Probiotic perks
Digest the potential benefits of probiotics
Is “probiotic” a marketing buzzword design to boost sales, or is there really something to the trend of adding probiotics to food or encouraging consumers to take probiotic supplements? It might be hard to envision bacteria and yeast — which are often painted in a negative light and associated with various illnesses — being beneficial to health. However, it’s important to note that the body is full of bacteria, and some of it can be helpful, particularly to the digestive system.
While probiotics occur naturally in the body, they can also be found in a growing number of foods and supplements. Yogurt, with its “live and active cultures,” is one source of probiotics.
A panel of experts convened in October 2013 by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics found that a growing body of evidence supports the notion that probiotics can promote a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria, which has been linked to a wide range of health benefits. Since the mid-1990s, clinical studies have suggested that probiotic therapy can help treat several gastrointestinal issues, delay the development of allergies in children, and treat and prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections in women.
Harvard Medical School notes that two large reviews suggest that probiotics reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea by 60 percent when compared with a placebo. Antibiotics can kill harmful and beneficial bacteria in the gut. Probiotics help restore the balance. This may prove helpful to those with various gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
There’s also interest in how gastrointestinal health may be linked to mental health. According to data published in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology & Motility in an article titled “Effect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review,” a review of 15 human studies found supplementing with bifidobacterium and lactobacillus strains for one to two months can improve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and memory.
Research is still being conducted on probiotics’ influence on heart health, vaginal health, inf lammation, immune-system function, weight loss and even some skin disorders, such as eczema. Probiotics are generally considered safe, but their use should be discussed with a doctor prior to taking them.