymes, which break down proteins into amino acids and peptides, commonly derived from papaya, can be used to enhance the effectiveness of probiotics in several ways.
Fungal Lipase
Fungal lipases can aid in the digestion of dietary fats, breaking them down into fatty acids and glycerol. This improved digestion can help create a more favorable environment in the gut for probiotics, enhancing their ability to thrive and function effectively.
Bromelain
Bromelain, commonly found in pineapples, helps break down proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids, which can improve overall digestion. This enhanced digestion may create a more favorable environment in the gut for probiotics to thrive and function.
Lactobacillus casei
This probiotic bacteria supports digestive health and helps to balance inflammation in the body. Studies have shown that when consumed, L.casei improves inflammation markers and the gut microbes, prompting specific immune responses in the body.
Key Takeaways
Including probiotic supplements in your daily regimen can significantly improve your general health and well-being. Probiotics have many advantages, including strengthening your immune system, promoting gut health, and even enhancing mental wellness. There are so many different types of probiotics to choose from, including fermented foods, powders, and capsules. It’s easier than ever to discover a good fit for your lifestyle.
Setting a high priority for gut health becomes crucial as we manage the difficulties associated with modern living, like stress and nutritional imbalances. By including probiotics in your diet and helping to maintain a balanced microbiome, you can support better digestion, nutrient absorption, and immunity.
In addition to selecting premium supplements, always get medical advice if you are unclear about which strains would be most appropriate for your particular medical situation. You can create the foundation for a happier, healthier tomorrow by proactively addressing gut health today!