Over the last few years the word probiotics has gone
from being something that only those in the know talked about to
something everyone is talking about.
The word probiotic simply means ‘for life’ but now
when we talk about probiotics we mean foods, drinks or supplements
that contain friendly live bacteria that can benefit health.
Hearing the word bandied around may be relatively new, but the idea
that supplementing our gut bacteria might have health benefits is
not. At the beginning of the last century Nobel laureate Elie
Metchnikoff proposed the reason why so many Bulgarians lived for so
long was because they drank fermented milk.
Our gut is full of bacteria, around one kilogram in fact,
that’s composed of more than 400 different types. Although we
usually think of bacteria as harmful, not all are bad; there are
helpful and friendly ones too, the common strains being
lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. These friendly bacteria are needed
to keep the gut functioning properly. As part of our immune system,
around 70% of which is located in the gut, they help protect the
gut from invading marauders. They are also involved in producing
some vital nutrients such as vitamins and they help to neutralise
some of the toxic products created as a result of digestion.
Good health is about getting the right balance and the gut is no
exception. Keep the balance in favour of good gut bacteria and
things sail on nicely, like a well-tended garden with lots of
flowers and only one or two weeds. If as a result of poor diet,
stress, infection or foreign travel for example, the balance tips
the other way, leaving the gut with insufficient beneficial
bacteria, then poor immune and intestinal health may result in a
wide range of symptoms and illnesses such as diarrhoea, bloating,
wind, constipation, bad breath, candida yeast infections, skin
problems (eg eczema) and frequent coughs and colds. Sound familiar?
Well, in the hectic life we find ourselves living, it’s
hardly surprising that our digestive system gets upset. Some
medications can upset the gut’s balance of bacteria too.
Antibiotics, for example, wipe out bad and good types. This is why
when taking a course of antibiotics to treat an infection someone
may suffer with an upset stomach or diarrhoea.
Vitamin C, zinc and echinacea are all recognised as good immune
boosters. The role of probiotics on the other hand is believed to
be in supporting the immune system. Although it still isn’t
entirely clear precisely how probiotics work it’s thought
that by creating a healthy gut environment they help to stop bad
disease-causing bacteria getting hold, that they may kill invading
bad bacteria, and that they help to produce substances that enhance
the immune system. The possible health benefits of probiotics are
now becoming widely accepted. Irritable bowel syndrome, thrush,
eczema, even Crohn’s disease may benefit from the gut being
repopulated with friendly bacteria. Research has found that
supplementing with probiotics can reduce the chances of suffering
antibiotic-related and travellers’ diarrhoea, for example.
Some scientific research suggests that supplementing with
particular lactobacillus casei strain can reduce the frequency and
severity of diarrhoea in young children. Other research has shown
that supplementing with bifidobacteria can improve bowel habits in
adults and the elderly.
Whatever they do, and however they do it, one thing is certain: for
life, probiotics can help to make it a healthy one.
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