Did you know that the bacteria in your body outnumber your body’s cells 10
to 1?
It’s true, and most of them reside in your gut.
But there really is no need to panic, most bacteria are quite harmless.
Having the right bacteria in there has even been linked
to numerous health benefits .
This includes weight loss, improved digestion, enhanced immune
function, better skin and a reduced risk of many diseases .
This leads us to the topic at hand, probiotics.
Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain these friendly
bacteria, and are supposed to help colonize our guts with health-boosting
microorganisms.
The importance of this can not be overstated.
Taking care of your gut, and the friendly bacteria that reside there,
may be one of the single most important things you can do for
your health.
What Are Probiotics?
According to the official definition, probiotics are “live
microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health
benefit on the host”.
Probiotics are usually bacteria, but there is also a type of yeast that
can function as a probiotic.
You can get probiotics from supplements, as well as foods that are
prepared by bacterial fermentation.
Probiotic foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut,
tempeh, kimchi and others.
Probiotics should not be confused with prebiotics (note the “e”), which
are dietary fibers that help feed the friendly bacteria that are already in the gut.
There are actually dozens of
different probiotic bacteria that have been shown to have health benefits.
The most common groups include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Then there are many
different species within each group, and each species has many strains.
Interestingly, different probiotics
seem to work for different health conditions. Therefore, choosing the right type (or types) of probiotic is
essential.
Many probiotic supplements combine
different species together in the same supplement. These are known as
broad-spectrum probiotics, or multi-probiotics.
Keep in mind that this is a new but
rapidly expanding area of research.
Although the evidence is promising,
it is not conclusively proven that probiotics help with all the health
conditions mentioned in this article.
Bottom
Line: Probiotics are live microorganisms that cause health
benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. There are many different types, and
you can get them from foods or supplements.
The Importance of
Microorganisms in The Gut
The complex community of
microorganisms in your gut is called the gut
flora.
Your gut actually contains hundreds
of different types of microorganisms, with some numbers going as high as 1000.
This includes bacteria, yeasts and
viruses. The great majority is bacteria.
Most of the gut flora is found in the
colon, or large intestine, the
last part of the digestive tract.
The metabolic activities of the gut
flora actually resemble those of an organ. For this reason, some scientists
refer to the gut flora as the “forgotten organ”.
The gut flora actually performs many
functions that are important for health. It manufactures vitamins, including
vitamin K and some of the B vitamins.
It also turns fibers into short-chain
fatty acids like butyrate,
propionate and acetate, which feed the gut wall and perform many metabolic
functions.
They also stimulate the immune
system, and regulate the integrity of the gut. This can help prevent unwanted
substances from “leaking” into the body and provoking an immune response.
However, not all organisms in the gut
are friendly. Some are good, others are bad.
The gut flora is actually highly
sensitive to modern insults, and studies show that an “unbalanced” gut flora is
linked to numerous diseases.
This includes obesity, type 2
diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s,
depression and many, many more.
Probiotics (and prebiotic fibers) can
help correct this balance, making sure that our “forgotten organ” is
functioning optimally.
Bottom Line: Your gut flora consists of hundreds of different types of
microorganisms. Probiotics help your gut flora perform optimally.
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