In today’s world, seemingly beneficial products and practices can negatively impact our health. Take industrial farming, for example. Conventional crops are often grown in depleted soils, which leaves us lacking essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The widespread use of antibacterial soap, hand sanitizers, and antibiotics also interferes with the beneficial microorganisms that play a crucial role in supporting our immune system.
The Importance of Good Bacteria
Good bacteria, also known as probiotics, are essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Our gut houses around 80 percent of our immune system, and the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria is critical for our physical, emotional, and mental health.
The brain-gut axis is the bidirectional communication highway between the cognitive and emotional areas of the brain and the intestinal functions. If the balance of bacteria in your gut is disrupted, it can lead to various physical issues ranging from infection to headaches, autoimmune disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. The imbalance can also negatively affect your mood, cognitive functions, and overall mental health. That said, the signals can travel both ways; anxiety or stress can cause your digestive tract to react with discomfort or “butterflies”.
Probiotic-Rich Foods
Eating foods rich in probiotics is one way to ensure you have a sufficient amount of beneficial bacteria in your gut. These naturally probiotic-rich foods include fermented items such as tempeh, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and certain types of yogurt. However, it may be challenging to get enough probiotics just from these limited food sources.
Probiotic Supplements
Considering the difficulty in obtaining enough probiotics from food alone, taking a high-quality probiotic supplement can be an effective solution. When selecting a supplement, look for one that contains multiple bacteria species and strains that are proven to remain potent and viable both on the shelf and in your body until they reach their destination in the gut.
Taking a probiotic supplement every day can benefit your overall gut and intestinal health and promote a general sense of well-being. This is particularly important if you have been prescribed antibiotics, which can disrupt your gut’s bacterial balance, or have a compromised immune system.
Additional Benefits of Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements offer several other benefits:
- Improve digestion and absorption of nutrients
- Assist in the production of essential vitamins such as vitamin B and vitamin K
- Help manage symptoms of various digestive disorders, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Prevent or reduce the severity of diarrhea, including that caused by antibiotic use
- Enhance immune system function and reduce the risk of infections, allergies, and autoimmune diseases
- Support mental health; recent research has linked the gut microbiome to mood and mental health, suggesting that probiotics may help alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress
Choosing the Right Probiotic Supplement
When choosing a probiotic supplement, remember these tips:
- Check the label for the number of live organisms (colony forming units or CFUs). Opt for a supplement with at least 1 billion CFUs, as this is a sufficient amount for most people.
- Look for multiple strains of beneficial bacteria, as different strains have different benefits.
- Verify the shelf-stability of the product. Some probiotics require refrigeration to retain their potency, while others can be stored at room temperature.
- Look for a supplement with a delayed-release mechanism to ensure the probiotic organisms survive the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach and reach the intestines where they can thrive.
In conclusion, the modern world presents numerous challenges to maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in our bodies. While eating probiotic-rich foods is a good start, taking a high-quality probiotic supplement can significantly improve your gut and intestinal health, immune system function, and overall well-being. So, consider making probiotics a part of your daily routine.
