Think all bacteria are bad for you? Think again! There’s a special type of bacteria called probiotics, which may give your health and wellbeing a major boost.

You’ve heard about the “bad” bacteria that can make you sick. But did you know there are also “good” bacteria that can actually improve your health?

These beneficial bacteria are called probiotics, from the Latin and Greek words meaning “for life.” It means probiotics can improve your life.

Benefits of Probiotics

The latest research shows that probiotics may offer benefits against a range of health conditions, including
1. Allergies
2. Arthritis
3. Asthma
4. Cancer
5. Depression
6. Heart disease, and
7.
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems.
8. Probiotics may even help with weight loss and cognitive function! 
9. Improves women’s health and the health of their babies
10. Make Exercise more effective and help you recover more quickly
11. May positively influence mood and cognition…and other essential insights.

Strains of Probiotics

There are different strains of probiotics offering different health benefits. For example, L. acidophilus has been shown to support healthy digestion and immune function, while B.

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longum blocks unfriendly bacteria and yeast. 

Probiotics are identified by their specific strain, which includes the genus, the species, the subspecies (if applicable), and an alphanumeric strain designation [3]. The seven core genera of microbial organisms most often used in probiotic products are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia, and Bacillus.

Sources of Probiotics

Foods
Some foods are naturally loaded with probiotics — for example, yogurt, kombucha, tempeh, miso, and sauerkraut (As you might have noticed, these are all fermented foods — it’s the fermentation process that creates probiotics.)

Fermented foods are made through the growth and metabolic activity of a variety of live microbial cultures. Many of these foods are rich sources of live and potentially beneficial microbes. Some fermented foods, such as sourdough bread and most commercial pickles, are processed after they are fermented and do not contain live cultures in the form in which they are consumed. Many commercial yogurts, another type of fermented food, contain probiotic microorganisms, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.

The live microorganisms used to make many fermented foods, including yogurt, typically survive well in the product throughout its shelf life. However, they usually do not survive transit through the stomach and might not resist degradation in the small intestine by hydrolytic enzymes and bile salts and, therefore, might not reach the distal gut [7,8]. However, legitimate probiotic strains contained in yogurt or other foods do survive intestinal transit.

Fermented foods that contain live cultures but do not typically contain proven probiotic microorganisms include many cheeses, kimchi (a Korean fermented cabbage dish), kombucha (a fermented tea), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), miso (a fermented soybean-based paste), pickles, and raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar made from fermented apple sugars [8].

Certain unfermented foods, such as milks, juices, smoothies, cereals, nutrition bars, and infant and toddler formulas, have added microorganisms. Whether these foods are truly probiotics depends on the microorganism levels they contain when they are eaten, whether they survive intestinal transit, and whether their specific species and strains have health effects.

Dietary supplements
Probiotics are also available as dietary supplements (in capsules, powders, liquids, and other forms) containing a wide variety of strains and doses [9].
These products often contain mixed cultures of live microorganisms rather than single strains. The effects of many commercial products containing “probiotics” have not been examined in research studies, and it is difficult for people not familiar with probiotic research to determine which products are backed by evidence. However, some organizations have systematically reviewed the available evidence and developed recommendations on specific probiotics—including appropriate product, dose, and formulation—to use for preventing or treating various health conditions [3,10].

Probiotics are measured in colony forming units (CFU), which indicate the number of viable cells. Amounts may be written on product labels as, for example, 1 x 109 for 1 billion CFU or 1 x 1010 for 10 billion CFU. Many probiotic supplements contain 1 to 10 billion CFU per dose, but some products contain up to 50 billion CFU or more. However, higher CFU counts do not necessarily improve the product’s health effects.

Current labeling regulations only require manufacturers to list the total weight of the microorganisms on probiotic products’ Supplement Facts labels; this cellular mass can consist of both live and dead microorganisms and, therefore, has no relationship with the number of viable microorganisms in the product [11]. Manufacturers may now voluntarily list the CFUs in a product in addition to total microorganism weight on the Supplement Facts label. Because probiotics must be consumed alive to have health benefits and they can die during their shelf life, users should look for products labeled with the number of CFU at the end of the product’s shelf life, not at the time of manufacture.

Adding probiotics to your diet doesn’t have to be a struggle.

If you’re not a fan of fermented foods, you can still enjoy the health benefits of probiotics by taking a probiotic supplement (but check with your doctor first to make sure supplements are right for you). 

The evidence is clear: probiotics can play an important role in achieving and maintaining good health.

Sources:
Harvard Health Publishing
National Institute of Health.

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