Probiotics benefits

Probiotics Benefits Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be consumed through fermented foods or supplements. Studies show that the balance of bacteria in your digestive system is linked to overall health and disease. Probiotics promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been linked to a wide variety of health benefits. These include benefits for weight loss, digestive health, immune function and more. This is an overview of the key health benefits linked to probiotics.

1. Boosts an Immune System Surprisingly, one of the main functions of healthful bacteria is to stimulate immune response.

By eating probiotic-rich foods and maintaining good intestinal flora, a person can also help to maintain a healthy immune system. And that has real world effects: for example, in one small study of students, those who were given a fermented dairy drink, instead of regular milk, displayed increased production from lymphocytes - a marker of immune response.

2. Weight Management One potential benefit of probiotics is the ability of certain strains to help with weight management in people with obese tendencies. A study on infants found that those who had high numbers of beneficial bifidobacteria appeared to have an increased level of protection from excess weight gain. Bifidobacteria flourishes in the guts of breast-fed babies, which may be one reason why breast-fed babies have a lower risk of becoming obese. Moreover, researchers are learning that obese people’s gut microbes differ from those of lean people.

Lean individuals tend to have higher amounts of various healthy bacteria.

3. Women's Health Just like the digestive tract, the vagina relies on a balance of good and bad bacteria. When that balance is off, it can result in one of two very common, though thoroughly uncomfortable infections: bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections. In fact, bacterial vaginosis can actually lead to a yeast infection. Studies have found that L. acidophilius can help prevent infection, manage

an already active one or support antibiotics as a treatment, though it's worth noting that the probiotics were taken as vaginal suppositories, rather than orally in food.

4. Balance The Friendly Bacteria in Your Digestive System Probiotics include "good" bacteria. These are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed. These benefits are thought to result from the ability of probiotics to restore the natural balance of gut bacteria. An imbalance means there are too many bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria. It can happen due to illness, medication such as antibiotics, poor diet and more. Consequences can include digestive issues, allergies, mental health problems, obesity and more.

5. Allergies At least one large, high quality study found a relationship between women taking probiotics during pregnancy and a 30 percent reduction in the instance of childhood eczema in their infants. Researchers selected women who had a history of seasonal allergies, or whose partners had histories of allergies. The infants who received probiotics in-vitro also had 50 percent higher levels of tissue inflammation, which is thought to trigger the immune system and reduce allergy incidence.

The idea that bacteria are beneficial can be tough to understand. We take antibiotics to kill harmful bacterial infections and use antibacterial soaps and lotions on a daily basis. The wrong bacteria in the wrong place can cause problems, but the right bacteria in the right place can have many benefits. This is where probiotics come in. Promoting a healthy digestive tract and a healthy immune system are their most widely studied benefits at this time. These are also commonly known as friendly, good, or healthy bacteria. Probiotics can be supplied through foods, beverages, and dietary supplements.