What Are Probiotics?
The term probiotic translates to “for life”.
Probiotics are known to help gut health and tend to be good for the digestive system. They are beneficial living bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms that aid in balancing out gut health. While most of the time probiotics are deemed inherently good, there are certain circumstances when they should be avoided. Other claims have been made such as alleviating mood, helping with gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, as well as being a great support to the cardiovascular system. Research has shown that probiotics live up to their claims and continue to be an important supplement in achieving optimal health.
The Health Benefits of Probiotics
Probiotics are living microorganisms that people generally take in the form of an oral supplement. They can be found at grocery stores, health food stores, and online for purchase. Probiotics can also be found in fermented foods such as yogurt, kombucha, and kimchi.
The purpose of these oral supplements is to improve microbial balance in the intestinal tract and promote healthy gut flora(Saarela et al., 2001). These supplements should be avoided in certain health situations such as immunosuppression, pancreatitis, people who have open wounds post-surgery, and others (Scott-Lutyens, 2023).
The gut and brain are interconnected, so when the gut is happy, the mind is as well. “Gut and brain communicate with each other via the gut-brain axis, a specific pathway that involves the neural, endocrine, and immune systems”(Marotta et al., 2019). Not only does mood elevate, but the use of probiotics in this scenario can promote better sleep as well. In a study done by Marotta et al., 2019, it was found that there was some improvement in moods such as anger, sadness, and fatigue as well as improved sleep quality in healthy individuals after the use of probiotics. Another study that was a triple-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, pre- and post-intervention assessment found that the participants who took probiotics “showed a significantly reduced overall cognitive reactivity to sad mood” (Steenbergen et al., 2015)
Probiotics have also been shown to ease diarrhea in certain cases such as in children at daycare centers, and people in hospitals, as well as antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Studies show that specific strains of probiotics, Lactobacillus GG, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, have mixed results overall, but do show clear evidence that they work. Most commonly useful were Lactobacillus GG and S. boulardii. Depending on the strain and dose, many saw relief with the use of probiotics within one day. (Gastroenterology, 2011) Another study found that “Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Saccharomyces boulardii had the most compelling evidence of efficacy as they reduced the duration of the disease by 1 day.” (Guarino et al., 2015).
A fascinating topic in probiotic use is their potential positive effect on cardiovascular issues. Cardiovascular disease risk factors include a high BMI, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and more. A study done in 2020 shows that there was a significant reduction in blood pressure, BMI, and LDL cholesterol when taking probiotics. (Dixon et al., 2020) Another study finds that probiotics also have antioxidant qualities. “Bifidobacterium animalis 01 were found to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions in vitro” (Oniszczuk et al., 2021) Supplementing probiotics in the diet can help protect from oxidative stress, which is a major factor in many CVD diseases. The study concluded and found that probiotics, as well as prebiotics, “play an important role in restoring the normal intestinal flora favoring the growth of beneficial bacteria and reducing the risk of development of chronic ailments, such as cardiovascular disease.” (Oniszczuk et al., 2021)
Multiple studies have shown the effectiveness of probiotics and their positive impact on things like mood enhancement, diarrhea, and cardiovascular disease. A major cause of cardiovascular disease is high stress and elevated cholesterol levels. Not only do probiotics improve mood, but, they can also alleviate the stress that contributes to cardiovascular disease. While these living microorganisms are flourishing in the body, they mainly help to improve gut health. Many studies found that within one day of taking certain probiotics, patients with diarrhea were already seeing improvement. Research in probiotics and their effects on health is always expanding. At this time we can see many benefits of using probiotics to aid in certain health conditions. These gut-healthy bacteria can be found in foods or supplement forms at almost any grocery store.