Your body is well-stocked with trillions of living microorganisms called probiotics. Largely contained in the intestines and digestive system, probiotics are helpful bacteria that are thought to aid normal digestion, support immune function and protect your body against a range of harmful bacteria. Consuming probiotics through natural food sources like yogurt is one way to introduce the helpful bacteria into your system, but over-the-counter probiotic supplements are also gaining popularity as digestive health aids. Choosing the right approach depends on your existing health needs.
Benefits of Probiotics
In general terms, probiotics that occur naturally in your body act as "good bacteria" to counteract the effects of pathogens and potentially harmful bacteria. Introducing additional probiotics into your body through diets or supplements is suspected to have a range of digestive and immune health benefits. A 2003 study published in the Centers of Disease Control's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" confirmed the positive effects of a probiotic-rich diet in reducing loose stools and diarrhea in ill patients. Studies have also confirmed the benefits of probiotics in regulating other digestive illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome and lactose intolerance. Further research is needed confirming the effects of probiotics on immune deficiency disorders, cholesterol and certain cancers, although preliminary research appears promising.
Probiotics in Yogurt
Adding live probiotic cultures to yogurt assists in the activation of the fermentation process. In dietary studies, researchers have specifically demonstrated that probiotic yogurt has positive effects on digestion. Yogurts that advertise the addition of active probiotics most often contain a strain of Lactobacillus. A 1999 research review published in "Applied and Environmental Microbiology" confirmed that several Lactobacillus strains are linked to reducing loose stools, regulating digestion and restricting the growth of harmful bacteria that lead to infections. Although ingesting yogurt is a convenient and cost-effective way of introducing probiotics into your body, the Food and Drug Administration has not established probiotic labeling standards for foods and companies are not required to disclose the particular probiotic used in their food items. Probiotic viability is also negatively affected by heat and exposure to other ingredients in the yogurt, although each probiotic strain has its own tolerance threshold.
Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements contain high doses of a variety of helpful microorganisms. Supplements are a viable option if you have a digestive condition or diet that prevents you from eating yogurt. Unlike yogurt, probiotic supplements clearly list the specific strains contained in the product. More thorough labeling allows you to cater your probiotic intake to your specific health needs. However, as research on several strains of probiotics is either unconfirmed or limited to animal studies, the inclusion of multiple probiotics may provide no additional benefit to you. Probiotic supplements are not regulated by the same standards as medications, leaving safety guidelines up to the product manufacturers instead of an outside governing body.
Considerations
Speak to your health care provider before increasing your intake of probiotics, whether through functional foods like yogurt or through a probiotic supplement. Although supplements are generally regarded to be a more reliable, controllable way of increasing your probiotic content, neither the Food and Drug Administration or the European Food Safety Authority has confirmed any of the purported health benefits of probiotic supplements or enriched food items.
References
- "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report"; Managing Acute Gastroenteritis Among Children; Caleb M. King et al.; 2003
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Considerations for Use of Probiotic Bacteria to Modulate Human Health; Mary Ellen Sanders; 2000
- "The American Journal of Gastroenterology"; Efficacy of an Encapsulated Probiotic Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624 in Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome; P.J. Whorwell et al.; 2006
- "Applied and Environmental Microbiology"; The Scientific Basis for Probiotic Strains of Lactobacillus; Gregor Reid; 1999
- European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion of the NDA Panel LACTORAL and Living Probiotic Bacteria
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; DDS Probiotic Products Seized; June 2011
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