Compiled & Medically reviewed by
Dr.Sanjana.V.B. Bhms. Dbrm.Cdn

Health benefits of probiotics

    Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body. These microbes are not harmful to your health and are present also in the human digestive system and in some foods and supplements. They may help your gastrointestinal heath, the immune system, and more.

     Probiotics are made up of good bacteria that helps keep your body healthy and working well. They help to eliminate harmful bacteria. Like prebiotics, you may take probiotics through both food and supplements. Probably the most common probiotic food is yogurt. Among adults, probiotics or prebiotics were the third most commonly used dietary supplement other than vitamins and minerals.

 When you get some infection harmful bacteria enters your body and multiplies.  Good bacteria  in probiotics  fight off the bad bacteria and restore the balance in your body , supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation. Some good bacteriae help your body digest food while others help in creating some vitamins.

Human body and gut has several types of microbes .For a microbe to be called a probiotic, it must have several characteristics such as:

It should be isolated from human body, it should survive in your intestine after consumption and must be beneficial and safe to humans. 

Food sources of probiotics:

·        Yogurt

·         Sauerkraut

·        kombucha

·         kimchi

·         Cottage cheese

·        Tempehare

Probiotic supplements

Probiotic Supplements also contain live organisms. A single dose may include a particular strain of microbe or blend of microbes. Supplement producing companies market products to specific conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], ulcerative colitis etc. While many research studies have had positive results on the impact of probiotic supplements, some do not find it helpful in altering the disease outcome; more research is still needed in this area. 

 Various forms of supplements:

·        Food &drinks

·        Capsules or pills

·        Powders

·        Liquids 

Probiotic supplements may be combined with a prebiotics [synbiotics]. Prebiotics are complex carbohydrates that feed the microorganisms in your gut. Prebiotics include inulin, pectin and resistant starches.Simply prebiotics are the foods for promoting the growth of good bacteria in gut.

Two  specific types of bacteria that are common probiotic supplements found in stores. These include:

Lactobacillus.

Bifidobacterium.

Probiotics are also made up of good yeast. The most common type of yeast found in probiotics is:

Saccharomyces boulardii.

Safety of using probiotics 

It’s very crucial to know that dietary supplements do not need to be approved by the FDA. This means that safety &effectiveness is not strictly controlled by law as to medications.

As microbes used as probiotics occur naturally in your body, probiotic foods and supplements are generally considered safe. However, they may trigger allergic reactions in some people newly taking them, such as mild stomach upset, diarrhea, or flatulence (passing gas) and bloating etc.

Probiotics storing also needs special attention. Several probiotic strains need to be protected from heat, oxygen, light and humidity. The probiotic microorganisms break down or die if they are exposed to these factors. Therefore refrigerate your probiotics or store it carefully.

Probiotics are generally considered safe. However, there are some risks linked to the supplements.Risk groups who should not take probiotics are :

a)     People with weakened immune system (chemotherapy patients]

b)    Critically ill people

c)     People in postoperative period

d)    Very sick infants.

Safety in children:

Natural prebiotics are very safe for children, unless they are critically ill in conditions such as vomiting, diarrhoea, severe infections etc.

Giving prebiotics natural food is considered safe for children and infants. Foods like yogurt and cottage cheese are natural probiotics.

Role of probiotics after antibiotic treatment:

Antibiotic medications are needed sometimes to fight infections. However, while antibiotics fight and remove bad infectious bacteriae, good bacteriae also are lost from your body. Some people develop conditions like diarrhea after taking an antibiotic. A few researches have shown that taking probiotics after an antibiotic therapy give relief from diarrhea& it is good for health also. Intake of probiotic supplements after  antibiotic therapy can repopulate the good bacteria  in your gut that was destroyed by the antibiotics. The newly added good bacteriae  to your gut help to fight off any remaining bad bacteria of the infection occurred earlier.

 Research data on benefits of probiotics

A great deal of research has been conducted on probiotics, but much remains to be known about the safety for various health conditions like prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (including diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile), prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in premature infants, treatment of infant colic, treatment of periodontal disease, and induction or maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

 In particular, the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii been effective in the prevention and treatment of antibiotic diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, but more research is needed in this area of study [4].

Probiotics help weight loss

The bacteria present in a person’s gut can have an impact on their weight. A 2009 study[3]shows that people with obesity have lower bacterial microbiota in their gut. 

A 2019 review about obesity and probiotics concluded that bacterial strains are associated with obesity, and that mixtures of probiotic strains may be more effective in treating obesity than single strains. In particular, Bifidobacterium may be effective for reducing body mass index (BMI)[4].

. However, there is still dilemma about specific strains, duration of treatment, and appropriate dosages to achieve weight loss through probiotic consumption.

Probiotics for mental health

It is thought that probiotics can improve your mental health.Use probiotics as natural foods as part of your balanced diet.

Several studies have used Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus to improve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as memory, according to a study review [5].

References

1.     https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14598-probiotics

2.     https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics-what-you-need-to-know

3.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677729/

4.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6412733/

5.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5145013/