Are Probiotics Really Good For You?

Are probiotics really good for you? Probiotics is meant to promote healthy gut bacteria.  It introduces good bacteria to the body and helps to maintain the natural balance of gut bacteria. Probiotics can be discovered in fermented foods or supplements.

One of the features of probiotics is its ability to prevent diarrhea or minimize it. One of the most common side effects of taking antibiotics is diarrhea. And the reasons is it negatively affects the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.

There have been several studies that have linked gut health to mood and mental health. Animal and human studies have shown that probiotic supplements can improve some mental health disorders.

Are probiotics really good for you? Photo credit: iStock- newannyart

There were 15 human research studies that were reviewed that showed that supplementing Bifidobacterium and lactobacillus strains for 1 to 2 months helped improved anxiety, depression, autism, obsessive compulsion disorder and memory.

“One of the features of probiotics is its ability to prevent diarrhea or minimize it.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike

Other studies showed that taking probiotic supplements for 8 weeks decreased depression levels compared to people who did not take a probiotic.

Probiotics may be able to help reduce your cholesterol and support a healthy heart. There were 5 studies that eating a probiotic yogurt for 2 to 8 weeks reduced total cholesterol by 4% and LDL cholesterol by 5%. There were about 9 studies that showed taking  probiotic supplements reduced blood pressure.

The bacteria strains that some of the probiotics have are Bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. These strains are known to reduce symptoms in digestive disorders such as ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. It has tremendous health benefits as well as digestive health benefits.

Probiotics may also help improve your immune system and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.  Studies have shown that it promotes the production of natural antibodies in the body.

If you choose to take probiotics through foods then the types of fermented foods you can eat are kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, pickled vegetables.  If you choose to take probiotics from dietary supplements it is available in the form of powder, tablets, capsules.

There was a study that was done on 36 smokers taking a probiotic strain of lactobacilli plantarum for 6 weeks. And the result showed it reduced blood pressure levels significantly. So, probiotics can help with reducing blood pressure levels if those health conditions persist.

The Bottom Line Probiotics can be consumed through fermented foods or supplements. Studies have shown that probiotics can reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, improve gut health and improve inflammation.

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