The role of probiotics in digestive health

There are so many microorganisms in our bodies. The number of these microorganisms that colonize the human body is huge and includes diverse microflora, building up in each individual. The composition of the microflora depends on the quantity of its beneficial bacteria: the more there are, the better the microflora composition will be. A damaged microflora can only be improved through diet by introducing good bacteria, known as probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms — beneficial bacteria or yeasts — that help the body in food digestion, controlling immune response, protection against disease-causing bacteria, and in the synthesis of some vitamins like B1, B2, B12, and K. Probiotics are one of the most important factors that contribute well to good health.

What specifically is the function of probiotics
Scientists are still determining much of what they can and cannot do, but at present the research has shown some functional uses:

It promotes health and maintains the cell lining in our digestive tract
Boosts immunity
Regulates inflammation

These findings have driven further research on the microbiome. Science also points out that if probiotics support specific influences in these functions, then it might help to contribute to afflictions and diseases attacking digestive health, immunity, and systemic inflammation.

These observations have further propelled research on the microbiome. Science also attests that if probiotics do support specific influences in these functions, then it might just contribute to afflictions and diseases attacking digestive health, immunity, and systemic inflammation. Probiotics get into the body from several foods that are either processed by bacterial fermentation or in the form of dietary additives. Fermentation is a very ancient method of keeping food, which has remained very popular to date.

Foods subjected to fermentation undergo the action of microorganisms, converting the carbohydrates into acids and alcohol. Fermentation involves the growth of beneficial bacteria; hence, most fermented foods like yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, and wine are rich in probiotics. As such, these foods have high nutritional quality. Thus, a person consumes lactobacilli, known to be among the helpful bacteria groups that mainly regulate digestion, through eating fermented foods, particularly yogurt. The other helpful food is Saccharomyces boulardii, very important in medicine for preventing and treating different types of diarrhea. In a nutshell, probiotics can be consumed either as supplements or in their natural form.

How do probiotics support overall health
Probiotics are very helpful to our overall health. To be healthy overall, we need to consume useful bacteria found in probiotics every day. Start at least five days of daily probiotic consumption in order to improve the presence of useful bacteria. Besides these positive sides, the bacteria in probiotics are also rather crafty; they quickly detect if something is wrong and act promptly to increase an immune response or solve infectious inflammation depending on the situation. The most important function of the probiotics is thus increasing the immune response due to improved barrier function of the gut. In the course of time, the intestinal barrier can become thin and not protect the body from toxins.

If the toxins get into the bloodstream, they will cause great health problems with the host.

Probiotics aid in the control of pathogenic bacteria as they prevent the same from releasing toxins, which makes them harmless to the body. In infectious conditions, bacteria that cause such conditions create a biofilm that protects them from being broken down. The only solution to these bacteria is probiotics; similar to soap they break down the biofilm, enabling the body to absorb the toxins and strengthen general health. Probiotics regulate the pathogenic bacteria as they starve them whereby they are unable to multiply, thus preventing their development in the body. Importantly, How Probiotics Can Help in Digestion and Gut Health Probiotics can potentially help reduce the symptoms of diarrhea related to antibiotics, cancer therapies, and hospital infections. Some helpful bacterial strains include Streptococcus and Lactobacillus. If dairy upsets your stomach, then you could have a lactose intolerance, which comes about due to not having the enzyme lactase. It seems that probiotics really do help digest lactose. Studies show that the probiotic used in making yogurt—Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophilus—release lactase, taking over the usual duty of the body to digest lactose.

The importance of how probiotics can help digestion and gut health
Probiotics can be useful in lessening diarrhea due to antibiotics, cancer therapies, and hospital infections. Some beneficial strains of bacteria include Streptococcus and Lactobacillus.

If dairy upsets your stomach then you could have a lactose intolerance, which is caused by not having the enzyme lactase. The good news is that it seems probiotics help to digest lactose. Studies show that the probiotic used in making yogurt—Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophilus—release lactase, taking over the usual duty of the body to digest lactose.

Irritable bowel syndrome
If, on the other hand, lactose intolerance is not the cause of the upset stomach, you may have what doctors refer to as irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome is a term used for unexplained digestive symptoms of gas, bloating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and constipation. Some research studies also point to probiotics assisting in the alleviation of symptoms of IBS. This is done to prevent the confusion of IBS with inflammatory bowel diseases, which are far more severe than this chronic inflammatory condition. IBD occurs in three types: Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis. Clinical studies confirmed that probiotics are applicable in cases of ulcerative colitis. Regrettably, therapeutic effect is not observed in Crohn’s disease and indeterminate colitis.

Probiotics as an important tool in immunity
Probiotics soothe nerve irritations and establish order; once they act in the intestines, everything else follows its course. By calming nerve irritations, the entire digestive tract is soothed, which is a prerequisite for boosting the immune response. In an overly irritated body, along with harmful substances, the good and essential ones for normal functioning are also expelled. This imbalance is often caused by irregular sleep, unhealthy diet, stressful situations, and climate changes during travel. In such circumstances, it is necessary to use probiotics with a broad spectrum of microorganisms to elevate the immune system to a higher level, from which it can withstand all the challenges that undermine the body’s well-being.

Much scientific research into the potential effects of probiotics in immunity has generally been based around laboratory studies with lactic acid bacteria. The results from these studies suggest that probiotics actually work on the whole immune network in the body and hold maximum potential during young years. For instance, taking probiotics during pregnancy is associated with decreased risk of allergy symptoms occurring in the child, like skin rashes, stuffy nose, and watery eyes.

The article The role of probiotics in digestive health first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.