Probiotics, Why They Are Good For You

Mar 12

Written By Char

As someone who lives in the US, I have found that probiotics have been life-changing for me. Unfortunately, the Western diet is a major contributor to inflammation and disruption of gut health (1), making it difficult to maintain optimal health without additional support. While it would be ideal to rely solely on our body's natural processes, the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in our world means that probiotic supplements can provide much-needed support to our gut health. In this blog post, I'll be answering some of the most common questions I receive as a Gut Health focused Coach, including: What are probiotics? What do they do? How do they work? What are they good for? Which ones should I take? And more!

This post contains affiliate links, through which we may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase, at no additional cost to you. We only share products or services we personally use & recommend!

So, let’s get technical for a second

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are foods or supplements rich with live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve “good” (normal microflora) bacteria in the body (body is also gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, vagina, skin, etc.)

What do they do?

Probiotics regulate the immune response, decreasing intestinal inflammation and preventing infection. (2) For more in-depth research, on allergy, inflammation, and your gut check here*(Link) What’s more, probiotics can support bowel movement regularity, stool consistency & quality and help with other conditions such as gas and occasional bloating. Hence, probiotics can alleviate constipation.

How do they work?

Probiotics work by enhancing gut barrier function. Meaning they stimulate the intestinal barrier function (cell wall) to purposefully prevent pathogens or inflammatory compounds from crossing the gut barrier. When the gut cannot properly stimulate the cell wall, then you experience inflammation or illness (i.e. viruses). When these mechanisms are functioning correctly, it helps your body maintain healthy immunological responses in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in systemic health benefits.

Benefits beyond your gut.

As a Holistic Health Coach, I am trained to take an integrative approach to wellness. I’ve not only studied this but have also experienced the benefits first-hand. A small shift often leads to bigger, positive changes over time. By simply taking care of your gut, you will reap the benefits beyond such as digestive health, gut immune function, cardiovascular health, dermatological health, mental health (3), and more.

Gut-brain connection.

Have you ever had a stomach ache and had it ruin your day? Or at least your mood? For me, that’s always the case. The reason for this is that your gut microbiome communicates with your brain, and vice versa, through the “gut-brain axis.”(4) Your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and enteric nervous system (a system of neurons in the intestines) link the cognitive and emotional centers of your brain with your intestinal functions. A better mood will always lead to better choices. Better choices lead to improved self-confidence, which leads to better work opportunities, which leads to improved relationships, which leads to a better life… you get the drift. By simply realizing that, it can help you understand how much is at risk with an imbalanced, unhealthy gut. I have seen the benefits from having a healthy functioning gut across all aspects in my life. And that’s why I believe probiotics are good for you.

Maximize the benefits.

I hate to break it down to you, but taking supplements is only half the battle. In order to address dysbiosis (an imbalanced (unhealthy) gut) you need not only appropriate probiotic supplementation, but nutritional support from prebiotic and fermented foods.(5)

Food that promotes gut health.

Evidence supports the consumption of plant foods for positive effects on health, including lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body mass, and inflammation. (6) The reason for this is because the relationship between fiber-rich foods that include prebiotics and the gut microbiota’s fermentation by-products is an important component. Some prebiotic foods that are selective to known beneficial gut bacteria include(7):

Asparagus

Bananas

Barley

Beans

Sugar beets

Chicory

Garlic

Honey

Human and cow’s milk

Onions

Peas

Seaweeds and microalgae

Soybeans

Tomatoes

What are digestive enzymes?

Naturally occurring digestive enzymes are proteins that your body makes to break down food and aid digestion. Both digestive enzymes and probiotics affect your digestion, but in very different ways. Probiotics are live organisms that make up the good bacteria in your gut. They help keep your digestive tract healthy, so they support the work your enzymes do. Unlike enzymes, probiotics do not have the ability to break down or digest food components. (8)

Before I reach gut health, I used to rely on digestive enzymes. But, in changing my eating habits- cutting highly processed, fatty foods my diet, especially fried foods and alcohol - and incorporating a well balanced diet focused on whole-foods with the combined used of probiotics, I’ve been able to get off digestive enzymes. Because, again, your body has the natural ability to create these proteins, we just have to work with it, not against it. As Denhard suggests, “it’s much more likely that someone will have GI irritation or other problems because of unhealthy foods, not an enzyme insufficiency.”(8)

Which one should I take?

There are plenty of products out there, to be more specific, “Probiotics are products that contain an adequate dose of live microbes that have been documented in target-host studies to confer a health benefit. Probiotics must be identified to the level of strain, must be characterized for the specific health target, and must be formulated into products using strains and doses shown to be efficacious.” - Liz Lipski, PhD, CCN, CNS, LDN. Meaning, if the product does not meet the aforementioned standards, it does not qualify to be a probiotic, so be mindful of this when buying anything labeled as such. My advice is to always do your research; do your due diligence!

I personally take Seed; I have been taking their DS—01 Daily Synbiotic for 3 years now and have not looked back. What is a synbiotic? A 2-in-1, capsule-in-capsule, probiotic, and prebiotic. It’s formulated for adults ages 18+ with 24 clinically and scientifically studied probiotic strains and a polyphenol-based prebiotic to support systemic health. To clarify, Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria (normal microflora) in the body and Prebiotics are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora. (8) It’s what I like most about Seed, you have both strains in one and the reason why I believe it's the most complete synbiotic out there in the market. Use code THEGUTLIFE15 for 15% discount at checkout at SEED.