Inside our digestive tract, we harbor about 100 trillion bacteria – both good and bad. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that reside in our gastrointestinal tract. You may associate the word ‘bacteria’ with something that is harmful, but it’s actually the other way round.
The Pros of Probiotics
Probiotics act like internal healers. They keep pathogens in check, aid digestion and nutrient absorption, and balance our immune system. They regulate the movement through our intestine. They help your body to produce vitamins, absorb minerals and aid in the elimination of toxins. Moreover, a woman's gut flora can also influence the health of her child.
A growing body of evidence also suggests that gut bacteria may have a significant effect on brain function and mental health. Scientists are becoming interested in probiotics as potential treatments for depression and anxiety.
It is important to know that our gut bacteria are extremely vulnerable to lifestyle and environmental factors. There are a number of things that can disrupt the ratio of good and bad bacteria that exists in our body.
Certain factors like disease, stress, poor diet and overdose of antibiotics can destroy the good gut flora. When this ratio is disturbed it can cause dysfunction and digestive problems like gas, bloating, heartburn and constipation or even complicated diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
Who should take supplements?
There is no way to eliminate all harmful bacteria from the environment which is why it is important to maintain a balance and boost these beneficial strains of bacteria.
"Probiotics are required for daily digestive functions. They help in 'gut cleaning'. Most of the food that we eat, especially processed and canned food, can destroy the healthy bacteria," says Dr Simran Saini, Nutritionist at Fortis Hospital in New Delhi.
They best way to replenish good bacteria is to add fermented foods like yogurt, picked vegetables, soy products and raw milk to your diet or anything that is non-pasteurized, as pasteurization kills both good and bad bacteria. But we can only include a very small amount of such naturally fermented foods.
Besides this, it’s hard to resort to non-pasteurized foods as pasteurization is important to eliminate harmful bacteria. That’s when a probiotic supplement can provide additional support. Some supplements may contain specific bacterial strains that you might not find in foods. People who suffer with regular tummy troubles and digestive problems should take supplements to boost the gut flora. Also, those who are gluten or lactose intolerant can depend on probiotic supplements and foods. You can find probiotic yogurt or milk in the markets. These products contain live active cultures that make them healthier.
According to Dr. Niharika Ahluwalia, Nutritionist, "It's good to consume about two cups of yogurt everyday. Drink lassi or buttermilk to get your daily dose of probiotics. Those who take probiotic supplements and drinks should know that they are quite concentrated in nature and should only be consumed twice a week."
Switching to supplements – Things to know
Probiotic supplements may be available as pills, drinks or powdered. The truth is that we know a lot about probiotics but at the same time, there’s a lot that we don’t.
1. Probiotics are not regulated like other drugs. There are no standardized amounts of microbes or minimum levels that we require. Therefore, be careful with the quantity, dosage and type of bacteria you ingest.
2. You may have to deal with mild side effects like gas or bloating, initially when you start taking probiotics. However, these symptoms get better over time. Try decreasing your dose or take it on alternate days.
3. Probiotics may not be safe for everyone, especially those who have intestinal disease, HIV, cancer, weak immune system, or excessive bacteria in the intestines. Check with your doctor first.
4. Different types of bacteria have different benefits. The two most common types of probiotics found in the market are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. If you are looking to prevent or treat a specific health concern consult your doctor to help you select the microorganism needed.
5. Health experts suggest that we take probiotics when following antibiotic course. Antibiotics may cause collateral damage to the good bacteria and can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea. For this reason, it is advisable to take probiotic supplements during your treatment with an antibiotic medication.
6. Probiotics are beneficial only if the microorganisms are alive. Probiotics are living creatures or at least freeze-dried so that can come back to life once consumed. If you decide to use it in powdered form, do not mix it in warm water unless it indicates so. Check for expiry dates. For refrigerated products, make sure you store them in the refrigerator till you consume it.
7. Different manufacturers may instruct you to take probiotics at different times. A study published in the journal 'Beneficial Microbes suggests that the bacteria in the supplements may survive much better when taken with or 30 minutes before a meal. The dietary fat tends to improve survival of the bacteria. Moreover, consuming it with milk is more effective than taking it with water or juice. "It's best to take these supplements in the morning when the load on your digestive system is less but not on an empty stomach. Taking it on an empty stomach increases your dependency on such supplements. You could take them after having a light breakfast to keep your system in check during the day," says Dr. Niharika Ahluwalia.
Probiotics May Help Women Lose Weight
Taking probiotics - live microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast that are believed to improve health - may help women, and not men, shed those extra kilos. Certain probiotics could help women lose weight and keep it off, said researchers at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada.
To test their hypothesis, researchers recruited 125 overweight men and women. The participants underwent a 12-week weight-loss diet, followed by a 12-week period aimed at maintaining body weight.
Throughout the entire study, half the participants swallowed two pills daily containing probiotics from the Lactobacillus rhamnosus family, while the other half received a placebo.
After the 12-week diet period, researchers observed an average weight loss of 4.4 kg in women in the probiotic group and 2.6 kg in the placebo group. However, no differences in weight loss were observed among males in the two groups.
"We don't know why the probiotics didn't have any effect on men. It may be a question of dosage, or the study period may have been too short," said Angelo Tremblay, a professor who is also the Canada Research Chair in environment and energy balance.
Studies have demonstrated that the intestinal flora of obese individuals differs from that of thin people. That difference may be due to the fact that a diet high in fat and low in fibre promotes certain bacteria at the expense of others.
Tremblay and his team tried to determine if the consumption of probiotics could help reset the balance of the intestinal microbiota in favour of bacteria that promote a healthy weight, said the study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
In short, women consuming probiotics lost twice as much weight over the 24-week period of the study. Researchers also noted a drop in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin in this group, as well as a lower overall concentration of the intestinal bacteria related to obesity.
After Blood Pressure & Weight-Loss, Probiotics Could Help Treat Diabetes
The market for probiotic pills and yogurt, better known as the 'good bacteria' is a big one. People have started to acknowledge the benefits of probiotics and include them in their daily diet. Be it probiotic milk or probiotic yogurt, facts suggest that they make us healthier - They help with weight-management, lower blood pressure and some experts believe it also treats depression. Research also suggests that healthy gut bugs can improve the effectiveness of some cancer therapies.
According to a new research that was published in the journal 'Diabetes', a probiotic supplement daily can help control diabetes. Researchers have engineered a strain of lactobacillus, a human probiotic common in the gut, to secrete a Glucagen-like peptide (GPL-1). They then administered it orally to diabetic rats for 90 days and found the rats receiving the engineered probiotic had up to 30 per cent lower high blood glucose levels, a hallmark of diabetes.
John March, professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University and the paper's senior author said, "The study was a proof of principle, and future work will test higher doses to see if a complete treatment can be achieved." Researchers found that upper intestinal epithelial cells in diabetic rats were converted into cells that acted very much like pancreatic beta cells, which monitor blood glucose levels and secrete insulin as needed to balance glucose levels in healthy individuals.
The amount of time to reduce glucose levels following a meal is the same as in a normal rat, and it is matched to the amount of glucose in the blood, just as it would be with a normal-functioning pancreas, March said. "It's moving the center of glucose control from the pancreas to the upper intestine," March said. Also, though it replaces the insulin capacity in diabetic rats, the researchers found no change in blood glucose levels when administered to healthy rats.
"If the rat is managing its glucose, it doesn't need more insulin," March said. The technology was licensed by the BioPancreate, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cortendo AB, a biopharmaceutical company incorporated in Sweden and based in Pennsylvania, which is working to get the therapy into production for human use. Human patients would likely take a pill each morning to help control their diabetes, March said.
Probiotics: Myth or Miracle?
The market for pills and yoghurts containing 'friendly' bacteria is worth $28bn, but do claims for them stack up? Can they really alter our gut flora? And are we healthier if they do? You may find the answers surprising.
The chances are, you think you are an individual. Within a few social, economic and legal constraints, you probably see yourself as pretty autonomous. The reality, however, is that you are more of an ecosystem than an individual. There are 10 times more microbial cells in your body than human ones.
In recent years, scientists have developed a greater understanding of the important roles played by the 100tn or so bugs the average person carries. After decades of focusing on how to kill bacteria with soap and antibiotics, we are coming round to a more nuanced appreciation of the symbiotic relationship we have with them. While some can make us sick, others help to break down the nutrients in our food, teach our immune systems to recognise enemies, fight off food poisoning and even produce chemicals that determine our moods.
As our knowledge of the importance of the microbes in our bodies grows, the big question is whether it is possible to give our gut flora a helping hand. In fact, it is the $28.8bn question -the projected global value of the probiotics market for next year. The ads are certainly seductive. All that harm from takeaways, boozy nights and work stress can be put right with a daily dose of live bacteria. But do probiotics have real health benefits?
Studies have documented that people with a wide range of diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease have different gut flora from those of healthy people, but it can be hard to tell whether this is a cause or a consequence of the illness. Microorganisms play important roles in regulating immune system responses, and can therefore affect the chances of people developing auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and allergies. Numerous studies, including one published last year by Swedish scientists, show that babies born by caesarean have lower levels of good bacteria and chemical imbalances in the immune system that make them more susceptible to allergies and eczema.
Research also suggests that healthy gut bugs can improve the effectiveness of some cancer therapies. In a study published last year, Professor Laurence Zitvogel, of the Gustave Roussy Institute in France, gave cyclophosphamide, an anti-cancer drug, to mice with skin cancer and sarcoma. The drug made the lining of the mice's small intestines porous, allowing gut bacteria to escape and encourage immature immune cells to develop into T-cells capable of attacking tumours.
Those who have had "gut-wrenching" experiences or butterflies won't be surprised to hear that there are also strong connections between the gut and the brain. Gut bacteria produce neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine that regulate basic psychological processes and mental states. Altering the balance between beneficial and disease-causing bacteria can change the brain chemistry of animals in ways that can make them either bolder or more anxious.
Of course, understanding that gut microbes have major influences on health does not necessarily mean we can do anything about it. "Working out potential effects involves doing large, long-term population studies, and that's expensive and difficult," says Kristian Bravin, a spokesman for the British Dietetic Association.
The best evidence to support the use of probiotics is for reducing cases of infectious diarrhoea, especially that associated with the use of antibiotics. Around 30% of patients given antibiotics get diarrhoea, with potentially serious symptoms. When scientists at the California-based Rand research organisation combined the results of 63 studies, they found people who took probiotics alongside antibiotics almost halved their risk of diarrhoea. There is also good research supporting the use of probiotics to treat ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, a complication patients can suffer following surgery.
When it comes to mundane colds and respiratory infections, the evidence is mixed. A German study published in 2006 did find probiotics shortened the average duration of cold symptoms from nine to seven days and reduced their severity, but had no effect on incidence. However, a Cochrane review, combining the results of 10 studies, found those given probiotics were 8% less likely to get colds, but that probiotics had little effect on symptom severity.
There is little convincing evidence to support the many other health claims made for probiotics, such as helping with weight loss, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and preventing or alleviating skin conditions, urinary tract infections, anxiety and depression.
The idea behind probiotics is to increase levels of beneficial bacteria, but another approach is to help those already there. That is what prebiotic supplementation is for. Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that provide food for friendly bacteria. Food sources include beans, garlic, onions and leeks, but they are also added as supplements to food, and increasingly to formula milk for babies. Last year, a large study found no evidence that putting prebiotics in baby formula prevents babies getting asthma or hives, but did find some evidence that they could reduce the chances of developing eczema.
Hundreds of applications to make health claims for probiotic products have been rejected by the European Food Standards Authority in recent years on the grounds of lack of conclusive evidence, though some scientists believe this is more to do with faults in the claims process than lack of evidence. Others are sceptical that probiotic products containing a few million live bacteria can even survive exposure to gastric acid in the stomach.
"If someone is buying a probiotic," says Bravin, "I'd say go for good-quality live yoghurts, consume them every day, and select those that contains several different species of bacteria. And ideally it should be something with a prebiotic as well."
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