Probiotics and Their Health Benefits for Your Body

Did you know that your body contains both harmful and harmless bacteria? Harmful bacteria are the origin of diseases, while harmless bacteria offer numerous health benefits. These bacteria are called probiotics. Your body needs to maintain a balance between the good and the harmful bacteria so that you can remain healthy. Probiotics can be obtained from certain foods such as yoghurt, garlic, onions, oats, nuts, bananas, beans, and root vegetables. You can also choose to take probiotic supplements which you can obtain from a trusted source such as Terra Origin.

What causes a reduction in good bacteria in the body?

Our guts house hundreds of trillions of bacteria, also known as gut flora. These bacteria are a combination of good and harmful ones. Unknown to you, several things harm the good bacteria in your body and make you prone to diseases. These include your diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

One factor that may prevent you from having a healthy population of probiotics is taking an unbalanced diet. Your diet should be rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and grains because the food you eat provides the nutrients which aid the growth of bacteria. 

Another factor is the excessive intake of alcohol and smoking, which causes dysbiosis; an imbalance of bacteria in the gut where the harmful bacteria exceed the good bacteria. 

The most common cause of the death of good bacteria is the use of antibiotics. Even one antibiotic treatment can destroy many harmless bacteria.  Other factors include lack of enough sleep, stress, and lack of exercise. 

The health benefits of probiotics

Apart from helping to balance the healthy bacteria in your gut, below are other benefits you gain from probiotics.

• They treat diarrhea

Probiotics can reduce the severity of diarrhea or prevent it altogether. Diarrhea mostly comes as a result of using antibiotics which kill the good bacteria in the gut. Even for other types of diarrhea not related to antibiotics, probiotics have proven useful. These include infectious and traveler’s diarrhea.

1. They are good for mental health 

Probiotics have been found to improve mental health disorders such as autism, anxiety, depression, memory, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. People who consume probiotic-rich foods such as yoghurt or take daily capsules will have better general health. These supplements also reduce inflammation and the level of insulin in the body.

• Improve cardiovascular health

Probiotics can lower your cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Some bacteria produce lactic acid, which breaks down bile in the gut and helps to lower cholesterol levels. When bile is broken down, it will not get into the heart as cholesterol.

• Reduce allergies and eczema

Some probiotics help reduce the symptoms of eczema and certain allergies in infants and children. Children of mothers who take probiotics during pregnancy also have a lower risk of developing eczema in the first two years of life. 

Note that some probiotics do get destroyed by stomach acid before they enter the gut. It is crucial to consume adequate amounts of probiotic foods and supplements to enjoy the above benefits.