Probiotics: the good guys that can improve your health

Looking after the health of our digestive systems is something we tend to forget about until it gives us problems. But there is growing recognition that, just like caring for our skin, our gut will feel better following a bit of TLC. One way to keep your digestive system healthy is to take probiotics.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are dietary supplements, drinks or foods containing ‘friendly’ bacteria that can benefit health. We usually think of bacteria as harmful ‘bugs’ to be avoided – but not all are ‘bad guys’; bacteria can be helpful too. Friendly bacteria are needed to keep the gut functioning properly. Probiotics are also important to help our immune system, the body’s defence against outside invaders. It may surprise you to know that the gut doesn’t just break down our food – it also makes up a major part (nearly three quarters) of our immune system. By boosting the immune system, probiotics can help protect the gut – and the rest of the body – from attack. Probiotics also help to produce nutrients such as vitamins, which are vital for keeping the body working properly, as well as helping to neutralise some potentially toxic by-products of digestion.

How can probiotics help protect your health?

Good health is about getting the right balance and the gut is no exception. Some diseases, stress, poor diet, infection, foreign travel and medicines such as antibiotics, can all wipe out the good bacteria in your gut. This can then lead to other health problems including diarrhoea, wind, bad breath, candida yeast infections, skin problems and frequent coughs and colds.

Illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), thrush and eczema – may benefit from supplying the gut with friendly bacteria using probiotics. Research shows that supplementing with probiotics can reduce the chances of suffering antibiotic-related and travellers’ diarrhoea. Other research has found that supplementing with Bifidobacteria’ can improve bowel habits and even reduce food allergies.

The most commonly used ‘friendly’ bacteria are lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Lactobacilli may help reduce gastrointestinal dysfunction, vaginal yeast infections and may also boost immune function. Bifidobacteria can help lower cholesterol levels, prevent food poisoning, help digest lactose (the sugar in milk) and make B vitamins (to protect against heart disease) A healthy population of these beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract enhances the digestion and absorption of nutrients, detoxification and elimination processes, and helps maintain the immune system.

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