Probiotics are now among the most popular dietary supplements. Indeed, go to any grocery store and you will discover a number of different products in the chilled section that state how they have some form of probiotic included in them.

However, in this instance we don’t want to talk about what appears in those drinks. The problem there is you get a series of names of ‘healthy bacteria’ that is in the product, but how much of each bacteria are you getting?

Instead, we are going to look more at supplements while also weighing up as to what the positives and negatives are of taking this supplement. If you thought that the number of probiotics benefits would be small, then think again.

Can You Benefit From Probiotics or Not?

So, “beneficial” or “friendly” bacteria - is it true? Are probiotics good for you?

We have all often heard about how you need good bacteria in your digestive tract to then allow food to be digested. Throw on top the way in which a number of researchers believe that the gut is where so many diseases and illnesses begin, so having an apparent imbalance of bacteria is going to spell trouble.

The problem is that there’s a constant battle going on in our body between good and bad bacteria. At times, the bad bacteria gains the upper hand leading to us feeling somewhat unwell. However, the good guys hold a commanding lead over the duration of our life, so surely anything that could potentially boost the good guys would be a great idea?

 

 

The Positives of Probiotics.

Research has shown time and time again that there are a wide range of positives attributed to probiotics and these positives cover every age. When it comes to probiotics benefits, then we can all do with boosting numbers.

In saying that, there is one issue that does tend to strike senior citizens more than those of a younger generation. As we age, we do naturally become more prone to developing a range of gastrointestinal issues and bowel problems.

This has been shown from a medical perspective to be largely due to a reduction in that friendly bacteria in the digestive system. Due to the lower numbers, it then becomes easier for the bad bacteria to take over leading to the development of those problems. Unfortunately, we then take medication to ‘deal’ with the bad bacteria, but general medication is unable to tell the difference between good and bad.

The result is that antibiotics and other drugs will wipe out everything leaving you even more exposed to additional infections and issues.

So, this is where probiotics can help.

Restoring the Balance.

By taking a probiotic supplement which contains potentially billions of these healthy bacteria, you are helping to redress a rather skewed balance. In fact, some studies indicate that someone over the age of 60 may have only 1/1000th of the number of friendly bacteria compared to a young adult.

By restoring the balance in favor of the good bacteria, it means you will protect yourself against a number of different stomach issues. This can reduce instances of a stomach upset, food poisoning, diarrhea, the list goes on and it’s all because this good bacteria is fighting in your corner.

Also, fighting against the E-coli bacteria becomes harder as we age. Probiotics will give your body a much needed boost and give it renewed energy to deal with these nasty invaders.

Boosting Your Immune System.

Taking probiotic supplements on a regular basis will also boost your immune system. It does this because it’s effectively supplying it with more energy. Also, when you are keeping that bad bacteria in check it then translates into your immune system not becoming stressed as it fights an infection. This is one of those probiotics benefits that are often overlooked as we need to remember that if we free our body from one issue that it can then benefit it in a number of ways.

Treating Diarrhea.

We mentioned diarrhea in an earlier point, but it’s so important that we thought we would look at it a bit more closely.

Not only can probiotics prevent it but they can also reduce the severity. Indeed, there is a particularly positive impact related to antibiotic induced diarrhea with one study saying it can be reduced by as much as 40%.

In this instance, you want to be looking out for strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. casei and a yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii.

Preventing Mental Disorders.

The gut-brain link is something that is well known, so the idea of probiotics in the digestive system having a positive impact on your mental well-being should not come as a surprise.

What the studies have indicated is that taking probiotics over an extended period of time did lead to an improvement in cases of depression, anxiety, memory function and OCD. For this, you want to be focusing on strains such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.

This has not been spotted in merely one scientific study but instead it has been shown to be effective in various groups in different situations and of a variety of ages. However, it does take between 1 to 2 months for it to improve.

It May Help Your Heart.

It may be the case that certain strains of bacteria can then help protect your heart health. In this case, you are looking at them lowering the levels of both blood pressure as well as bad cholesterol. Anything that can achieve both of those things should certainly be examined in more detail.

With this, it’s believed that certain strains help to break down bile within the gut. If bile is not broken down and used, it can then be reabsorbed by the body and it then becomes cholesterol.

However, this is an area that does require additional research, but even if it reduces your cholesterol levels only slightly then it is all worth doing.

Any Potential Problems?

Our title mentioned the pros and cons of probiotics, so in the interest of being fair we need to look at any issues.

Perhaps the main problem is in the quality of the probiotics out there on the market. Some supplements and products fail to provide adequate information on the levels of healthy bacteria that appear. As a result, people take the products and then wonder why there’s no change in their health. They know that they have heard how probiotics are beneficial so are then confused as to what is going wrong.

What you need is a supplement that tells you what’s in it and whether or not there are more than 10 million cultures of each individual strain. There are some out there with billions of cultures in a supplement, and that is something that will be far more beneficial to you.

So, probiotics will help your health and they can do so in a variety of ways. Check each supplement and buy the best that you can afford because your health is going to thank you for it.