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TRU T YOUR G T

Confused by all the info and hype surrounding probiotics and their purported benefits? Here’s a breakdown of their pros and cons.

BY KYM KLASS

If you’re interested in improving your personal health and striving to prevent a variety of health issues, you’ve no doubt heard of probiotics. If you’re still wondering just what they really are and what they can (and can’t) do, use this guide to learn why they are beneficial, what potential side effects they can cause and more.

WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. They can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods, dietary supplements and beauty products.

Although people often think of bacteria and other microorganisms as harmful “germs,” many are actually helpful, and according to Healthline, probiotics can help balance these friendly bacteria in your digestive system. Some bacteria help digest food, destroy disease-causing cells or produce vitamins. Many of the microorganisms in probiotic products are the same as, or similar to, microorganisms that naturally live in our

bodies. (Source: National Institutes of Health)

THE GOOD STUFF:

Top Probiotic Benefits

• Help balance the friendly bacteria in your digestive system • Improve some mental health conditions • May reduce the severity of eczema in children and infants • May help boost your immune system • May help you lose weight and belly fat

(Source: healthline.com)

TUMMY TROUBLES

Due to their work to balance the environment in the gut, there is some evidence that probiotics aid in the treatment or prevention of digestive and other health issues like:

• Diarrhea • Irritable bowel syndrome • Ulcerative colitis • Crohn’s disease • Vaginal infections • H. pylori (the cause of ulcers) • Urinary tract infections • Recurrence of bladder cancer • Infection of the digestive tract caused by clostridium difficile • Pouchitis (a possible side effect of surgery that removes the colon)

(Source: Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School)

Foods that interfere with probiotics:

INTAKE: ON YOUR PLATE OR IN A PILL?

You can buy probiotic supplements, but you can also ingest probiotics by adding certain foods to your diet, like these healthy probiotic-rich foods:

• Yogurt • Kefir (a fermented milk drink) • Sauerkraut • Tempeh (a fermented soybean product) • Kimchi • Pickles • Traditional buttermilk • Miso (a Japanese seasoning) • Kombucha (a fermented black or green tea drink) • Natto (fermented soybean product)

(Source: healthline.com)

• Carbonated drinks • Processed foods • GMO products • Red meat • Gluten-rich foods • Refined oils • Dairy foods • Tap water

(Source: Menolabs)

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

It’s not just digestive conditions that probiotics seem to positively affect. Other ailments probiotics may treat and prevent include heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, allergies and asthma, plus anxiety and depression.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Probiotics are safe for the majority of the population, but side effects can occur, with the most common being a temporary increase in gas, bloating, constipation and thirst, according to healthline. com, which adds the following to the potential side effect list:

• Amines in probiotic foods may trigger headaches. • Some strains can increase histamine levels. • They can increase infection risk for some.

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