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Health See other Health Articles Title: Should we all be taking probiotics? The health claims surrounding probiotics are numerous - it is believed these micro-organisms can relieve irritable bowel syndrome, decrease the incidence of colds and allergies, and even aid weight loss. But is there any substance to these assertions - do probiotics really work and should we all be taking them? The concept of probiotics and prebiotics was first introduced in 1995. Since then, the market has steadily grown to around $45 billion in 2017, with people taking probiotics in the form of yoghurts, smoothies or supplements - all potential sources of good bacteria - to improve their general health and well-being, or to avoid illness or disease. These 'friendly bacteria' are believed to help the body's naturally occurring gut flora - the complex community of micro-organisms in our digestive tracts - and boost their numbers, leading to 'better' health. "Probiotics are live bacteria that can survive the acid environment of the stomach and then increase the number of good bacteria in the gut," says nutritional therapist Berta Corbera from Probio7. Probiotic bacteria work in the colon and are often recommended for gut-related problems such as diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or following a course of antibiotics that has left the patient constipated. But research also suggests that our gut microbiome may be thrown off balance by a number of factors including medication use, excess alcohol, stress and poor sleep, or disease. In such cases, the 'good bacteria' that work well within our bodies may decrease in number, which allows harmful competitors to thrive, causing ill health. These 'bad' bacteria have been linked with several conditions including obesity, heart disease, allergies, and cancer. But what does the evidence say? "There is evidence to suggest that probiotics work to restore the balance of bacteria in the gut, which is particularly useful if it has been disrupted by illness or medication such as antibiotics," says Alastair Windsor, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the London Digestive Centre, part of HCA UK. "This is usually because the microbiome in the gut is unbalanced and needs support from the good bacteria. Interestingly, there is a lot of evidence that people who experience IBS and suffer from regular wind and bloating, will find their symptoms improved after taking a good-quality high-dose probiotic." "There is good evidence that some probiotics are helpful in preventing diarrhoea caused by infections and antibiotics and in improving symptoms of IBS, but more needs to be learned, as probiotics are not all alike," adds Corbera. For instance, a comparison of eight probiotics showed that only three reached the large bowel, where most of our gut microbiome is situated, and were able to multiply there successfully. Research published in Cell in 2018 found that many people are in fact resistant to any effect from probiotics. Researchers found the gut microbiome of many study subjects was unaltered during the period in which they consumed probiotics, with most actually passing right through the body, suggesting that probiotics might not be suitable for everyone. Patient.info Our picks for Should we all be taking probiotics? View all How your gut affects your overall health We all know that when things aren't right with our digestion we can feel generally unwell. But e... 6min Sesame rainbow salad 30min Summer fruit salad 30min The placebo problem While many healthy people are convinced that probiotics work for them - taking them to improve their general health, to relieve bloating or to prevent disease - there is very little high-quality evidence to suggest this is true, with the placebo effect perhaps playing a role. "There is very little evidence to suggest that probiotics provide any benefit to healthy people," says Windsor. "I do not advise for everyone to take probiotics as there is not enough research to support the benefit on healthy individuals. However, those suffering with gut-related conditions like IBS or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or people who experience frequent stomach bugs, or illnesses where they have to take medication like antibiotics, could benefit from taking probiotics." In summary, while the market for probiotics is huge, these supplements probably aren't worth spending money on if you're not suffering from a digestive health issue. Much more research is needed to substantiate the impressive claims surrounding them. Visit our forums Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 3.
#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
(Edited)
Yes! Quite simply, when we take antibiotics they kill the beneficial bacteria in our gut. Supplementing with a good probiotic such as Friendly Flora from Carotec is a good way to restore the balance of bacteria in the gut. Not to mention that when we take Fluoridated drugs such as Ciprofloxacin it destroys Iodine which is good for the health of the Thyroid gland. Iodine has also been replaced in baked goods. So taking a Nascent Iodine supplement is also a good idea. ;)
Probiotics are meant to work with fiber so if you are not on a high fiber diet, you won't get many benefits. Fiber plus probiotics make things you need like vitamins and the gut barrier which prevents a lot of immune related diseases. They also make short chain fatty acids. You will also need to cut out simple sugars which feed cancers and the bad bacteria. The people who really need probiotics are those who have taken penicillin which kills good and bad bacteria.
I take pro-biotics and I also have a high fiber diet. But the penicillin does no good whatsoever to kill the bad bacteria which is called MRSA or Methycillin Resistant Staphlococcus Aureus. They are giving me other antibiotics but they seem to do no good. One time they gave me Vancomycin IV here at the hospital. The bacteria has a biofilm that protects it from the drugs and they know this. I am looking into other alternative treatments now and have been for some time. It is an attempt to break the re-infection cycle which is what I have been suffering from. The doctor gave me venous ablations three years ago. The wounds healed and came back 2 years ago last September. But the doctor does not believe that essential oils will work. Those are not in his scope of training. He knows about medical procedures and pharma drugs. Those drugs have one or maybe two active ingredients. The oils have dozens or even hundreds of active ingredients, and they change from year to year as the chemistry of the plants change. ;)
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