July 06, 2022

The Connection Between Immunity and Probiotics

The Connection Between Immunity and Probiotics

Despite the historied tales of Probiotics, there's still much to learn. As time has gone on, we've learned many things, including the health benefits that daily probiotic usage can provide. We've also learned about the different strains of probiotics and how those affect the body and its ability to, say, fight off infections or reduce bloating. While there’s no such thing in life as a sure thing, experts seem to agree that there is definitely something special happening with probiotics and our health.

 

How Probiotics Can Help Our Health and Immunity

Let's take a look at how probiotics help their ultimate destination — the gut. Gastrointestinal infections can cause a major headache for those affected. An overgrowth of yeast and other "bad" bacteria in the digestive tract can lead to problems like bloating, constipation, and leaky gut syndrome.

And speaking of bloating, probiotics can be beneficial, especially if there is a microbiome imbalance or if you have certain food intolerances. Taking probiotics alongside protein has been shown to help it digest much easier.

And there’s also some evidence that shows benefits for people with more intensive digestive disorders such as IBS.

 

The Immune System

They are quite a few ways that probiotics can help bolster our immune system.
Bifidobacteria infantis has been shown to increase T regulatory cells, which help the body avoid auto-immune diseases.
There is also published research that some probiotic strains can actually reduce the length of time and severity of cold symptoms. It's believed that this is because around 70% of the body's immune cells are found in the gut itself.

Antibiotics

There is some evidence to show that lactobacillus bacteria can protect against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It does this by combatting the destruction of good bacteria caused by antibiotics. Additionally, a common side effect of antibiotic usage is diarrhea. Taking probiotics daily during a cycle of antibiotics can help relieve those side effects since it is re-introducing good bacteria back into the gut.

Reproductive Health

For women, probiotics have shown to be beneficial during a yeast infection as the bacteria can help combat the rapid production of yeast. As stated earlier, this can be even more of a concern when women take antibiotics since those antibiotics can destroy the female body’s “good” bacteria.

 

A Worthy Endeavor

Probiotics have shown great promise in helping us stay healthier when taken daily and during certain periods of stress. They are considered to be generally safe and effective, and if you're interested in the potential benefits of daily probiotic use, talk to your Health care provider to see if a probiotic regimen is right for you.

 

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