Probiotics Supplements Benefits, Types and Safety
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits. Products sold as probiotics include foods (such as yogurt), dietary supplements, and products that aren't used orally, such as skin creams.
Although people often think of bacteria and other microorganisms as harmful “germs,” many microorganisms help our bodies function properly. For example, bacteria that are normally present in our intestines help digest food, destroy disease-causing microorganisms, and produce vitamins. Large numbers of microorganisms live on and in our bodies. Many of the microorganisms in probiotic products are the same as or similar to microorganisms that naturally live in our bodies.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are helpful, especially in the digestive system. They are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy. You can find probiotics in supplements and some foods, like yogurt. Doctors often suggest them to help with digestive problems.
Probiotics are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut (including your stomach and intestines) when it's been disrupted by an illness or treatment.
Researchers are trying to figure out exactly how probiotics work. Some of the ways they may keep you healthy:
- When you lose "good" bacteria in your body, for example after you take antibiotics, probiotics can help replace them.
- They can help balance your "good" and "bad" bacteria to keep your body working the way it should.
There's some evidence that probiotics may be helpful in some cases, such as helping prevent diarrhea when taking antibiotics, and helping to ease some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
But there's little evidence to support many health claims made about them. For example, there's no evidence to suggest that probiotics can help treat eczema.
But for most people, probiotics appear to be safe. If you want to try them, and you have a healthy immune system, they shouldn't cause any unpleasant side effects.
Many types of bacteria are classified as probiotics. They all have different benefits, but most come from two groups.
→Lactobacillus - This may be the most common probiotic. It's the one you'll find in yogurt and other fermented foods. Different strains can help with diarrhea and may help people who can't digest lactose, the sugar in milk.
→Bifidobacterium - You can find it in some dairy products. It may help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and some other conditions.
Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast found in probiotics. It appears to help fight diarrhea and other digestive problems.
What Do They Do?
Among other things, probiotics help send food through your gut by affecting nerves that control gut movement. Researchers are still trying to understand which are best for certain health problems. Some common conditions they treat are:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Infectious diarrhea (caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites)
- Diarrhea caused by antibiotics
There is also some research that shows they're useful for problems in other parts of your body. For example, some people say they have helped with:
- Skin conditions, like eczema
- Urinary and vaginal health
- Preventing allergies and colds
- Oral health
The FDA regulates probiotics like foods, not like medications. Unlike drug companies, makers of probiotic supplements don't have to show their products are safe or that they work.
Ask your doctor if taking probiotics is a good idea for you. In general, probiotic foods and supplements are thought to be safe for most people, though some people with immune system problems or other serious health conditions shouldn't take them.
In some cases, mild side effects might include an upset stomach, diarrhea, gas, and bloating for the first couple of days after you start taking them. They may also trigger allergic reactions. Stop taking them and talk to your doctor if you have problems.
(WebMD site)
What Kinds of Microorganisms Are In Probiotics?
Probiotics may contain a variety of microorganisms. The most common are bacteria that belong to groups called Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Each of these two broad groups includes many types of bacteria. Other bacteria may also be used as probiotics, and so may yeasts such as Saccharomyces boulardii.
What the Science Says About the Effectiveness of Probiotics
Researchers have studied probiotics to find out whether they might help prevent or treat a variety of health problems, including:
§ Digestive disorders such as diarrhea caused by infections, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease
§ Allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) and allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
§ Tooth decay, periodontal disease, and other oral health problems
§ Colic in infants
§ Liver disease
§ The common cold
§ Prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants.
There’s preliminary evidence that some probiotics are helpful in preventing diarrhea caused by infections and antibiotics and in improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but more needs to be learned. We still don’t know which probiotics are helpful and which are not. We also don’t know how much of the probiotic people would have to take or who would most likely benefit from taking probiotics. Even for the conditions that have been studied the most, researchers are still working toward finding the answers to these questions.
Although some probiotics have shown promise in research studies, strong scientific evidence to support specific uses of probiotics for most health conditions is lacking. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any probiotics for preventing or treating any health problem. Some experts have cautioned that the rapid growth in marketing and use of probiotics may have outpaced scientific research for many of their proposed uses and benefits.
How Might Probiotics Work?
Probiotics may have a variety of effects in the body, and different probiotics may act in different ways.
Probiotics might:
§ Help to maintain a desirable community of microorganisms;
§ Stabilize the digestive tract’s barriers against undesirable microorganisms or produce substances that inhibit their growth;
§ Help the community of microorganisms in the digestive tract return to normal after being disturbed (for example, by an antibiotic or a disease);
§ Outcompete undesirable microorganisms;
§ Stimulate the immune response.
What the Science Says About the Safety and Side Effects of Probiotics
Whether probiotics are likely to be safe for you depends on the state of your health.
§ In people who are generally healthy, probiotics have a good safety record. Side effects, if they occur at all, usually consist only of mild digestive symptoms such as gas.
§ On the other hand, there have been reports linking probiotics to severe side effects, such as dangerous infections, in people with serious underlying medical problems. The people who are most at risk of severe side effects include critically ill patients, those who have had surgery, very sick infants, and people with weakened immune systems
Even for healthy people, there are uncertainties about the safety of probiotics. Because many research studies on probiotics haven’t looked closely at safety, there isn’t enough information right now to answer some safety questions. Most of our knowledge about safety comes from studies of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium; less is known about other probiotics. Information on the long-term safety of probiotics is limited, and safety may differ from one type of probiotic to another. For example, even though a National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)-funded study showed that a particular kind of Lactobacillus appears safe in healthy adults age 65 and older, this does not mean that all probiotics would necessarily be safe for people in this age group.
Don’t replace scientifically proven treatments with unproven products and practices. Don’t use a complementary health product, such as probiotics, as a reason to postpone seeing your health care provider about any health problem.
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health site)
Certain Probiotics May Have Specific Benefits
Your gut microbiome, or gut flora, consists of a wide variety of bacteria. Its exact composition is unique to you. Your colon contains billions of bacteria with types from over 500 different species (4).
Probiotics that have been found to provide health benefits include various strains of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces. Many probiotic supplements contain a combination of different strains in the same supplement.
Research has shown that some strains seem to be more effective than others for treating certain conditions. Therefore, you're more likely to get good results by taking probiotics that have been shown to achieve specific effects, such as controlling diarrhea. In addition, it's important to consume probiotics in sufficient amounts.
Probiotics are typically measured in colony-forming units (CFU). Generally, higher doses have been found to produce the best results in most studies. However, some probiotics may be effective at dosages of 1–2 billion CFU per day, while others may require at least 20 billion CFU to achieve the desired effects.
Taking extremely high doses hasn't been found to cause harm. One study gave participants up to 1.8 trillion CFU per day. However, it's expensive and doesn't appear to provide any additional benefits.
Importantly, scientists still don't know everything about probiotics. Although research has rapidly expanded within the past several years, there is much left to explore.
Probiotics: Possible Benefits
→Probiotics That May Help Relieve Constipation
Constipation is characterized by bowel movements that are hard, difficult to pass and infrequent. Everyone experiences constipation once in a while, but in some people it becomes a chronic problem.
Chronic constipation is most common among the elderly and adults who are bedridden, although it can also occur in children.
In addition, some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience persistent constipation as their main symptom. This is known as constipation-predominant IBS.
Conventional treatments include laxatives and stool softeners. However, in recent years, dietary changes and probiotic supplements have become increasingly popular alternative approaches.
A number of studies have shown that supplementing with certain probiotic strains can reduce constipation in both adults and children.
In a study comparing probiotics and prebiotics in children with IBS, B. lactis was shown to provide significant constipation relief.
The probiotics group also experienced less belching, abdominal fullness and bloating after meals than the prebiotics group.
Other probiotics that may improve constipation include B. longum, S. cerevisiae and a combination of L. acidophilus, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus and B. animalis.
Recommended Probiotics for Constipation
· Nutrition Essentials Probiotic
→Probiotics That Are Effective Against Diarrhea
Diarrhea is defined as loose-to-liquid bowel movements that occur more frequently than normal.
It is typically short-lived, but can become chronic in some people.
Probiotics have been found to reduce stool frequency in the infection-related diarrhea that occurs with food poisoning and gastroenteritis, commonly known as "stomach flu".
A large review of 34 studies found that probiotics reduced the risk of diarrhea from various causes by 34%.
Effective strains included Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus andLactobacillus bulgaricus.
Antibiotic use is another common cause of diarrhea. When antibiotic therapy kills harmful bacteria that cause infection, beneficial bacteria are destroyed as well. The shift in bacterial balance can lead to inflammation and diarrhea.
Studies in children and adults have shown that taking probiotics can help decrease the diarrhea that may happen as a result of antibiotic therapy.
A large review of 82 controlled studies found that taking probiotic supplements reduced the risk of developing antibiotic-associated diarrhea by 42%. However, the most effective probiotic strains weren't discussed.
Although some people with IBS struggle with constipation, others experience frequent episodes of diarrhea, which is known as diarrhea-predominant IBS.
Research suggests that certain probiotics seem to be especially effective for diarrhea-predominant IBS, including B. coagulans, S. boulardii and a combination of several Lactobacillusand Bifidobacterium strains.
However, one study did not find any significant improvement in diarrhea among IBS patients who were treated with S. boulardii.
Recommended Probiotics for Diarrhea
· Garden of Life Raw Probiotics 5-Day Max Care
· Florastor Maximum Strength Probiotic
→Probiotics That May Improve IBS Symptoms
Sometimes the main symptoms of IBS aren't related to stool consistency or frequency. Instead, some people experience bloating, gas, nausea and lower abdominal pain on a regular basis.
A review of 19 studies found that while some people reported improvement in IBS symptoms while taking probiotics, results varied between individuals. Researchers couldn't determine which probiotics were most effective.
In addition, because the symptoms of IBS are so diverse, sometimes one symptom improves while others do not.
For instance, one study of people with constipation-predominant IBS found that although S. cerevisiae improved constipation, it didn't have much of an effect on abdominal pain or discomfort.
In another study, participants with diarrhea-predominant IBS were given a supplement known as VSL#3, which contains Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus strains.
Bowel movement frequency and consistency didn't improve, but bloating did.
Another study found significant reductions in pain and bloating during treatment with VSL#3. Researchers believe the probiotics led to an increase in melatonin, a hormone involved in digestive function.
Recommended Probiotics for IBS
· Renew Life Ultimate Flora Extra Care Probiotic
· Jarrow Formulas Ideal Bowel Support
· VSL#3
→Probiotics That Might Help You Lose Weight
There is growing evidence that the balance of bacteria in your gut can profoundly affect body weight.
Some studies suggest that taking probiotic supplements may be helpful for achieving weight loss and a healthier body composition.
Animal and human studies have found that certain bacterial strains may decrease the amount of fat and calories your gut absorbs, promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and reduce weight and belly fat.
According to a 2014 analysis of several studies, probiotics that seem to be effective for fat loss include Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and the combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis.
In one study, obese men who took L. gasseri for 12 weeks experienced significant reductions in body weight and body fat, including up to an 8.5% decrease in belly fat. By contrast, the placebo group had very little change in body weight or body fat.
In another study, obese women who took L. rhamnosus for three weeks lost twice as much weight as those who received a placebo.
What's more, they continued losing weight during the maintenance phase of the study, whereas the placebo group gained weight.
Taking probiotic supplements may also help limit weight gain during times of high calorie intake.
In a four-week study, lean young men ate 1,000 excess calories per day. Those who took the probiotic formulation VSL#3 gained less weight than the control group.
However, because results from some studies haven't been impressive, researchers feel there isn't enough evidence at this time to draw firm conclusions about the benefits of probiotics for weight loss.
Recommended Probiotics for Weight Loss
· Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Ultimate Care
→Probiotics to Support Brain Health
There is a strong connection between gut and brain health.
The bacteria in your colon digest and ferment fiber into short-chain fatty acids that nourish the gut. Research has shown that these compounds may also benefit the brain and nervous system.
A review of 38 studies on animals and humans found that various probiotics helped improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and poor memory.
The strains most commonly used in these studies were Bifidobacterium longum,Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
Probiotics appear to be effective for both generalized anxiety and anxiety related to specific causes.
One study found that when throat cancer patients took probiotics for two weeks prior to surgery, they had lower levels of stress hormones in their blood and their anxiety decreased by 48%.
In other studies, probiotics have been shown to improve overall mood and reduce sadness in healthy individuals and people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Taking probiotic supplements also appears to help people struggling with depression, including those with major depressive disorder.
In an eight-week study of patients with major depression, those who took L. acidophilus, L. caseiand B. bifidum had a significant decrease in depression.
What's more, they experienced reductions in insulin levels and inflammatory markers.
Recommended Probiotics for Brain Health
· Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotic and Mood Supplement
· Life Extension FlorAssist Mood
· Hyperbiotics Pro-15 Probiotics
→Probiotics That May Improve Heart Health
Taking probiotics may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Several studies have found that certain bacteria in yogurt or probiotic supplements may lead to favorable changes in heart health markers.
These include a decrease in "bad" LDL cholesterol and an increase in "good" HDL cholesterol.
Specific bacterial strains that seem to be effective at lowering cholesterol levels includeLactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus reuteri.
An analysis of 14 studies found that probiotics led to an average reduction in LDL cholesterol, a slight increase in HDL and a decrease in triglycerides.
There are probably several processes responsible for these effects on LDL cholesterol, including changes in fat metabolism and decreased absorption of cholesterol in the gut.
→Probiotics may also help lower blood pressure
One review of nine controlled studies found a modest reduction in blood pressure among those who took probiotics. However, only treatment longer than eight weeks at doses higher than 10 billion CFU per day had significant effects (52).
Recommended Probiotics for Heart Health
· InnovixLabs Multi-Strain Probiotic
· Nature's Way Primadophilus Reuteri
· Life Extension FlorAssist Heart Health Probiotic
→Probiotics to Boost Immunity
Studies suggest that taking probiotic supplements may shift the balance of gut bacteria in a way that increases your body's defenses against allergies, infections and cancer.
Of particular note are the strains Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri,Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum.
These types of bacteria appear to reduce the risk of respiratory illness and eczema in children, as well as urinary tract infections in adult women.
In addition, probiotics have been shown to reduce inflammation, a known risk factor for many diseases.
In one study, older adults consumed a blend of Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium bifidumand Bifidobacterium longum or a placebo for three weeks each.
After taking probiotic supplements, their inflammatory markers decreased, anti-inflammatory markers increased and gut bacteria balances became more like the type seen in young, healthy people.
Certain probiotics may also help prevent gingivitis, or gum infection.
A 14-day study looked at adults who refrained from brushing and flossing while being treated with Lactobacillus brevis or a placebo.
Gingivitis progressed more rapidly in the placebo group, suggesting the probiotics helped protect against infection.
Recommended Probiotics for Immune Health
· OptiBac Probiotics for Daily Well-Being
· Culturelle Health and Wellness
· Dr. David Williams Probiotic Advantage
→Probiotics for General Health
In addition to targeting specific diseases and conditions, you can also take probiotics to promote overall health.
A recent study in healthy adults showed that taking Bifidobacterium bifidum for four weeks helped boost production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids.
There's also some evidence suggesting that probiotics may promote better aging by reducing inflammation that typically occurs as you grow older.
Of course, it's important to make sure you're consuming a healthy diet and practicing other health-promoting behaviors as well. Otherwise, you can't expect probiotics to provide much benefit.
In addition, although probiotics are safe for most people, they may cause harm in people who are extremely ill or have compromised immune systems, including those with HIV or AIDS.
Recommended Probiotics for General Health
· GNC Ultra 25 Probiotic Complex
· 21st Century Acidophilus Probiotic Blend
The Bottom Line
Having a healthy gut microbiome is extremely important.
Although research is still emerging, probiotics appear to provide beneficial effects for a number of different conditions and may also support better general health.
Taking the right type of probiotics may help you target specific health issues and improve your overall health and quality of life.
(Healthline Website)
November 2019
Sara Silva
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