Probiotic Benefits: When Good Bacteria Can Help

Most nutritionists we’ve ever spoken to suggest some sort of probiotic supplement to sort out any digestive complaint we might have.

But why do they come so highly recommended, and does everyone really need to take ‘good’ bacteria?

The short answer is ‘no’. Not everyone does need to supplement their ‘good’ bacteria. But, there are lots of times when it’s helpful to your health and wellbeing to give your body a helping hand.

We asked Nutritional Therapist Natalie Lamb, from Protexin Probiotics, which makes Bio-Kult, what they are and why they can sort out all manner of health complaints.

“Probiotics are live bacteria. We all house trillions of different bacteria in our bodies but those considered beneficial play an essential role as our first line of defence, supporting efficient digestive function and our immune systems,” she explains.

“But a number of factors can mess with the bacteria balance in the body. Things such as antibiotics, infection, stress, travel or even just a period of unhealthy eating.”

She adds that probiotics have been designed to restore the balance.

“They can be taken long term but some people may only need to use probiotics at key times in their life e.g antibiotic use, travelling, stressful periods, to alleviate a symptom.”

And also sheds some light on why they work.

“Some of the ingested probiotic bacteria are believed to adhere to the gut lining and colonise, while others exert a positive effect as they move through the gastrointestinal tract and are excreted via the stool within several weeks.  

“Because many of them pass through your system, I recommend a daily intake to maintain an healthy gut.”

She adds: “All gastrointestinal conditions can be linked to an imbalance between good and bad gut flora, so if you’re experiencing problems, it’s a very good place to start.”

Which type to pick is up to personal preference. The main two options are in pill form or as a yoghurt or yoghurt drink.

There are a confusing number of studies that contradict each other about which form is the best but many experts claim that probiotics in foods such as yoghurt drinks don't make it very far because they don't have a protected 'delivery system' to ensure they survive our stomach acid.

Also, many of these drinks contain high levels of sugar, that can mess with your gut flora entirely.

But obviously reserach by the companies that create these products would suggest otherwise. Really it's up to you but whichever you choose, keep tabs on how you're feeling to see if they're having an effect.

It's not just digestive issues that can be affected by imbalanced bacteria in our bodies. Natalie tells us a long list of things that can be improved by probiotics.

1.    Weight Loss – New studies are indicating that the mix of bad and good bacteria in our gut could play a role in weight gain. Ensuring that you are getting lots of good bacteria alongside a healthy diet and fitness regime, could help to reduce unwanted weight around your middle.

2.    Mood – Not many people are aware of how well connected the brain and the gut are. Research has indicated that maintaining a healthy gut flora could help to reduce anxiety, lower levels of brain activity linked to emotion and pain, whilst increasing activity associated with decision making.

3.    Sleep – The gut is largely responsible for the production of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, needed to make the relaxation hormone, ‘melatonin.’ Taking a multi-strain probiotic could therefore boost the production of these hormones to help you sleep soundly.

4.    Stress – This can disturb the mixture of bacteria in our gut, allowing an increase of the bad bacteria. Stress has been shown to irritate or aggravate a range of diseases; probiotics could therefore be a valuable tool for encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria, which supports healthy immune functions.

5.    Fatigue – A lack of energy could arise when you aren’t getting the vital vitamins and nutrients from your food needed to keep you functioning at your best. A multi-strain probiotic, such as Bio-Kult could help to sustain healthy levels of good bacteria, to help you absorb the goodness from the food you’re eating.  A healthy gut flora also aids in the production of extra B vitamins, which are essential for energy production throughout the body.

6.    Teeth – In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in the use of probiotics and the maintenance of a healthy gut flora in preventing and treating oral infections, including dental caries, periodontal disease and halitosis.

7.    Bloating – It is the bad bacteria in the gut which can produce gas and cause bloating in the stomach. Sugary foods can feed this bacteria, helping it to multiply. Taking a multi-strain probiotic could help to top up the beneficial bacteria to prevent an imbalance in the gut and reduce the effects of bloating.

8.    SAD – Taking a daily probiotic was recently shown to increase vitamin D levels by more than 25 per cent (well known to be low during the winter months and in SAD) and to modulate the area of the brain responsible for mood.

9.    Allergies – These are said to be a malfunction of your immune system. With 70% of the immune system lying in the gut, maintaining a healthy gut flora could help to manage the various symptoms of allergies.

10.    IBS – This is associated with an imbalance of the normal 'friendly' bacteria in the intestine, and is becoming increasingly common in our modern busy lifestyles. A multi-strain probiotic could help top up levels of healthy bacteria supportive of healthy digestive function.

[Nutrition: The NO DIET Diet]
[Easy Outdoor Yoga Moves For Everyone]