Chapter Three

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are usually referred to as live microbes. They are
extremely small living organisms which can only be seen using a
microscope. When they are taken in suitable quantity, they
transfer a health benefit to the body of the person taking them.
Probiotics are good microbes. These pleasant microbes help our
body to digest food. It also helps the body in fighting disease and
maintaining its health.
While most people make use of probiotics for their general wellbeing as well as for some other health benefits, many others use
probiotics in treating digestive disorders and other ailments.
Over the past 20 years, scientific research in probiotics has really
exploded. Research has been able to show that we can use these
friendly microbes in preventing and treating disease especially
in our gut. Even supposedly healthy people may also benefit from
probiotics. It can serve as means of improving the health of our
various

digestive

system

and

reducing

the

frequency

of

occasional occurrence of some forms of digestive discomfort such

as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and cramps.
New probiotics are being discovered by scientists are every day.
The two mainly common groups of microbes that are used in
making probiotics for human use include Bifidobacterium and
Lactobacillus. Saccharomyces boulardii, Yeast, and some E. coli
strains can also serve as probiotics as well. Probiotics are

available for our various use in different dietary supplements

which include tablets, capsules, drops, or powders. They can also
be found in some foods such as fermented milk and fortified
yogurts products. The major advantage of freeze-dried, properly
formulated probiotic supplements is that they are not required to
be refrigerated in order to make them remain effective or to make
them have long lasting shelf lives as compared to probiotics that
are found either in fermented milk or yogurt.
It is also important to note that all probiotics are not the same.
There are differences in probiotic strains. They also work
differently. The manufacturing process, or formulation, of most
probiotic products, are critical. There is the need to be a high
concentration amount of the probiotic for it to have a beneficial
health effect. Also, it is required that the product is tested as a
way of confirming that the bacteria remain effective all through its
shelf life.

Furthermore, different strains of probiotics contain different

effects. As a result of this, it is very important to select the right
type of probiotic in the right dosage amount and duration
prescribed for the particular ailment or symptoms you intend to
relieve. If you will like to find a probiotic in order to treat a specific
ailment, it will be better for you to consult a health care
professional so as to be sure the selected probiotic has been
proven to work effectively for the condition you intend treating.

Approved probiotics, when ingested through supplements or food

have been generally affirmed to be safe enough. However,
probiotics are different from medicine. They are often regarded as
natural health products or foods rather than drugs. Probiotics do
not belong to the same regulations which govern prescription
medications.

How do probiotics work?

Probiotics are known to work by stimulating the intestinal and
immune system of our body. They also work by dislodging harmful
bacteria which might go on to cause disease. By now, we should
know that probiotics can be a source of health benefits. Specific
digestive benefits attributed to probiotics may include:
Probiotics help in reducing the duration and extent of some
major types of diarrhea which include antibiotic-associated
diarrhea and travelers diarrhea.
Probiotics can be used in treating abdominal bloating and
constipation.
Probiotics can help in improving the signs of irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS)
Probiotics can also help to treat and prevent pouchitis.
Pouchitis is the inflammation of the internal pouch in
patients that have some part of their colon removed.

 Probiotics can be used in improving symptoms of colic in

infants being breastfed.
The digestive disorders mentioned above have been proven to
respond to some, if not all, probiotics. Many of the claims about
probiotics on the internet are not proven or simply put, false. Talk
to your healthcare professional so as to know which probiotics
might be good for your body or ailment. All probiotics do not have
the same effect when they are taken. Based on your condition,
you may want to trim down the choice of probiotics.
Below are three different examples of ways in which probiotics are
predicted to function:
Preventing bad bacteria from attaching to the intestinal
lining, preventing bad bacteria from replicating and growing
in the intestinal tract, and preventing bad bacteria from
causing disease.
Blocking the activities of bad bacteria by enhancing the
capability of the intestinal mucosal barrier to fight infection.
Improving the capability of the immune system in the
intestinal tract and also in the entire body to ward off any
form of invasion of bad bacteria that might probably occur.

Chapter Four
The

differences

between

probiotics,

symbiotic,

and

prebiotics
Probiotics comprise of friendly living microbes, while prebiotics do
not. Prebiotics (sometimes referred ti as fermentable fiber) are
made up of non-digestible food particles which support the
growth of friendly microbes that are already living in the
intestines. Some good sources of prebiotics are berries, bananas,
onion, flax, artichokes, garlic, legumes, leeks, and whole grains.
Synbiotic is made up of both a probiotic and a prebiotic.

Probiotics, diversity, and the human microbiome

The human microbiome is regarded to as a collection of microbes
living in and on the human body. The human body is made up of a

lot of bacterial cells when compared to human cells. Unbelievably,

the microbes that can be found in our bodies are way more than
our own cells by a ratio of almost 10 to 1. Many of these microbes
can be found in the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal
tract contains approximately 100,000 billion bacteria from over
400 different species. It also contains over 60 percent of the
immune cells of the body.
The digestive tract is germ-free. It has relatively few microbes,
until after birth. How bacteria initially colonizes the intestines is
largely influenced by how a baby is delivered, infections, hygiene,
diet, and medications, like antibiotics.
Microbial diversity is very important for the maturing of the
immune system as well as the development of the digestive tract
of an infant. By variety, we are referring to various different types
of microbes. After 1 year, the gut microbiome becomes relatively
stable in healthy children. Although there is a high probability that
it can be changed later in life. The alterations can be caused by
what we eat, antibiotics, travel, infections, stress, and many other
disease conditions.
The various composition of the human microbiome is regarded as
an important aspect in maintaining the intestinal tracts health all
through our lives. The throng of microbes which makes up the
microbiome includes probiotics. These crucial microbes are very
sensitive to things like stress, diet, travel, changes in routine.
Also, their alteration or depletion can go on to disrupt the natural

balance of the digestive system of good bacteria. Reduced

diversity can end up resulting in a reduced ability to fight bad
microbes or even pathogens.
A variation in the structure or amount of microbes in the human
gut is referred to as dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is caused when the
mixture of the natural microbes in the gut are thrown out of
balance. Once dysbiosis occurs, there will become less diversity in
the structure of microbes. This might set the stage for potential
digestive disorder and another form of illness. Scientists have
been able to discover of recent that a variation in the composition
of the gut microbiome can be a threat factor for infections,
diabetes, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation,
necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), inflammatory bowel diseases
(IBD), and even colon and gastric cancers.
The developing subject for many of these conditions is that
reduced intestinal microbe diversity is usually harmful to the
digestive system. On the other hand, having a more diverse,
healthy bacterial composition, which includes probiotics, in the
digestive tract is usually of more benefit to our overall health, and
general wellbeing. The concept of probiotic therapy is to assist us
in restoring microbial diversity and bringing the intestinal
microbes

composition

back

to

balanced,

healthy

state.

Researchers are now running test about the benefits of making

use of probiotics while trying to restore health as well as in
preventing disease.

It is good to note that the safety of probiotics is not known in

people who have impaired immune systems, the elderly, and
pregnant women.

How can probiotics help treat digestive conditions?

Diarrhea
Many studies have been able to show that probiotics can help in
preventing or treating diarrhea associated to antibiotic. Probiotics
can also help in reducing the severity and duration of acute
infectious diarrhea both in children and adults. It may also help in
preventing it at times.
Unfortunately,

recent

large

randomized

controlled

trial

experiment has been able to reveal that probiotics do not in any

way reduce the risk of diarrhea associated to antibiotic or
Clostridium difficult as regards elderly patients.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
There is a reliable evidence that some probiotics can be beneficial
to

people

having

ulcerative

colitis

when

given

probiotics

supplements in addition to standard therapy. However, the

probiotics use alone may not be recommended. There is a reliable
evidence for the usefulness of probiotics as a means of preventing
initial attacks of pouchitis as well as checking relapse after
antibiotics remission. You may as well recommend probiotics for

treatment of mild symptoms of pouchitis and also as a

maintenance treatment for those in remission.
Constipation
Eating

food

which

contains

probiotics

or

taking

probiotic

supplements can help in treating constipation symptoms in

adults. It helps to soften the stool, thereby easing its passage
through the colon. Also, probiotics help with regards to regularity
and control of intestinal transit time. It may also help in increasing
bowel movements frequency. Various researchers also provided
evidence that showed that probiotics can help in relieving
constipation symptoms in children, decreasing abdominal pain
and increasing the frequency of bowel movements.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Scientific evidence has been able to show that probiotics can offer
relief from IBS symptoms. This includes various IBS ailments like
gas, abdominal discomfort, and bloating. Some randomized
clinical tests in Canada have revealed that certain probiotic
products may be effective for treating IBS symptoms in adults and
have been approved for use by Health Canada. There is also
evidence revealing that certain probiotic products may help to
improve symptoms of IBS in children.
Currently, there isnt any strong evidence supporting the use of
probiotics for the treatment of Crohns disease.

Partnering for best health

Working hand in hand with your health care professional will
definitely assist you in protecting your body against digestive
diseases. This will also help in maximizing your digestive health.
When your health status is reported completely, accurately and
succinctly, your physician will be able to provide you with the best
health care and treatment plan.

**Understanding and Harnessing the Power of Probiotics