What Is A Psychobiotic
Psychobiotics are live bacteria that improve ones mental state the moment they interact with the gut microbiome. The term gut-brain axis was coined in reference to the interaction between the two.
Like postbiotics, psychobiotics require much scientific study and research for them to be deemed an effective method for improving the mental state of a person.
Scientific Guidelines For Testing
First, probiotics must be alive when administered. One of the concerns throughout the scientific literature resides in the viability and reproducibility on a large scale of observed results for specific studies, as well as the viability and stability during use and storage, and finally the ability to survive in stomach acids and then in the intestinal ecosystem.
Second, probiotics must have undergone controlled evaluation to document health benefits in the target host. Only products that contain live organisms shown in reproducible human studies to confer a health benefit may claim to be probiotic. The correct definition of health benefit, backed with solid scientific evidence, is a strong element for the proper identification and assessment of the effect of a probiotic. This aspect is a challenge for scientific and industrial investigations because several difficulties arise, such as variability in the site for probiotic use and mode of application.
Third, the probiotic candidate must be a taxonomically defined microbe or combination of microbes . It is commonly admitted that most effects of probiotics are strain-specific and cannot be extended to other probiotics of the same genus or species. This calls for precise identification of the strain, i.e. genotypic and phenotypic characterization of the tested microorganism.
Probiotics Can Have Some Side Effects
Probiotics are good bacteria that help to give you a better balance of microorganisms in your gut. Theyre very safe for most people and can have a lot of benefits. It would help if you were not afraid to take them.
However, it is vital to realize some potential side effects of probiotics, especially if you have an infection or certain medical conditions. Here are some things you should know:
Remember: probiotics are food, not drugs. This means the FDA doesnt regulate them, so they dont require proof of safety or efficacy before being sold on store shelves. That said, most research shows that probiotics do little harm when used appropriately and can benefit most people in some way or another, depending on their needs/issues at any given time.
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Probiotic Facts & Fiction
Probiotics, or good bacteria, are a hot topic in medicine these days. Not only do they have the potential to treat certain diseases and conditions, but they can also help with common digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome . But how effective are they? Are they safe to use? And which ones should you take? This article will explore its facts & fiction.
Phase : Try Targeted Supplements Or Diets
The final phase of alleviating your chronic health symptoms entails a more focused approach. It may be helpful to find a healthcare practitioner, like a functional medicine specialist, to assist you during this process.
Depending on your specific symptoms and underlying conditions, you may see benefit from the following.
- Betaine hydrochloride and digestive enzymes improve digestion and may be helpful in cases of low stomach acid, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency , and other types of malabsorption .
- Antimicrobials, such as oregano oil, berberines, caprylic acid, and peppermint oil can help address dysbiosis and harmful bacteria that may be contributing to your symptoms .
- The elemental diet is a highly specialized diet that can be used alone or alongside other plans, like Paleo or low FODMAP diets. Elemental shakes can reset your microbiome, reduce intestinal inflammation, and help eliminate stubborn health symptoms in just a few weeks.
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Where Can Probiotics Be Found
Probiotics come from either supplements or foods. Supplements may contain higher levels of probiotics, yet food sources provide nutritional benefits in addition to probiotics. Probiotic bacteria have long been associated with dairy products because some of the same bacteria that are used in fermented dairy products also make up the intestinal microbiota.
Dairy products are a desirable probiotic delivery vehicle for several reasons:
- Dairy foods can protect probiotic bacteria from high acid levels in the stomach, allowing higher levels of probiotics to reach the intestine.
- Refrigeration of dairy products helps promote the stability of probiotics.
- People are often afraid of bacteria in foods but have a positive perception of the terms live, active cultures linked to fermented dairy foods.
Probiotic-containing dairy products have healthy functional-food properties. Probiotics provide an added value to milk products that already have high levels of vitamins, minerals and protein needed for healthy growth and development in children and disease prevention and wellness in adults.
What Is The Role Of Probiotics
Probiotics have several functions. They help regulate and process your food intake and can create necessary vitamins for your system. They can also function as agents which break down medications so that your system can process them.
Probiotics, however, are best known for their important role in your gastrointestinal tract. Their function as the good bacteria is to maintain homeostasis by keeping a balancing act going. Probiotics have a primary function, and that is to moderate and regulate your entire digestive system. A good supplement may be the solution to helping you balance your system and restore your gut health. AtNorthlake Gastroenterology, we can help!
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When To Take Prebiotics
Most people in Europe dont hit the daily recommended allowance of fiber, which means that people are simply not getting enough plant-based foods. By doing so, they are also depriving their gut microbiomes of sustenance from prebiotics.
Increasing your prebiotic intake is really simple: eat prebiotic foods. This is particularly important for individuals who do not currently consume enough fibre in their diet, like those who eat lots of fat, processed meat, and refined sugars, as well as people who follow fad or restrictive diets.
Are Probiotics Good For You Not Always
16:54 minutes
Are probiotics good for you? The answer to that question seems baked right into their name: pro-biotics. Weve all heard about the benefits of a healthy gut microbiome. Probiotics are one way we try to give our digestive system an extra dose of that good bacteria.
Studies have shown that probiotics can help prematurely-born babies fight intestinal inflammation. And perhaps they can help older women from developing weaker bones. But what about everyone else? Can popping a few probiotic supplements do any harm?
The answer is yes. Too much of any bacteria, even the good kind, can be harmful to your digestive system. And if probiotic supplements headed for your colon dump their contents too early, bacteria in your small intestine can cause symptoms of brain fogginess. Dr. Satish Rao, Professor of Medicine at Augusta University, joins Ira to discuss why we should proceed with caution when it comes to probiotics.
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Can I Get Probiotics From Food
You can absolutely increase beneficial microbes in your body from the foods you eat. Certain foods have probiotics in them and can benefit the health of your microbiome.
These foods can be introduced into your diet at any point of the day. You may even be regularly eating them now and not realize that they contain probiotics. You will want to check the food label for live and active cultures. A few suggestions for just some of the probiotic-rich foods you can add to your diet and some times to try them include:
For breakfast, try:
Probiotic supplements may be combined with a prebiotic. Prebiotics are complex carbohydrates that feed the microorganisms in your gut. Basically, prebiotics are the food source for the good bacteria. They help feed the good bacteria and keep it healthy. Prebiotics include inulin, pectin and resistant starches.
When you have a supplement that combines a probiotic and prebiotic, its called a synbiotic.
The Best Way To Benefit From Probiotics
You can get probiotics from a variety of foods or supplements.
If you want to buy a probiotic supplement, then there is an with thousands of customer reviews.
Live probiotic cultures are often found in fermented dairy products such as yogurts and milk drinks. Fermented foods like pickled vegetables, tempeh, miso, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and soy products may also contain some lactic acid bacteria.
You can also take probiotics as tablets, capsules and powders that contain the bacteria in dried form.
However, be aware that some probiotics can be destroyed by stomach acid before they even reach the gut meaning that you get none of the intended benefits.
If you want to experience any of the health benefits discussed above, its important that you consume adequate amounts.
Most of the studies showing benefits used dosages of 1 billion to 100 billion live organisms or colony-forming units per day.
More about probiotics:
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Understanding The Health Benefits Of Taking Probiotics
What are the benefits of taking probiotics? Bacteria have a reputation for causing disease, so the idea of tossing down a few billion a day for your health might seem literally and figuratively hard to swallow. But a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that you can treat and even prevent some illnesses with foods and supplements containing certain kinds of live bacteria. Northern Europeans consume a lot of these beneficial microorganisms, called probiotics , because of their tradition of eating foods fermented with bacteria, such as yogurt. Probiotic-laced beverages are also big business in Japan.
Some digestive disease specialists are recommending probiotic supplements for disorders that frustrate conventional medicine, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Since the mid-1990s, clinical studies suggest that probiotic therapy can help treat several gastrointestinal ills, delay the development of allergies in children, and treat and prevent vaginal and urinary infections in women.
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What Is A Postbiotic
Posbiotics are the byproducts created by the body after prebiotics and probiotics have been digested. This type of biotic would include nutrients like vitamin B and K, antimicrobial peptides that slow down the growth of harmful bacteria in the body, and amino acids.
Other postbiotic substances are also responsible for helping healthy bacteria flourish inside the body. Now, postbiotics are fairly new to the medical scene, so theres not a lot of evidence to prove their efficacy with regards to the benefits they have for the body.
With that said, postbiotics are linked to several health benefits, such as:
- Strengthening of the immune system
- Aid in relieving digestive symptoms
- Prevention and treatment of diarrhea
- Reduce the severity of allergies
- Help with weight loss
- Lower the risk of heart disease
- Manage blood sugar levels
- Have anti-tumor properties that would suppress the growth and spread of certain cancer cells
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Probiotics: What Are They And How Do They Work
Two studies published in Cell this week raise concerns over probiotics.
Two studies published in Cell earlier this week raise concerns about the usefulness of probiotics and cast doubt on their safety, leading to apprehension among consumers, vendors, and health care providers alike. But what exactly are probiotics? Who takes them? And how do the findings from the two studies fit into our existing knowledge base? Lets take a deeper look.
How Might Probiotics Work
Probiotics may have a variety of effects in the body, and different probiotics may act in different ways.
Probiotics might:
- Help your body maintain a healthy community of microorganisms or help your bodyâs community of microorganisms return to a healthy condition after being disturbed
- Produce substances that have desirable effects
- Influence your bodyâs immune response.
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Where To Find Probiotics
You don’t have to take a daily supplement to get enough of this beneficial bacteria. Probiotics are found in yogurt and other fermented dairy products such as kefir, naturally aged cheese such as Gouda, fermented soybean foods such as miso and tempeh, naturally fermented sour pickles and cabbage such as sauerkraut and kimchi, sourdough bread, and the fermented tea kombucha, says Newgent.
“You can get plenty of probiotics from foods you eat,” notes Newgent. “If you’re regularly eating foods rich in probiotics, purchasing these probiotic drinks isn’t necessary, especially if you’re on a tight food budget,” she adds. But it’s certainly fine to opt for a probiotic beverage, especially if you have minor digestive issues or don’t regularly consume natural food sources of these good bacteria, says Newgent.
Using Probiotics For Oral Health
Probiotics can help manage many oral health issues associated with poor dental hygiene and lack of attention to oral health. Controlling dental plaque is the first line of defense against disease. Probiotics can boost this resistance and help balance the microbial colonization of the mouth. Promoting healthy bacteria in the mouth is the main focus of probiotics.Streptococcus Mutans is one strain of bacteria that is associated with dental caries. This strain of bacteria is highly acidic and rapidly changes carbohydrates to a caustic substance that adheres to the teeth and promotes the breakdown of the enamel. Oral probiotics containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, two intensely studied strains, help control the growth of these harmful bacteria. Reports show that taking an oral probiotic containing Bifidobacterium markedly reduces colony-forming units of the Streptococcus Mutans strain. Gingivitis and periodontitis diseases have decreased in those using probiotics to manage these issues .Studies show that using oral probiotics is safe to promote a healthy mouth. They offer both therapeutic and preventive effects. Beneficial bacteria may also help repair tooth decay that is often associated with diseases. All ages may benefit from the addition of probiotics to their daily dental hygiene. In one study, preschool children’s intake of good bacteria with oral probiotics has shown a reduced risk of caries and prevention of decay in school dental programs .
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Probiotics Arent Only Found In Dairy Products
You may think of probiotics as limited to yogurt or other dairy products, but theyre also found in plenty of other foods. They are in many fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, and kefir. They can also be found in supplements and even non-dairy yogurts like coconut milk yogurt or soy probiotic yogurt .
If you want to add some cultured veggies from your fridge into a salad or sandwich without having to make them yourself at home firstor if you dont have time for thatyou can buy them pre-made at most grocery stores these days too.
Benefit No : Yogurt With Active Cultures May Help The Gut
While more study is needed, there’s some evidence that yogurt with active cultures may help certain gastrointestinal conditions, including:
- Lactose intolerance
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- H. pylori infection
That’s what researchers from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University concluded in a review article. The benefits are thought to be due to:
- Changes in the microflora of the gut
- The time food takes to go through the bowel.
- Enhancement of the body’s immune system .
In another recent study, the type of diarrhea that some people get after taking antibiotics was found to be reduced when the study participants drank a drink containing three particular probiotics .
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How Often Should You Take A Probiotic Supplement
Research is still emerging about the gut microbiome, but it is safe to consume sources of probiotics each day. Taking most probiotics once per day can offer many different health benefits, while some probiotic strains have specific dose recommendations.
Probiotics are good bacteria that, when taken in adequate amounts, help balance your digestive system, which is home to hundreds of thousands of bacteria already. Some of those pre-existing bacteria are beneficial, while others can be harmful and may make you sick.
There are several bacterial strains commonly found in the human gut, yet each persons gut flora is unique, made up of different strains and amounts of bacteria. The bacteria in your intestines have different roles, such as producing fatty acids or defending against pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Each probiotic strain also has different effects on the body. Because of this, there isnt a standard recommendation for how much and how often to take probiotic supplements, but evidence shows that use of probiotics can provide numerous health benefits.
What Can Negatively Affect Gut Bacteria
There are a number of components that negatively affect gut bacteria including lifestyle factors such as smoking and high stress levels, as well as the use of antibiotics.
Designed to fight infections, antibiotics reduce and deplete the natural bacteria living in the gut. Resistance to antibiotics is becoming a serious problem worldwide and it is for this reason that we should only take these when absolutely necessary.
Stress can change the number and diversity of our gut bacteria, which in turn affects the immune system and may explain why certain conditions, such as eczema or acne, flare up when we are more stressed.
Excessive alcohol consumption can be inflammatory and may affect the lining of our digestive system, where a lot of our microbiome live, reducing them in numbers and therefore affecting our health.
A long-term reduced intake of fermentable carbohydrates for the treatment of IBS can also negatively affect the bacteria in the gut. It is therefore important that these foods are only omitted for a specified time under the guidance of a specialist dietitian as the implications of long-term avoidance needs further research.
Smoking also has a negative impact on the bacterial composition of the gut in addition to the well documented health risks it carries.
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