Probiotics have been a popular health topic for the past few years, and you will find many different varieties lining the shelves of supplement and health food stores. Probiotics started being heavily researched in the 1990s and early 2000s, and many claim that they are the key to maintaining that ever elusive “gut health”. From the last 20-30 years of research, there is convincing evidence regarding the benefits of ingesting probiotics. We will highlight the pertinent information below and address some of the most common questions regarding probiotics.
Are Probiotics Really Live Organisms?
That is a resounding yes! We want these little buggers to be alive by the time they reach our intestines. That may sound odd, but the reality is our gut is a host to a wide variety of living microbes. Probiotics are the troops we want occupying the prime real estate in our gut.
Historical Fun Fact: Hieroglyphics discovered in the Middle East illustrated that cultures dating all the way back to 10,000 BC drank fermented milk as part of their diets. What is in fermented milk? You guessed it… probiotics. This means the health benefits of ingesting bacteria have been known for much longer than we can even imagine!
The great thing about probiotics is they can be both preventative in nature AND they work to treat many gut diseases and symptoms. For example, probiotics are often recommended as treatment options for health conditions such as:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Disease (IBS or IBD)
- SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Gluten intolerance
- Helicobacter Pylori infection
Big picture relationship:
Several randomized controlled trials have shown that probiotics can improve symptoms of autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis. We will touch on this later, but it is important to make the connection here that body-wide inflammatory diseases can be improved by focusing on the health of the gut! You may ask, what does my gut have to do with my swollen and painful joints? Stay tuned…
Other researched supported benefits:
Outside of improving the more obvious gut symptoms listed above, probiotics have been shown to have benefits in the following areas:
- Preventing or improving the severity of seasonal allergies and asthma.
- Preventing upper respiratory tract infections caused by colds and flus.
- Improving “atopic diseases in infants”. This is a specific set of allergy symptoms that are caused by a reaction to normally harmless environmental substances (examples: grass, pet dander, dust).
- Reduces the number of cancer-promoting enzymes.
- Improving or even resolving skin issues such as eczema.
There are some early studies that support the positive link between probiotics and the following health areas, although much more targeted research needs to be done:
- Lowering cholesterol.
- Improving overall dental health, including the prevention of cavities.
- Reduction in the development of clogged arteries, which in turn may reduce the prevalence of heart attacks, strokes, and other heart related diseases.
- Specific strains of probiotics have been shown to lower blood pressure.
Who would benefit from taking probiotics?
Anyone struggling with any of the diagnoses listed above would benefit from discussing the use of probiotics with their doctor. More broadly, the majority of people reading this would likely benefit from probiotics, especially those living in the United States. This can be achieved through probiotic supplements or by simply increasing dietary intake of probiotics.
Ever taken a course of antibiotics?
We’re willing to bet you have! People who have recently taken antibiotics would greatly benefit from taking probiotics. Many people experience diarrhea with antibiotic use and probiotics have been proven to help resolve or even prevent diarrhea induced by antibiotics.
There is much more to be said about antibiotics and how to protect yourself when these lifesaving medications are needed, so we have a separate write-up to read about them if you are interested.
They Sound Great and All but How Do They Work?
Probiotics work to improve the health of the gut in several ways. These mechanisms outlined below promote healing of the gut but also prevent inflammation from taking hold in the first place.
1. Strengthens the intestinal barrier:
This is vitally important to our overall health. Our gut lining must remain strong and intact for us to thrive. Probiotics help to protect the gut lining from unwanted invaders like allergens, toxins, and pathogens. To read more extensively as to why this is important, read our write up on Leaky Gut.
Probiotics strengthen our gut by affecting the regulation of the tight junctions in our intestinal wall. These tight junctions are like the security guards that protect the integrity of the wall and allow only the beneficial molecules to pass through and be absorbed into our bloodstream. Probiotics help to keep these security guards strong and healthy which in turn keeps the invaders from entering our bloodstream and causing body-wide inflammation.
Probiotics also promote the secretions of the intestinal mucosa which in turn reduces inflammation. We need that layer of healthy mucous to cover our intestinal wall as this helps nourish our cells, protect our gut lining from invaders, and keeps things flowing smoothly.
Maintaining a robust intestinal barrier is our first line of defense against disease, infection, and inflammation.
2. Balances gut microbiome:
Probiotics are often called the “good guys” in our gut. They help fight off an overgrowth of “bad” microbes (harmful bacteria and yeast) which are typically responsible for increasing inflammation and contributing to the erosion of the gut lining. Probiotics bring balance back to the very complex gut microbiome.
Probiotics can behave like bullies. They work by competing with the bad bugs or pathogens that are stuck to our gut lining. These probiotic strains can actually bump off those bad bugs from the host cells and take their place.
Certain strains of probiotics even release antimicrobial substances, called “bacteriocins”, which help fight off and even kill the bad microbes.
Ever heard of serotonin?
This powerful mood boosting neurotransmitter plays a vital role in regulating our mood and happiness. 95% percent of the serotonin our body needs is made in our gut! This means that a properly balanced and functioning microbiome can have profound effects on our mental health and wellness.
3. Enhances immune function:
Some studies have shown that probiotics can work with our immune system to help control inflammation. Our immune cells are activated by a complicated string of messages, and probiotics help to turn on this messaging system.
Probiotics also benefit our immune system by:
Activating the growth of new healthy immune cells
Helping to clean up the old and unhealthy cells
It has been shown that our gut microbiome can actually dictate which type of immune cells need to be created based on the surrounding environment. The microbiome can also direct our immune cells to places of stress and activate them to fight off the “bad guys”. Needless to say, a healthy gut is pivotal to a healthy immune system!
Surprising Fact: 70-80% of our body’s immune cells can be found in the gut. So, if our goal is to strengthen our natural responses to colds, flus, and viruses then it would be wise to take a careful look at our gut health.
Just the beginning… We are in the early stages in our understanding of the deep connection between our gut and our immune system. This is a fascinating field that is sure to uncover more knowledge in the years to come.
4. Improves nutrient absorption:
Probiotics have been shown to improve the breakdown and digestion of our food. This helps to improve any nutrient deficiencies and optimize our absorption of vitamins and minerals from the food and supplements we ingest.
Are there side effects of probiotics?
It is quite common to experience short term symptoms after starting probiotics. Typically, those symptoms are all gut related symptoms. Bloating, excessive gas, intermittent nausea, and changes in stool (diarrhea or constipation) are the most common side effects. These unpleasant symptoms typically subside within a couple of weeks as the gut begins to balance out and adapts to the improving microbiome.
That said, there is a percentage of people who can end up with more bothersome side effects. This is believed to be caused by a naturally produced chemical in our body called histamine. If you are a person with high histamine issues (allergies, certain elevated lab tests, frequent hives, etc.) then you may not benefit from probiotics. More recent studies have shown that histamine is released by some of the Lactobacillus probiotic strains (among others). So, if this sounds like you, then you will be best served by selecting a probiotic that does not contain the following strains:
- Lactobacillus buchneri
- Lactobacillus helveticus
- Lactobacillus hilgardii
- Streptococcus thermophilus
Be aware: This is a topic of ongoing research, and the current evidence is a bit sparse.
How Do I Know What Strains to Look For?
Most probiotic supplements you will find contain the main strains found in the human microbiome (keep in mind there are many types of each strain). Here are the ones you will find most frequently, as well as the commonly touted benefits of each one.
