When many of us hear the word “probiotic,” our minds tend to fill with the images of our favorite yogurts. While some might consider the rising popularity of these tiny microbes as simply a marketing gimmick by yogurt makers to trick us into buying more of their flavored dairy treats, recent probiotic research suggests that these bacterial cultures can actually prove rather beneficial in fighting and preventing a whole assortment of medical conditions.
Improved Digestive Tract
The human body generally houses over 1,000 different types of bacteria located in the GI tract. But when we take prescription medications, many of these “good” bacteria are actually eradicated by the medicine. This can lead to all sorts of side effect, such as diarrhea or constipation. Probiotics are often prescribed by physicians to replenish the levels of healthy bacteria in our digestive systems, reducing these negative symptoms.
Boosting of the Immunity System
Strangely enough, this healthy bacteria located in the GI tract has a very specific purpose. It helps to rid the body of harmful toxins that can suppress our immunity systems. When the levels of good bacteria are low, we are at higher risk of infection, illness, and disease. Since probiotics replenish these bacteria cultures back to their normal levels, our immunity systems are essentially re-energized in the process.
Enhanced Urinary Tract
For those who regularly suffer from urinary tract infections, probiotics in combination with certain antibiotics can provide a one-two punch against the invasion of the harmful and unwelcome bacterial that causes these types of disorders while leaving the good bacteria essentially untouched.
Reduction in Childhood Allergies
One recent medical study shows a direct relationship between the injection of probiotics into an unborn fetus and a 30 percent reduction in infants born with childhood eczema and other allergies. It is believed that the probiotics increase tissue inflammation which leads to a strengthening of the immunity system in both mother and child.
Fighting Obesity
For years now, scientists have known of a direct relationship between obesity and abnormal bacterial growth in the digestive tract. Probiotics help to rebalance the levels of healthy or “good” bacteria while eradicating the unwanted or “bad” pathogens. Further studies show that patients who have undergone weight loss surgery have higher success rates of keeping the weight off permanently if probiotics are part of the aftercare treatment program.
While further research is still ongoing to better determine the effects of probiotics on obesity, this is still remarkable news that gives great hope to millions of people around the world. As long as the food source of the probiotics is considered lower in caloric content, most nutritional experts agree that probiotics play a significant role in our long-term health.
And probiotics can be found in many other foods beside yogurt, including sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha tea, and kefir. But not all probiotic foods have the same types of benefits and advantages. Some foods have a higher CFU, or colony-forming unit, than others. A higher CFU number means a denser amount of good bacteria.