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Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. [1] [2] Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria - host interactions and unwanted side effects in rare cases.
- Lactobacillus Paracasei
Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (commonly abbreviated as Lc....
- Psychobiotic
Psychobiotics is a term used in preliminary research to...
- Lactobacillus Paracasei
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. They can be found in yogurt, supplements, and beauty products. Learn about the types, effects, regulation, and research of probiotics from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Jul 2, 2022 · Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria (normal microflora) in the body. Prebiotics are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora. Prebiotics are used with the intention of improving the balance of these microorganisms.
- Overview
- What are probiotics?
- Importance of microorganisms for your gut
- Impact on digestive health
- Impact on weight loss
- The rise of psychobiotics
- Other health benefits
- COVID-19 and probiotics
- Safety and side effects
- Challenges facing researchers
The bacteria in your body are said to outnumber your body’s cells at a 10-to-1 ratio. However, a recent study says that the ratio is closer to 1-to-1 (1, 2).
According to these estimates, you have 39–300 trillion bacteria living inside you. Whichever estimate is most accurate, it’s certainly a large number.
Much of these bacteria reside in your gut, and the majority are quite harmless. Some are helpful, and a small number can cause disease (3).
Having the right gut bacteria has been linked to numerous health benefits, including the following (4, 5):
•weight loss
•improved digestion
Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when ingested, provide a health benefit (6).
However, the scientific community often disagrees on what the benefits are, as well as which strains of bacteria are responsible (7).
Probiotics are usually bacteria, but certain types of yeasts can also function as probiotics. There are also other microorganisms in the gut that are being studied, including viruses, fungi, archaea, and helminths (8).
You can get probiotics from supplements, as well as from foods prepared by bacterial fermentation.
Probiotic foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kimchi. Probiotics should not be confused with prebiotics, which are carbs — often dietary fibers — that help feed the friendly bacteria already in your gut (9).
Products that contain both prebiotics and probiotics are referred to as synbiotics. Synbiotic products usually combine friendly bacteria along with some food for the bacteria to eat (the prebiotics), all in one supplement (10).
The complex community of microorganisms in your gut is called the gut flora, gut microbiota, or gut microbiome (14, 15).
The gut microbiota includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea, and helminths — with bacteria comprising the vast majority. Your gut is home to a complex eco-system of 300–500 bacterial species (16).
Most of the gut flora is found in your colon, or large intestine, which is the last part of your digestive tract.
Surprisingly, the metabolic activities of your gut flora resemble those of an organ. For this reason, some scientists refer to the gut flora as the “forgotten organ” (17).
Your gut flora performs many important health functions. It manufactures vitamins, including vitamin K and some of the B vitamins (18).
It also turns fibers into short-chain fats like butyrate, propionate, and acetate, which feed your gut wall and perform many metabolic functions (19, 20).
Probiotics are widely researched for their effects on digestive health (30).
Evidence suggests that probiotic supplements can help cure antibiotic-associated diarrhea (31).
When people take antibiotics, especially for long periods of time, they often experience diarrhea — even long after the infection has been eradicated.
This is because the antibiotics kill many of the natural bacteria in your gut, which shifts the gut balance and allows harmful bacteria to thrive.
Probiotics may also help combat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common digestive disorder, reducing gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and other symptoms.
Research regarding the effectiveness of probiotics supplementation for the treatment of IBS is mixed. A recent review reported that seven of the studies indicated IBS improvement with probiotic supplementation, but four did not (32).
Some research indicates that people with obesity have different gut bacteria than those who are lean (39).
Research shows a connection between gut microbes and obesity in both infants and adults. It also shows that microbial changes in the gut are a factor in developing obesity as an adult (40).
Therefore, many scientists believe that your gut bacteria are important in determining body weight (41, 42).
While more research is needed, some probiotic strains appear to aid weight loss (43).
Nevertheless, researchers advise caution in rushing to this conclusion, noting that there are still many unknowns.
These unknowns include (44):
In the past decade, research has shown that the gut and brain are connected in a system called the gut-brain axis. This axis links the body’s central and enteric nervous systems, the latter of which governs digestion (47).
Some research shows that certain microbes in the gut can affect your brain via this axis in both health and disease. These bacteria are part of an emerging field called “psychobiotics” (48, 49, 50).
Research indicates that psychobiotics can help treat cognitive and neurological disorders, such as autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease (51).
Which microbes these are and how they interact with the brain is the subject of much current research (52).
Some researchers suggest that, for some people, supplementing with certain strains of probiotics may be preferable to taking psychotropic drugs to cope with the mental stress, loneliness, and grief accompanying the current COVID-19 pandemic (53).
Summary
There are many other benefits of probiotics. They may help with the following conditions:
•Inflammation: Probiotics reduce systemic inflammation, a leading driver of many diseases (54).
•Depression and anxiety: The probiotic strains Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with clinical depression (55).
•Blood cholesterol: Several probiotics have been shown to lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, although the research remains controversial (56).
•Blood pressure: Probiotics may also cause modest reductions in blood pressure (57).
•Immune function: Several probiotic strains may enhance immune function, possibly leading to a reduced risk of infections, including those that cause the common cold (58, 59).
Some researchers propose that improving the gut microbiome via probiotic supplementation and diet may be a strategy to fight and treat an infection with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This infection can cause COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019 (62).
COVID-19 is known to damage the body’s immune defense through a “cytokine storm” of excessive inflammatory cytokines. This is believed to be the main cause of deteriorating health and even death (63).
Because intestinal flora have been shown to strengthen the immune system and fight inflammation, researchers think probiotic supplements may help speed recovery from coronavirus by inhibiting or limiting this “cytokine storm” (64).
Also, people with COVID-19 have reported gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite (65).
Some researchers theorize that probiotics could help prevent the coronavirus by blocking the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) receptor where the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen enters the body to invade gastrointestinal cells (66).
Another proposed link between COVID-19 and probiotics involves what is called the “gut-lung axis.” This is a system of communication and interaction between the gut and lung tissues, which occurs via microorganisms of the human microbiome (67).
Choosing probiotics
As you face the large selection of probiotics now available, you may feel overwhelmed. You’re not alone. The choice can be difficult. In the United States, probiotics are generally sold as food ingredients, drugs, or dietary supplements. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates each of these in different ways, most foods and supplements do not require approval before marketing (73). As a result, some companies take advantage of the buzz around probiotics to sell supplements they label as probiotic and make claims that aren’t backed by evidence (74). Regulations on probiotics vary greatly around the world, so ordering online from other countries is risky. Unregulated food items, cosmetics, and supplements are easy to find abroad, but their safety is unconfirmed. Looking for companies that follow best practices, such as third-party testing, can help you find high quality supplements. The best choice is to run your choice by your healthcare provider or ask for suggestions. They may be able to recommend products they know to be safe and effective.
Probiotics side effects
In the first few days of taking a probiotic supplement, you may experience side effects related to digestion, such as gas and mild abdominal discomfort (75). However, after you adjust, your digestion should begin to improve. In people with compromised immune systems, including those with HIV, AIDS, and several other conditions, probiotics can lead to dangerous infections (76). If you have a medical condition, consult your healthcare provider before taking a probiotic supplement. Summary Probiotic supplements may cause digestive symptoms, which should subside within a few days. They may also be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions.
Science has made tremendous strides in the past two decades toward understanding the roles that probiotics play in human health and disease. Still, probiotic research is in its infancy, and there’s much to learn.
Despite widespread studies, researchers are still working on identifying all the individual microbial species that live in your gut. Identifying them is crucial to understanding how they function in human health.
For example, researchers in 2019 reported identifying nearly 2,000 previously unknown gut bacterial species. This was a major step toward categorizing the microbes living in the human gut (77).
After identifying the microorganisms, the next challenge facing researchers is to associate the various species, subspecies, and strains of microbes with their effects on human health — and this is where things get tricky (78).
Though thousands of studies have assessed the health benefits of probiotics for many clinical conditions, the results often contradict each other (79, 80).
One reason for this is that methods for processing and analyzing probiotics data are not consistent around the world. This leads to conflicting research analyses of published data (81).
Apr 1, 2022 · In This Article. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially your digestive system. We usually think of these as germs that cause diseases. But your body is full of ...
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Feb 9, 2023 · Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts present in the human digestive system and in some foods and supplements. They may benefit gastrointestinal heath, the immune system, and more. Probiotics ...
Probiotics can transiently colonize the human gut mucosa in highly individualized patterns, depending on the baseline microbiota, probiotic strain, and gastrointestinal tract region [ 4 ]. Probiotics also exert health effects by nonspecific, species-specific, and strain-specific mechanisms [ 1 ]. The nonspecific mechanisms vary widely among ...
