Everyone talks about probiotics and how great they are for you, but why are they so great and how do they impact our health? Probiotics are a staple supplement, useful for a variety of different issues, to use every so often or when needed. This article will explain the importance of microorganisms, explore the array of benefits of probiotics and how to pick one that will best suit your needs.
Let’s start with the basics and the importance of microorganisms for your gut.
The human microbiota is a unique to the individual, community of microbes which live in and on the human body including; bacteria, archaea, viruses and microeukaryotes.
Bacteria are a type of microbe which are small single celled organisms and make up the majority of the microbes in your gut. Bacteria can also be found on skin, in the nose, mouth and lungs. However, the gut is the centre of microbial activity in the body as well as being the largest and most important community. We can have as many as 100 trillion microbes in and on our bodies, which is 10 times the number of cells that we are made up of! Crazy right?!
Microbes that are present in your gut can even determine whether some medications may be toxic to you. For example; paracetamol may be toxic to the liver depending on particular groups of sulphite-reducing microbes near your gut.
Microbes can help digest food, and can even take on genes from the food that we eat to help us digest it. One example of this can be seen in the Japanese population with sushi. The gut bacteria of this population have genes that have only been found in marine bacteria that feed exclusively on seaweed which shows that the genes have transferred to aid the digestion of sushi.
Why care about gut bacteria?
- Can influence behaviour and mood
- Can impact your health
- Have a direct impact on your immune system
What factors influence your gut bacteria?
- Physiology
- Antibiotic use
- Genetics
- Diet
- Age
Physiology
Our bacterial communities develop and change over time. Even the way we in which we are birthed impacts the type of bacteria that first populates our gut. For example with natural births the babies first microbes come from the vaginal microbiota, and babies born via C-section have microbes which resemble bacterial communities found on skin. We start off with low bacteria diversity in our gut and as we develop and come into contact with people and encounter new foods it becomes more diverse and stable
Diet
Diet has a massive impact on the gut and can lead to shifts in the type of bacterial communities present. The general diet a person consumes over a year is strongly correlated with the composition of the gut microbiota. For example, if you have a protein-based diet, there are more Bacteroides present.
Antibiotic use
Taking antibiotics changes the gut microbiota drastically. Most bacteria die when exposed to antibiotics, however different people have varied reactions to taking antibiotics. To counteract the effect of antibiotics, gastro-intestinal disorders, diarrhoea, bowel disease you can use probiotics which are live microorganisms that can benefit health when administered in sufficient quantities.
The gut- brain axis
The brain can influence how the microbiome develops over time and the composition of the different bacteria. Gut microbes can influence metabolism and mental health where research has shown that the composition of microbes in the gut can impact depression and anxiety. For example, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are involved in short chain fatty acid production which have shown substantial reduction of anxiety symptoms.
The gut and the brain communicate through these ways:
1) Immune cells in the gut can sense the bacteria in the surroundings
2) Microbes can send direct messages to the brain by producing neurotransmitters (signalling molecules of the nervous system)
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria found in the digestive tract that supports healthy digestive function, immune system, promotes regular bowel function as well as many more aspects of health linked to our gut flora. Probiotics are also taken as supplements to colonise the gut and boost you general health and wellbeing. Probiotics and functional foods containing probiotics have been really popular over the last couple of years. Not all probiotic supplements are the same and each formula has different applications depending on the person and their needs.
Forms of probiotics
The supplements will contain a certain dose of bacterial strains in each serving as well as a set of strains which will differ between different probiotics in the market.
- Pill/ Capsule
- Powder
- Liquid
- Fermented foods
- Fermented beverage
Fermented Foods and Beverages
Fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut contain probiotics; live bacteria which can influence and maintain a balance of the gut microbial community. Like fermented foods, drinks like kefir and kombucha are jam packed full of live cultures to enhance your gut microbiota and improve digestive and immune health. The probiotics found in fermented products can prompt your body to produce antibodies, as well as enhance the function of your immune cells.
Below is a table of some of the most researched probiotic strains and what they can do for the body
Your body doesn't need probiotic supplements if you already have healthy bacteria in your gut and the best gut bacteria is the bacteria that you are born with and developed over your life. But it usually doesn't hurt to take them, and adding them to your diet might help clear up some gut issues.
On the other hand, probiotic supplements can be explored by someone suffering from digestive issues which can have many different causes. Probiotics might lower the number of "bad" bacteria in your gut that can cause illness or inflammation and replace the bad bacteria with good.
They might cause mild stomach problems, especially the first few days you start taking them. You might have stomach upset, gas, diarrhoea, or bloating. Those symptoms usually subside after your body adjusts and restores the natural balance of bacteria in your gut (including your stomach and intestines) when it's been disrupted by an illness or treatment.
How to choose the right probiotics for you
1) Choose a high-quality brand with a good reputation and product reviews which you can look up and use as a guide to help your purchase.
2) CFU count- this is the dose of probiotics you will get per serving which can range from 5 billion to 100 billion. The product you choose will depend on the formula and the purpose you want it to serve.
3) Strain diversity- As a general rule I would always recommend people to buy probiotics with a greater strain diversity as it will help create a balanced community of bacteria in the gut and will therefore will have greater health benefits.
4) Prebiotics- sometimes it’s a good idea to get a probiotic supplement which contains prebiotics which will provide fuel for the probiotics to thrive and multiply. However, some prebiotics can irritate the gut for people who have particular sensitivities.
5) Types of strains- Extensive research has shown that particular strains will have a variety of different functions and how they can affect our health. Choose a probiotic which contains strains that will best benefit your health.
My Top Picks
These are some of the probiotics I have tried and tested which really work for me. However, as mentioned before there isn't one which works best for everyone so you might need to try a few out to see which one you feel has made a difference for you!
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