The Benefits of taking a Probiotic

Have you ever pondered over the health benefits of probiotics? You may not believe this but even as you are reading this article, a battle may be going on right inside your intestinal tract. Luckily, the bacteria outnumber the cells at a ratio of ten to one. This good bacteria is confirmed to be highly beneficial to the health of your bowel and intestinal tracts.

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that bring significant health benefits to the body when taken in an appropriate amount. Of late, probiotics have become very popular. Almost everyone talks about the criticality of probiotic supplements in our daily diet and how they help promote optimal digestion.

Often, we are confronted with the question ‘What form of probiotics is actually good for the body? To answer this question, here are few benefits of probiotics when taken adequately into the body.

1. Prevention of Colon Cancer

A growing number of studies have shown gut health may be the key to avoiding colon cancer. There are 100 trillion microorganisms living in our intestines. Some are good, some are bad. What we eat, where we live and our genetics can affect the balance of these bacteria. Several studies show that people with colon cancer had an unhealthy population of gut bacteria before the cancer developed. Taking probiotics, eating probiotic foods such as yogurt, fermented sauerkraut, kimchi or miso, or drinking kombucha or kefir, can help promote a healthy gut and prevent colon cancer.

2. Probiotics suppress the growth of parasites, fungi, disease-causing bacteria and yeasts

These are factors that cause the increase of infectious diarrhea, skin infection, stomach infection, irritable bowel disease, tooth decay, Helicobacter pylori infection, vaginal infection, and respiratory infection. Probiotics are known to be effective in eliminating parasites and viruses that can trigger illness.

3. Improving Immune System

70-80% of our immune system resides in the gut. Probiotics help promote the lining of the intestines to form a protective barrier against harmful bacteria. This action helps promote a stronger immune system allowing the body to ward off infection and disease. Some healthy intestinal flora produce lactic and acetic acids. These acids lower the pH of the gut, leaving it vulnerable to the growth of harmful bacteria. Probiotics release antibacterial peptides that can kill these harmful bacteria, thus promoting a stronger immune system.

4. Lowering Cholesterol

Several studies have shown, the bacteria, Lactobacillus reuteri, can help lower LDL cholesterol levels. These studies show that it can break down cholesterol esters that are attached to the “bad” saturated fats.

5. Lowering Blood Pressure

Probiotics may also help in lowering blood pressure since ACE inhibitor peptides are produced as a byproduct of fermentation. ACE inhibitors are responsible for the regulation of blood pressure. Blood pressure can also go down since probiotics are capable of lowering bad cholesterol. When bad cholesterol is lowered, so is blood glucose and insulin resistance. This promotes balance of fluids and lowers blood pressure.