What is Probiotic? Why Should it be a Part of our Daily Regiment?

Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body. Bacteria are usually viewed in a negative light as something that makes you sick. However, you have two kinds of bacteria constantly in and on your body — good bacteria and bad bacteria. Let’s learn more…

Probiotics are made up of good bacteria that help keep your body healthy and working well. This good bacteria helps you in many ways, including fighting off bad bacteria when you have too much of it, helping you feel better. They are essential to an optimal physical being. 

Probiotics are part of a larger picture concerning bacteria and your body — your microbiome. Think of a microbiome as a diverse community of organisms, such as a forest, that work together to keep your body healthy. This community is made up of things called microbes. You have trillions of microbes on and in your body. These microbes are a combination of bacteria, fungi (including yeasts), viruses, and protozoa.

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How Do They Work?
The main job of probiotics, or good bacteria, is to maintain a healthy balance in your body. Think of it as keeping your body in neutral. When you are sick, bad bacteria enter your body and increase in number. This knocks your body out of balance. Good bacteria work to fight off the bad bacteria and restore the balance within your body, making you feel better.

Good bacteria keep you healthy by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation. Certain types of good bacteria can also:

• Help your body digest food.
• Keep bad bacteria from getting out of control and making you sick.
• Create vitamins.
• Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent bad bacteria that you may have consumed (through food or drinks) from entering your blood.
• Break down and absorb medications.
  

This balancing act is naturally happening in your body all of the time. You don’t need to take probiotic supplements to make it happen. Good bacteria is just a natural part of your body. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fiber every day helps to keep the number of good bacteria at proper levels.

Also Read: What About The Possibility Of Immunomodulatory Effects From The Food We Eat?

Health Benefits Of Taking It Daily

Taking probiotics daily will allow you to reap the most benefits from all the good bacteria entering the gut. Firstly, they help to support your immune system. Did you know that roughly 70% of your immune system is in your gut? Therefore, a balanced and healthy immune response is very much dependent on strong communities of helpful bacteria in the gut.

A premium-quality probiotic supplement can help to support the foundation of your health at its core. Probiotics can also encourage a balanced microbiome. The body’s delicate balance of bacteria can be under attack by unhealthy lifestyle choices and environmental factors – some of which you can’t help, like medications and aging. These factors can have significant impacts on your healthy microflora balance. This is why taking probiotic supplements every day is essential, as they will help to make sure that the healthy bacteria levels in your body are replenished so that your body can maintain a healthy state.

Probiotics can also help in terms of your day-to-day mood. Did you know that having a “gut feeling” is much more than having a hunch? A healthy gut environment plays a significant role in terms of your emotional and mental balance. The good bacteria in your intestinal tract support hundreds of nervous system chemicals being produced, which will regulate your mood.

Around 90 percent of the serotonin in your body is made in your gut. Serotonin is known as your brain’s “happy chemical.” Therefore, making sure your serotonin levels are balanced is one of the best things you can do to make sure that you live a happy life. Think we’re done? Far from it, the good news doesn’t stop here. Daily probiotics can help improve the appearance of your skin, maintain your blood sugar levels, reduce fatigue, boost energy levels, freshen your breath, support healthy weight management, and support nutrient absorption. No, it’s not too good to be true… this is just how your body is meant to function.

Also Read: Best Tricks to Increase White Blood Cells | Natural Ways To Increase Body Immunity Power

Boosts Your Immune System

Probiotics are an excellent front-line defense against infection. They inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, strengthen the immune system, and support the detoxification of the colon. Probiotics have also been shown to help treat and prevent urinary tract infections, reduce colds and flu, and fight food-borne illnesses.

Improves Digestion
Research has shown probiotics to be helpful for a whole host of digestive issues, including diarrhea, gas, stomach cramping, IBS, Crohn’s, and H. pylori infection. Probiotics are also said to be beneficial in colon cancer prevention.

Balances The Body’s “Good” Bacteria
Probiotics balance and restore friendly bacteria and promote healthy gut flora. Illness, medications, use of antibiotics, or diet can all affect the body’s natural bacteria, resulting in poor digestion, mood disorders, allergies, and more.

Improves Mental Health
Research shows that our gut flora has a direct connection to our brain. Many studies conclude that probiotics can aid in certain mental and mood disorders, including anxiety, stress, depression, and OCD.

Keeps The Hearth Healthy
Probiotics are helpful in both lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. In scientific studies, probiotics have been shown to improve heart function in patients with congestive heart failure. Probiotics may also boost vitamin D levels, which aid in overall heart health, inflammation, and blood pressure levels.

Lower Cholesterol
Probiotics not only lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) but have been shown to increase HDL (“good” cholesterol). Studies show that probiotics can reduce cholesterol esters which are tied to harmful plaque build-up in the arteries.

Fights Allergies And Eczema
Probiotics have been shown to help with eczema symptoms in children and infants and to aid in certain food and seasonal allergies.

Helps Manage Weight
Probiotics can help the body burn more calories, prevent the storage of fat, and help you feel fuller for longer. For these reasons and more, probiotics are successful in managing weight.

Sources:

https://www.parsnipsandpastries.com/health-benefits-of-probiotics/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-take-probiotics