OBJECTIVE: Discuss the benefits of probiotics and the role they play in your gut health.
- Probiotics and Your Gut Health
- Point 1: Probiotics are living microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits when they are consumed or applied to the body. When you think about “microorganisms” it may be easy for your mind to immediately go to thinking about germs and getting sick. However, there are many microorganisms that are good for your body and can help digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, or even produce vitamins. Our bodies naturally have these microorganisms, especially in the lower gastrointestinal tract (commonly referred to as the gut) where there is a complex and diverse community of bacteria. Basically, probiotics help your body maintain a healthy community of microorganisms, which in turn can produce substances that have desirable effects and influence your body’s immune response. Probiotic supplements may contain a variety of different microorganisms, but the most common are bacteria that belong to groups called Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
- Point 2 Prebiotics and Probiotics are NOT the same thing. Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms that are intended to maintain or improve the “good” bacteria (normal microflora) in the body and are in fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut. Prebiotics are foods that act as food for human microflora and are typically high-fiber foods like whole grains, bananas, greens, onions, garlic, soybeans, and artichokes.
- Point 3: Research on the effectiveness of probiotic products (dietary supplements) is still ongoing. While there is some evidence to support that probiotics may be helpful for acute diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and atopic eczema, there is still not enough strong evidence to support other uses of probiotics for most conditions and data is still needed to assess long-term safety for use of probiotics, and it is important to know that probiotic products may contain different types of probiotic bacteria and can have different effects that may vary from person to person. The risk of serious side effects may be greater in people who have underlying health conditions, so if you are considering using a probiotic supplement or product, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider.
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