The human body is full of live bacteria, sometimes bad and sometimes good microorganisms; the ones that usually help in cleaning the human guts are referred to as the helpful or good bacteria. The idea of having live beneficial bacteria in the human body can be difficult to comprehend because man generally have the basic conception that bacteria utterly means something bad in the system. However, there are group of good bacteria that live inside the human body that helps in cleaning the gut and protecting the immune system.

When food is taken into the human system, it goes to the digestive tracts where some organisms work on the food molecules breaking it down into smaller particles to aid digestion. There are certain good microorganisms that live in the digestive system of the human that help specifically in digesting food, destroying disease-causing microorganisms and producing vitamins. These good microorganisms are called probiotics. They are usually live bacteria and yeasts that exist in the digestive tracts of the human body. The word probiotic comes from two Greek words; pro meaning ‘promoting’ and biotic meaning ‘life’.

However, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) in October 2013 defined probiotic as live microorganisms that when taken in satisfactory quantities, convene a health benefit on the host. A detailed survey has shown that age, genetics, and diet may affect the structure of the bacteria in the body. When there is a sort of imbalance in the amount of good bacteria in the human body, the condition is known as dysbiosis, and this health condition increases the chances of diseases in the intestinal tract, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease and also systemic diseases like obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

These microorganisms are seen in almost every part of the human body. They live on the skin, on the nose and also in the gut. Studies has also revealed that there are trillions of these microorganisms in our bodies and they outnumber the human cells in the ratio of 10 to one, but owing to their small size, they only make up one to three percent of the human body’s total mass.

Some studies, however, suggested that probiotic gives a better looking skin. Besides, aiding in digestion, probiotics also helps in reducing depression and promoting heart health. These microorganisms also help in treating other health conditions and diseases like skin infections and allergies. They are usually available in some foods and nutritive supplements. The exciting part of probiotic is that unlike many other elements needed for healthy living, probiotics available in foods and nutritive supplements are similar to the probiotics that exist naturally in the human gut.

The naturally existing probiotic in the human system does not need or depend on additional food containing probiotics or the nutritive supplements to do its job. Nonetheless, food and nutritional supplements that contain probiotics help the good bacteria and yeast already in the gut in carrying out their activities.

Probiotics are usually fragile and need to be sheltered from various elements that can easily reduce their sustainability; some of these elements include heat, oxygen, light and humidity. It is therefore imperative to know if the probiotic to be taken needs to be refrigerated while taking it. Probiotic bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, adolescentis, breve, longum and Saccharomyces boulardii are very delicate, and are quite sensitive to light, heat, moisture and oxygen. In other to get the full benefit of these probiotics, the probiotic bacteria strains need to be refrigerated so that their usefulness can be sustained and protected.

Probiotics are naturally seen in the human guts and can be gotten from nutritive supplements as well, most times also, probiotics are seen in fermented food and food products. This article would be looking into the probiotics and its nutritive supplement–the facts about it, the roles, sources of probiotics, the effects and side effects encountered during its usage, its health benefits, and when it is not safe to use it.

FACTS ABOUT PROBIOTICS

Probiotics help keep the body healthy and active by decreasing the amount of bad yeast and bacteria in the human system that could cause infections or swelling. These good microorganisms are known to produce substances that hinder the growth of bad bacteria in the digestive tracts. They also replace the body’s good bacteria that may have been lost from antibiotics intakes and also restores the body’s good microorganism balance which in turn keeps the body functioning properly as expected.

During a canal birth, a newborn picks these helpful bacteria from his or her mother; a baby delivered through caesarian section however, has been attested to not pick these microorganisms and hence known to have lots of allergies while growing.

SOURCES OF PROBIOTICS

Although probiotics exist naturally in the human gut, there are other sources from which probiotics could be gotten. Probiotics that occur naturally in the intestine include; saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus and Bifobacterium. Other sources of probiotics include foods such as soy drinks, some juices, fermented and unfermented milk, buttermilk, some soft cheeses, miso, tempeh, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, many pickles and then food products like yogurt. Probiotics found in yogurts are called Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Probiotics can also be found in nutritive supplements available in capsules, tablets, powders and liquid extracts. These supplements contain various types and levels of probiotic and found most times in health food and natural food stores, vitamin shops, and other stores. The commonly used probiotic supplement mostly produced by most manufacturers is Acidophilus.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Studies suggest that probiotic supplements may be helpful in treating and also preventing inflammatory conditions to the digestive tract such as puchitis. It also prevent inflammatory bowel diseases such ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease; and also in treating long-term stomach inflammation and ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori bacterium.

Probiotics from research is known to be very effective in treating constipation, acid reflux, and spastic colon; shortening the duration of infectious diarrhea; and reducing the recurrence of bladder and colorectal cancer. There are also few studies clamming that probiotics are also being used for boosting of the human immune system. Other studies have gone further with the claim that probiotics are used extensively in the cure of joint stiffness, mental illness, sleeping problems, childhood stomach and respiratory infections, skin infections like eczema, allergies, lactose intolerance and asthma, although there are no sufficient evidence to back these claims up.

Probiotics in yogurt is also helpful in preventing a common side effect found with treatments using antibiotics like diarrhea. Studies have also shown that probiotics are used to prevent or treat urinary tract infections and vaginal yeast infections in women.

There has also been an extensive research that revealed that when some food products with probiotic effect were taken as nutritive supplements especially in teenagers, but also falteringly in women that have gone beyond menopause, that there was a notable increase in their calcium absorption as well as bone calcium accretion and the density of mineral in the bone.

EFFECTS AND SIDE EFFECTS

Not minding that probiotics exists naturally in the human body, they may trigger allergic reactions when taken in doses not recommended for the body. These reactions may result in mild stomach upset, diarrhea, flatulence and bloating for the first few days of taking it.

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and also patients with weakened immune systems, critically ill people, people who have had surgeries, and sick children are advised to use probiotics with a lot of caution due to infections some studies have reported to occur when these set of people used probiotics.

Nutritive supplements in the U.S are usually not monitored by the FDA and therefore have no organized body monitoring the safety and effectiveness of these said supplements. This however means that consumers depend solely on the claims and assurances given to them by the manufacturers.

Researchers are somehow unclear on the effectiveness of probiotic supplements. Some percentages of studies say probiotic supplements are effective while others insists they add no benefit whatsoever to the human body.  There is however some sort of uncertainty on which probiotics to use and what combination would work together with other medications to treat certain diseases.

GROUPS THAT SHOULD AVOID PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENT

Probiotics have been recorded to tentatively result in infections that might need to be treated with antibiotics, particularly in people with certain health conditions. Studies revealed that probiotics can also cause harmful metabolic activities, an enormous stimulation of the immune system, and or insertion of genetic material into a cell also known as gene transfer. Cancer patients should avoid the use of probiotic supplements unless recommended by their health care provider.

In situations of pregnancy or during the breast feeding period, the use of probiotics supplement should be properly double-checked with the doctor or health care provider before usage.

CONCLUSION

Probiotic supplements are not monitored by FDA and this in turn leaves the safety and effectiveness of the supplement at the mercy of the manufacturers. It is however advised to deal with trusted manufacturers only and be sure to take the recommended dosage encouraged by the health care provider.

The probiotic supplement has been known to interfere with other medicines, in cases where the supplement is recommended by a health care provider, it is necessary to adhere strictly to the recommended dosage and the right combination.