Do Probiotics Improve Gut Health? Everything You Need to Know
I’m sure you’ve heard all the buzz around gut health in the past decade. What does having “good gut health” even mean? How do we make our gut healthy/unhealthy? What are some ways we can improve our gut health? All good questions! And I plan on answering all of them in this post😊
Another buzz word I’m sure you’ve heard about: probiotics!
What are they? What do they do to our body? How do they help with gut health? Should I take a probiotic everyday? I’m sure your brain is spiraling with questions, and mine was too before I got into my role as a Registered Dietitian!
Have no fear, I’m your go-to guide on everything probiotics. Let’s hop right into your burning questions!
What are probiotics?
Probiotics can be either in a food or a supplement. And get this, probiotics are living microorganisms that take home inside your body. The role of probiotics is to maintain balance between the good and bad bacteria in your body. Probiotics are usually referred to as “good bacteria” that compete with the bad bacteria to make a more healthy, flourishing environment. They are found to have immense health benefits to our digestive systems.
How do probiotics work?
In a very simplistic way, probiotics:
- Increase the production of short chain fatty acids (protectors of inflammation) by breaking down simple sugars
- Maintain a healthy gut balance and help synthesize certain vitamins
- Decrease the amount of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. According to the ASPEN guidelines (American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition), Some probiotics have been shown to enhance the mucus layer over the gut lining. This in turn prevents the binding of pathogens to mucosal surfaces and help in the clearance of pathogens from the gut.1 Time to rid those pathogens from our body!
IMPORTANT: in order to get the max benefits from a probiotic, the strain(s) must be able to survive throughout the gastrointestinal tract (i.e. make it past our acidic stomach and into the intestines). The most common strains include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (however Bifidobacterium do not have the best acid tolerance).
What health benefits do probiotics provide?
- Improve microbial balance
- Immune response enhancement
- Diarrhea treatment
- Fight inflammation
What foods contain probiotics?
The main products that contain probiotics are dairy-based products. These include:
Yogurt, buttermilk, aged cheeses, kefir, some sour cream, cultured cottage cheese.
Non-dairy based products that contain probiotics include the following:
Sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, sourdough bread, tempeh, kimchi, sour pickles, and more.
Do probiotics help with constipation?
They sure can! There are numerous studies showing how probiotics can cultivate bowel movements, improve frequency, increase the number and/or weight of stools, and overall effectively relieve constipation.2
Another study found that those who took probiotics had more frequent bathroom runs (vs constipation) and higher quality stool – meaning probiotics are working!!!3
If you’ve been struggling with constipation for quite some time and have exhausted most options, might as well try a probiotic!
And if you’re looking for 17 more ways to help reduce constipation, check out:
17 Ways to Reduce Travel Constipation
Should you take a probiotic? Do probiotics improve gut health?
If you think your gut is out of balance, your provider may recommend a probiotic to bring your microbiome back to homeostasis. If you’ve recently had an illness that eliminated some good bacteria (for example, you were on an antibiotic), it may also be recommended by your provider to take a probiotic. When in doubt, ask! Do probiotics improve gut health? The answer is YES!
If you want to take one daily for general wellness, that works too! It can help with regularity, reduce inflammation, and increase your overall health.
As always, thanks for reading my friends😊
If you want some more tips for a healthy gut, check out these two: