WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS?
Probiotics are live micro-organisms which provide a health benefit on the body when they are taken. They can be found in yoghurt, kombucha (fermented tea), some aged cheeses, kefir (a type of fermented milk), fermented sauerkraut (not pickled, canned, or heat preserved). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the WHO (FAO/WHO) definition of a probiotic–“live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.
HOW DO PROBIOTICS HELP?
Evidence is now showing that intestinal micro-organisms are important in maintaining a healthy immune system in the body.
- Probiotic consumption stimulates colonization of good micro-organisms in the gut and so reduce the composition of harmful bacteria in the gut.
- Probiotics prevent the harmful bacteria from sticking to the wall of the intestine and so protect the lining of the intestinal wall.
- Probiotics help to boost immunity and subdue inflammation in the body.
- Probiotics prevent an imbalance in the beneficial micro-organisms in your body.
“WHY” IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR YOU?
Probiotics can help in the management of inflammatory-related disease such as IBD, IBS, inflammation, diarrhea, infections, and certain cancer types. However more studies are needed to establish which live microbes are effective. Using distinct probiotics such as saccharomyces boulardii or probiotic combinations could support the prevention of C. Diff infection which causes diarrhea and colitis for adults under antibiotic therapy. Before beginning any over the counter probiotic, do check with your health care provider to make sure it is right for you.
REFERENCES:
Probiotics in Cosmetic and Personal Care Products: Trends and Challenges – PMC (nih.gov)