Diving into the world of Probiotics

‘Probiotics’ has become quite a buzz-word nowadays, especially in context of treating any kind of stomach/intestinal disorders. In this article, let us dive deeper into what they really are, and how they work.

Simply put- probiotics are a group of living microorganisms cultured in a laboratory setting to be used as a food supplement for human use. Before you begin to cringe, let us understand that these tiny organisms from the probiotics, that include bacteria and/or yeasts are actually very similar to the naturally residing microbes found in our body and more specifically, out gut. Thus, when probiotics are taken through diet, they add on to the ‘good microbe’ population in our gut.

(Read more about the gut microbiome and its influence on human physiology in the previous articles).

However, as we all know, every microbe consumed might not necessarily be beneficial to our body. And therefore, for a microbe to be called a ‘probiotic’, it must have certain characteristics-

1. It should belong to one of the species of microbes that is isolated from humans and is easily cultivated in a lab setting
2. It should be able to survive and thrive in the intestines after being consumed
3. Last but not the least, it should be safe to consume

So, how to probiotics really work?

Imagine a scenario where the ‘bad bacteria’ in your gut have taken over the good ones. This is a common plot which plays out when one falls sick and the doctor has to prescribe antibiotics to fight off the infection. Now, while the antibiotics kill off all the ‘bad bacteria’ in your body, they may also accidentally end up destroying the ‘good bacteria’, since the good ones are now so few in number. In this scenario, not only is your digestion affected, but the other physiological parameters may also get disturbed.

This is one of the main reasons that your doctor prescribes probiotics along with antibiotics, in order to maintain a healthy composition of gut microbiome and to keep it neutral. Apart from carrying the microbes themselves, probiotic supplements influence the growth and development of ‘good’ microbiota by modulating the components released by the intestinal cells, thus creating a conducive atmosphere for the microbes to grow.

Now, because of their beneficial effect on our bodies, researchers have been trying to find out how the consumption of adequate probiotics can help fight against various gut-related medical conditions. A few conditions that might be helped by adding probiotics to our diet are inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, lactose intolerance, and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Studies have shown that apart from an improvement of the conditions themselves, there is also an enhancement of the working of the immune system by consumption of probiotics.

Considering the continuous bi-directional communication between the gut and the brain, it is not hard to predict that consumption of probiotics can influence our mental health in a positive manner. A few studies indicate the benefits of consuming probiotics or as they are called “psychobiotics” as future possibilities in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Psychobiotics are a sub-class of probiotics mainly containing specific families of bacteria, such as Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, Streptococci and Escherichia. Their presence in the gut influences the crosstalk between the brain and gastrointestinal system through the neurochemicals produced by the flourishing microbiota of the gut. Thus, psychobiotics have applications in mood and stress alleviation and even have remedial effects in the treatment of various neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders.

While all this sounds interesting, one may ask themselves the very valid question- what are some easy-to-acquire sources of probiotics?

For a food item to be considered a probiotic, it should contain sufficient living bacteria (preferably in millions) that survive the food processing and the bacterial species present in the food item should have benefits to human health (such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium). Thus, the largest source of probiotics are fermented dairy products, such as yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut. Apart from this, probiotic supplements can also be consumed through food, drinks or in the form of capsules or powders. Probiotic supplements are often consumed in combination with prebiotics – which are complex carbohydrates that feed the microbes in our gut. A combination of both means that not only are you supplying your gut with ‘good microbes’ but also providing the microbes with nutritious food so that it can thrive in your gut.

Now you know how to answer most of your stomach distress calls: just call upon your doctor and ask if you can have some probiotics!