Not all bacteria cause disease. In fact, hundreds of species of bacteria in your gut – including species of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera – aid your body in digestion, according to the California Dairy Research Foundation. “Good” bacteria are sometimes also known as probiotics. You may even be able to further improve your digestion by swallowing healthy bacteria species in certain foods and supplements.
Effects of Gut Bacteria
Every healthy bowel contains about 100 trillion micro-organisms, including bacteria, and most of them are helpful, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. Among their functions, they help keep harmful micro-organisms at bay, they help you absorb food, they keep your immunity intact and they help you digest food. However, your gut’s number of “bad” micro-organisms may end up superseding its number of “good” micro-organisms if you pick up an unfriendly micro-organism such as a parasite or foodborne illness. The balance may also be thrown off if you take antibiotics.
Digestive Benefits
Probiotics you get in food may help restore the balance of “good” to “bad” gut bacteria, which may aid the return of healthy digestion. According to a 2002 “Pediatrics” study, Lactobacillus bacteria helped treat children with infectious diarrhea. Certain probiotics may also help prevent traveler’s diarrhea and treat diarrhea caused by antibiotics. Other research, published in a 2006 issue of the “American Journal of Gastroenterology,” found that people with irritable bowel syndrome were less likely to have bloating, bowel dysfunction, constipation and gas when they took probiotics than when they took a placebo. Probiotics may also help reduce the severity of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and speed up the treatment of some intestinal infections.
Considerations
The word “probiotics” is frequently listed on product labels for foods such as dairy products, energy bars and cereals. However, the quality of probiotic products isn’t consistent, and not all of these products have been tested for their specific digestive benefits, according to Harvard Health Publications. And while some evidence shows that probiotics can help reduce digestive problems, no proof confirms that it is because they replenish your good bacteria. Still, you may reap some digestive benefits from taking probiotics.
Tips
The American Dietetic Association suggests using varieties that have been backed by some research. Generally, commercially offered products that have probiotics from Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces genera are considered safe if you're healthy. Ask your doctor before you try using probiotics to treat a digestive problem. In some cases, probiotics can lead to mild digestive side effects such as bloating and gas, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: How to Boost Your Immune System
- “Pediatrics”; Lactobacillus Therapy for … Infectious Diarrhea in Children; C. Van Niel, et al.; 2002
- “American Journal of Gastroenterology”; Efficacy of an Encapsulated Probiotic … in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome; P. Whorwell, et al.; 2006
- “Journal of Nutrition”; Probiotic Effects on Inflammatory Bowel Disease; B. Shell, et al.; 2007
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction to Probiotics
- American Dietetic Association: Probiotics and Digestion
- Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Health Benefits of Taking Probiotics
- MayoClinic.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- USProbiotics.org: California Dairy Research Foundation
