What are probiotics?
Probiotics are ‘live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’. In other words, these very friendly bacteria work hard to benefit your health. Nowadays there is a lot of evidence that shows that probiotics positively affect digestive health, but their effects can go far beyond the gut. Scientists are studying the benefits of probiotics in treating many different conditions, from diabetes to infectious diarrhoea and potential role in prevention of disease. They are commonly consumed as dietary supplements or as part of fermented foods like yogurt.
How will probiotics help you gut health?
Bacteria provide different beneficial effects to your health and help with certain digestive troubles like bloating, diarrhoea, flatulence or cramps. Some probiotics have been studied in this context by scientists and their benefits to consumers’ gut health have been proved.
What type of bacteria do I find in probiotics?
Probiotics are mostly bacteria of the type Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. These live bacteria survive the journey along your digestive tract, where they are active and go to work and help you where you most need them.
See also: Get a Healthier Digestive System
Shouldn’t we try to have as many probiotics as possible?
Although there are many benefits of probiotics more is not necessarily better, both in terms of dose and number of strains. Different strains have been shown to be effective at different levels for different conditions. Some probiotics include a wide variety of strains but this is not necessarily better and research shows that these “cocktails of strains” may sometimes have the different bacteria work against each other.
Aren’t yoghurts just as good as probiotics?
Yoghurts contain bacteria also. There are certain bacteria cultures (starter cultures) that are used to ferment milk, which produces yoghurt. These cultures are used specifically to produce yoghurt and are not tested for health effects. Some yoghurts do have cultures that may be beneficial, it is important to look for those that have the scientific evidence behind them. When making up your mind on what product to choose, you may want to consider some factors:
- What’s the necessary dosage required?
- Do you need more than one dose a day?
- Does your probiotic of choice need refrigeration?
- Is it easy to transport when travelling?
How can you ensure that you are choosing the best option possible for you and your family?
Not all probiotics have scientific research to back up their activity. There is a wide range of products in the market and some of these rely only on the myth that: “all probiotics are the same”. Not at all, only a few have extensive scientific research to back up their effectiveness and safety. For example, the 35624® strain has been studied in Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients and shown to reduce bowel symptoms such as abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating and gas.
See also: Common Digestive Disorders
If I start taking a probiotics, when can I see an improvement?
It may take a few weeks for you to start feeling the benefits of taking a probiotic. The type of probiotic you choose and the benefits you are looking for, will make your journey different to the others. As a rule of thumb, it may take 4 to 6 weeks for you to fully feel the benefits of probiotics being taken regularly and afterwards it’s important that you keep taking it as part of a healthy diet.
What is the human microbiome?
The human microbiome refers to the microbes that live in the human body. While these microbes inhabit all parts of our body that are exposed to the environment, such as the skin, mouth, and vagina, most reside in the gut where they have a constant supply of nutrients. These microbes outnumber our own human cells by 10 to 1, making up for something like 5 pounds of our body weight. Our bacteria (or lack thereof) can be linked to many conditions and diseases.
What is the gut microbiome?
This is the name given to the large community of microorganisms inhabiting the length and breadth of mammals’ gastrointestinal tract. Something like 95% of your bacteria live in your gut. The composition of this microbial community varies from person to person. Each individual’s gut microbiota can undergo many alterations. It is sometimes called human flora, microflora or gut flora.
PAMPER YOURSELF, PAMPER YOUR GUT FLORA
Remember a diverse; balanced and stable flora contributes to your wellbeing so take good care of it. Exercise, sleep, manage your stress levels and try a good probiotic as part of a balanced diet.
Our thanks to Alimentary Health for their assistance with this article. Alimentary Health (AH) Ltd is an innovative Irish healthcare company and a global pioneer in discovery, development and commercialisation of proprietary bacterial (PrecisionBiotic®) and pharmabiotic treatments. In 2014, AH launched Alflorex®, the only food supplement in Europe that contains the unique and patented 35624® strain.
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