Probiotics Decrease Whole Gut Transit Time
Research into taking probiotics for constipation have found that they improve the time food takes to pass through the gastrointestinal tract. This is known as whole gut transit time or bowel transit time.
Research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology found that probiotics decrease whole gut transit time. The study found that the B. lactis HN019 strain of probiotics helped to reduce whole gut transit time and improve gastrointestinal issues in adults.5
The study found that the probiotic, B. lactis HN019 is safe for human consumption and there were no reported side effects.
Produce More Short Chain Fatty Acids
Short chain fatty acids are produced as a result of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli breaking down and digesting carbohydrates in the large intestines.
Its believed SCFAs stimulate the neural receptors inside the lining of the gut wall that trigger peristalsis – ‘wave-like’ muscle contractions that move food along the intestinal tract.
What Are Prebiotics And What Do They Do
On the other hand, Prebiotics are various foods in your diet that can stimulate the growth and balance of healthy bacteria in the colon. For example, the beneficial bacteria: bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Prebiotic fibers are non-digestible and are fermented in the colon into short-chain fatty acids, which provide energy for the cells lining the wall of the gut. This is potentially protective against colon cancer and other diseases. Other potential health benefits of prebiotics include:
- Increased absorption of minerals such as calcium
- Reduction of potentially pathogenic bacteria
- Weight loss/maintenance due to increased fullness
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What Is The Difference Between Prebiotics And Probiotics
That one-letter difference between prObiotics and prEbiotics makes a world of difference. Probiotics are actual live bacteria, and prebiotics are the fuel they feed off of.
When you consume probiotics, you add live, beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome. And when you consume prebiotics, you provide fuel to the probiotic bacteria living in your microbiome.
Adding good bacteria to an unbalanced microbiome is important — but so is strengthening the good bacteria that already inhabits it.
What Does Gut Transit Time Mean
The time it takes for the food contents to travel though the digestive tract is called the transit time. One of the main functions of the large intestine is to reabsorb water from the food waste to form the stool. If the transit time is slow, the stool will spend a longer time in the large intestine and become harder, drier and more difficult to evacuate.
Transit time is affected by numerous factors including:
- Our gut microbiota composition and balance
- Methane production by specific gut bacteria
- Low digestive muscle tone or low sensitivity to nervous system stimulation
- Lack of fiber
- Delayed stomach emptying
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Best Probiotics For Constipation
If you suffer from constipation and are looking for a safe probiotics to take, you may want to consider the Bacillus laterosporus probiotic strain .
Bacillus laterosporus was suggested by research to be very effective for constipation, bloating and other digestive issues. According to one study, 90% of the participants in the study reported a relief from their constipation symptoms .
Latero-Flora is our preferred probiotics for constipation we use in our natural gut health protocols. It has shown to be very effective but also gentle and safe. Safety testings have found that Latero-Flora is completely safe with no indications of toxicity, even at extremely high dosage. The Bacillus laterosporus strain is highly stable and can easily pass the stomach acids and become very active in the body. The fact that it is stable in room temperature and doesnt need to be refrigerated also means you can take it with you wherever you go.
So Do Probiotics Help With Constipation
Gut health is the foundation for overall health, yet for many people, constipation seems like an insurmountable obstacle. So many people receive faulty advice in the conventional medical system to simply eat more fiber and drink more water without looking at the root cause behind low motility.
They may struggle for years to fix the issue with laxatives or other medications, when probiotic therapy may help to gently restore the microbiome with few to no side effects. If youre looking for guidance on restoring your gut health, schedule a consultation with one of our functional medicine practitioners at the Ruscio Institute for Functional Medicine.
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Probiotics For Constipation: Can Probiotics Make You Poop
Many studies into using probiotics to make you poop more easily have found that they help in 4 main ways. A review of using probiotics for constipation published on PubMed Health reported the following:3
- Probiotics help improve whole gut transit time in the digestive tract
- Probiotics soften stool and make pooping easier
- Some strains of probiotics increase stool frequency
- Probiotics can help to alleviate other symptoms of constipation like abdominal pain and bloating.
Lets look in more detail at studies showing the benefits of taking probiotics for treating constipation in children, adults, and the elderly.
Probiotics Increase Stool Frequency
Probiotics are helpful for constipation because they can increase the frequency of your bowel movements.
The journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology published a systematic review of six trials into the benefits of probiotics for constipation. All the trials were randomized controlled trials and they all found that probiotics make you poop more. In most cases, the frequency of bowel movements significantly increased. The review has also mentioned that a consumption of yogurts containing the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium helped improve chronic constipation.4
The most beneficial strains of bacteria that the trials identified were L. casei rhamnosus, L. casei, L. acidophilus. Scientists also found that many Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria strains help to increase stool frequency.
The above review was carried out on the benefits of using probiotics to ease symptoms of constipation in children. Therefore, supplementing a childs diet with probiotics can help them poop easier and ease symptoms of constipation such as pain and bloating.
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Can Probiotics Cause Constipation Probiotics Side Effects Review
In constipation, Probiotics by Candida SpecialistsAugust 29, 2018
Probiotics can cause constipation in some cases. While this surprises many people, it is usually a result of low quality probiotics, or due to a reaction to dairy or gluten based probiotics. For this reason, it is often preferred to use plant based probiotics that are dairy and gluten free from a trusted source.
How Do Probiotics Help You Poop
Probiotics can make you poop more because they help you pass stool quicker and easier. Probiotics can also help soften your stool and used as a natural laxative to relieve constipation.
Research published in the journal SpringerPlus on the causes of constipation showed that intestinal microbiota affects how quickly food passes through the digestive system. An increase of certain pathogens in the gut can cause mild to severe constipation.
The scientists found that the probiotics can help a person poop more frequently and easily. For example, probiotics of the Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus casei strains helped to relieve symptoms of chronic constipation. Probiotics made patients poop more because they positively altered the microflora in the gut.
Another strain of probiotic that researchers found helped people to poop more was B. longum. Scientists concluded that probiotics restore intestinal microbial balance and help treat constipation.
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Everything In Your Mouth Counts
PKU can be successfully managed with a severely restricted diet. That simple statement is factually true, but practically impossible to follow, as it requires slashing protein consumption by about 90 percent. To compensate for the missing protein, several times a day PKU patients take a medical formula commonly referred to simply as formula containing forms of proteins that are digestible to their bodies. Several manufacturers now add vitamins and minerals and offer a variety of formats and tastes to make it more consumer friendly, but that wasn’t always the case.
When I was a kid, it tasted horrible, was the consistency of house paint. I didn’t think about it, I just drank it. I didn’t like it but you get used to it after a while, recalls Jeff Wolf, the twang of Appalachia still strong in his voice. Now age 50, he grew up in Ashland, Kentucky and was part of the first wave of persons with PKU who were identified at birth as newborn screening was rolled out across the US. He says the options of taste and consistency have improved tremendously over the years.
Some people with PKU are restricted to as little as 8 grams of protein a day from food. That’s a handful of almonds or a single hard-boiled egg a skimpy 4-ounce hamburger and slice of cheese adds up to half of their weekly protein ration. Anything above that daily allowance is more than the body can handle and toxic levels of Phe begin to accumulate in the brain.
Les Clark with a birthday cake.
Courtesy Clark
What Else Could Be Causing My Constipation
Chances are that probiotics aren’t the cause of your constipation. Common causes of constipation are lack of fiber and fluids, not enough physical activity and poor stress management, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“Especially in kids, the majority of causes are dietary and behavioral,” says Dr. Winberry. “It’s functional constipation. This means that the bowel is healthy and everything is functioning fine, but there is a disconnect in what’s going on. Sometimes people do not want to go to the bathroom in a social setting or at school. Only a small percentage is caused by anatomic reasons or medications.”
To stay on track with your bowel movements, Dr. Winberry has some advice. “In general, increasing your fiber changes the type of bacterial balance in your intestines,” he says. “Folks who have more fiber have bacteria that’s helpful for staying regular.”
Although constipation isn’t usually a sign of a more serious health condition, it can be. Because of this, it’s always best to see a doctor if you have any concerns. “If you’re experiencing significant abdominal pain when trying to go to the bathroom, weight loss or blood, those are reasons to seek medical attention,” says Dr. Winberry. “Any distressing symptoms that are affecting your daily routine are red flags.”
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Gut Microbiome Alteration In Constipation
The human intestine forms a habitat for more than 1000 different species of microorganisms, predominantly bacteria, hence the number of microbiotic cells is nearly equal to the number of hosts cells . There is an increasing body of evidence that alteration of gut microbiota may contribute to the development of functional bowel disorders, which may be secondary to gut microbiota dysbiosis responsible for altered metabolic activity . The putative microbiotic-dependent mechanisms in chronic constipation are presented in .
Putative microbiotic-dependent mechanisms in chronic constipation
BA bile acids, ENS enteric nervous system, SCFAs short-chain fatty acids.
In experimental and clinical studies, changes in microbiota associated with the occurrence of FC have been observed . A direct relationship between microbiota and constipation was demonstrated in an experiment conducted by Ge et al. . In this rodent study a 4-week, broad-spectrum, antibiotic therapy was followed by faecal microbiome transplantation from constipated or healthy donors . Mice receiving transplants from constipated donors were more likely to develop constipation in comparison to the control group. The authors evaluated microbiotic metabolites and found that short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids were decreased in mice transplanted with faeces collected from constipated humans.
Probiotic For Kids Constipation Buying Guide
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Who Is At Risk Of Functional Constipation
Anyone can suffer from constipation however, the prevalence is higher in women, the elderly and those living in low socioeconomic situations. It is also a very common symptom in pregnancy, due to hormonal changes affecting the time it takes for the stool to pass through the intestinal tract, the transit time.
Do Cranberries Affect Your Digestive System
Cranberry constituents and their bioactive catabolites have been found to contribute to mechanisms that affect bacterial adhesion, coaggregation, and biofilm formation, which may contribute to potential clinical benefits on gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections, as well as on systemic anti-inflammatory properties.
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What Is The Best Probiotic For Constipation
Those struggling with chronic constipation tend to have lower levels of the beneficial probiotic strains Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium while having an increase in potentially harmful microorganisms. Choose a supplement containing multiple strains of these two types of bacteria.
When shopping for a probiotic, consider avoiding products containing gluten, dairy, soy, and yeast. If your gut is out of balance, its lining could be more permeable than its meant to be. This allows undigested molecules into the bloodstreamoften called leaky gutand gluten, dairy, soy and yeast are particularly problematic for many people with leaky gut.
Omni-Biotic Balance is a probiotic that combines six strains of beneficial bacteria specifically shown to increase frequency of bowel movements and improve stool consistency while leaving out fillers that can exacerbate digestive distress.
Probiotic Side Effects List Of Common Questions
Probiotic side effects sometimes happen. They are mostly mild and harmless. Many people ask about reactions to probiotics so here is a collection of frequently asked questions.
You might be familiar with the old saying: no pain, no gain. Among athletes, muscle aches are viewed as a temporary discomfort bringing good results. Can something similar be said about probiotics side effects? Yes, it can.
Probiotics can cause a temporary discomfort to reach an improvement. However, this does not mean that side effects are necessary.
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Are There Any Risks Related To Probiotics
Probiotics are generally considered safe. However, there are some risks linked to the supplements. These risks are increased if you have a medical condition that weakens your immune system, have recently had surgery or have other serious medical conditions.
Unlikely, but possible, risks can include:
- Developing an infection.
- Developing a resistance to antibiotics.
- Developing harmful byproducts from the probiotic supplement.
Possible Side Effects Of Probiotics
Probiotics are living bacteria and yeasts that provide health benefits when consumed in large amounts.
They can be taken as supplements or consumed naturally through fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha .
The health benefits of probiotic supplements and foods have been well documented, including a lower risk of infections, improved digestion and even a reduced risk for some chronic diseases .
While there are many health benefits linked to taking probiotics, there can also be side effects. Most of these are minor and only affect a small percentage of the population.
However, some people with serious illnesses or compromised immune systems may experience more severe complications.
This article reviews the most common side effects of probiotics and how to reduce them.
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Can I Use Probiotics To Help With Medical Conditions
There is currently a large amount of research happening around the idea of what probiotics can do for your body. Even though there are a lot of possibly positive outcomes, researchers are still working to find definitive answers about how probiotics can help with various conditions.
However, there are some medical conditions where probiotics may help. This can vary between people meaning that what works for one person may not work for another. These can also vary based on the certain probiotic that is taken.
Some of the conditions that might be helped by increasing the amount of probiotics in your body include:
- Upper respiratory infections .
How Do Prebiotics Work
Prebiotics feed your beneficial bacteria, allowing them to reproduce and multiply. Increased good bacteria in the gut can push harmful bacteria out and improve your digestion overall.
Other than increased counts of good bacteria and decreased counts of bad bacteria, benefits of prebiotics may include:
- Strengthened intestinal lining
- Elimination of toxins from your digestive tract
Prebiotics can come in supplement form or in certain types of food both of which can grant you these benefits.
So, prebiotics help to balance gut bacteria, just like probiotics. And because constipation may be related to an imbalanced microbiome, it makes sense to guess that they might soothe constipation.
Lets check out the research before we jump to conclusions.
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