How Do Probiotics Help Gut Health?

Have you also been told that kefir, kimchi, kombucha, or sauerkraut are the new superfoods of today? These are types of probiotics which are friendly or good bacteria that can help support gut health by rebalancing the gut environment. Read on to find out more about where you can get probiotics, what are the benefits of probiotics for gut health, and it is actually worth trying out?

What Are Probiotics and Why They Are Important for Gut Health

It is very likely that you have already tried probiotics without even knowing it! Probiotics can be described as a type of ‘good’ bacteria, not the type of bacteria that you associate with nasty infections. This good bacteria can be easily found in day-to-day supermarket products including yoghurts and fermented products (e.g sauerkraut, kimchi). So what do probiotics do for the gut? Your gut has a natural balance of gut bacteria that can be disrupted by a vomiting bug (or other gastrointestinal infections) as well as medications like a course of antibiotics. It is believed that probiotics can help to restore this natural balance after periods of illness to support gut health. 

Why might you want to use probiotics for digestive health?

• they can restore balance to gut bacteria after disrupting events such as infection
• it has been suggested that probiotics can support digestion
• some probiotics may ease symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• they may support your immune system

As you may have noted, there are many health claims made about probiotics. Currently the NHS suggests that while there is evidence to suggest that probiotics can have a positive impact on gut health, much of the effect depends on what type of probiotic is used or what the goal of using probiotics is. 

How the Gut Microbiome Works

Before we get into how probiotics improve gut health, we first need to talk about the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome has recently been a hot topic on health-focussed traditional and social media content. If you have seen articles called “do probiotics improve gut flora?” they are also referring to this gut microbiome. Many private companies have also put out products suggesting they can analyse your gut microbiome to optimise your diet and general health. So let’s discuss what the gut microbiome is. If we briefly go back to your school days of studying geography, think of the gut microbiome as an ecosystem or community of several million microorganisms in the gut (or digestive tract). These microorganisms include bacteria that may influence digestion, immune system function, and potentially even your mental health. Some key functions of your gut microbiome include:

• digestion: the good bacteria in your gut can help to break down food like fibres and complex carbohydrates
• making important compounds: some of the microbes in the gut bacteria can help to produce important compounds like vitamins
• boosting immunity: taking care of the gut microbiome may help support immune system function because actually a big part of the immune system is in the gut
• protecting the gut lining: a healthy gut microbiome can support the integrity of the gut barrier or lining

Much like in the geographical sense, when this microbiome or ecosystem is disrupted, it can lead to problems. In the case of the gut microbiome, this could result in anything from stomachaches to infection. 

Probiotics and Common Digestive Problems

It has been suggested that probiotics can help ease symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal pain. More specifically, when such symptoms are linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), some people report that certain strains of probiotics may help to relieve the severity of symptoms. Despite this, it is important to remember that probiotics are not a cure, if your symptoms persist or get worse please seek medical attention. Furthermore, for more severe or complex conditions, please note that probiotics should not be taken instead of prescribed medication and it is advised that you consult your doctor before starting probiotics. 

As a general overview, here are some ways how probiotics may support digestion:

The Role of Probiotics in Supporting the Immune System

Now that we have discussed how probiotics work in the gut, let’s talk about how it might help the immune system. The gut microbiome plays an important role in supporting the immune system; it can protect the body against harmful pathogens and help to regulate immune responses. Probiotics may support this process by:

• making the gut bacteria stronger
• competing with harmful bacteria
• supporting immune cell activity

However, the evidence for probiotics supporting your immune system is currently limited and probiotics should not substitute medical advice and treatment.

Probiotics vs Prebiotics: What’s the Difference

If you have just been searching up “probiotics for gut microbiom”, you might have come across something called “prebiotics”. It is a common mistake to mix up probiotics and prebiotics, in fact some supplements combine the two. Probiotics and prebiotics not only sound similar but they also both support gut health; they just do it in different ways. Let’s untangle this:

How Long Do Probiotics Take to Work

Now that we have answered questions like “what are probiotics and how do they work?”, here is potentially the frustrating part. Based on our current understanding, probiotics do not work immediately and will likely require weeks to take effect and show benefit. This is because the gut microbiome will need time to adjust and rebalance in response to probiotic supplementation. Furthermore, factors such as the individual’s health and the strain of probiotic used can also make the time needed to feel the effects longer or shorter – and sometimes people may not report any benefits at all.

If you are generally healthy and do not have chronic health conditions, you may consider trying a probiotic consistently for a minimum of four weeks to see if you notice any benefits.

Are Probiotics Safe for Everyone

Currently the NHS advises that probiotics for gut balance are generally safe for people with healthy immune systems. However, if you have any pre-existing medical conditions it is best to consult your healthcare provider before starting any probiotics. This is because for certain groups, probiotics may not be appropriate or safe. Below are some examples:

• people who are immunocompromised, on immune system suppressants, or with weakened immune systems
• people with certain gastrointestinal conditions
• people with severe illnesses

When Probiotics May Not Be Effective

Despite all the claims about the benefits of probiotics for different health conditions, caution is still advised as there are many reasons why probiotics may not be effective, for example:

• the type of probiotic is not effective for the symptoms/condition
• the product or probiotic supplement does not actually contain live organisms (e.g not all yoghurts contain cultures)
• the dose of probiotic is too low
• the symptoms are caused by an underlying health condition that re quires further medical intervention

Overall, please remember that probiotics are not a cure or cure-all. They can be used in some cases to support or optimise gut health but are not a replacement for medical treatment.

How to Choose the Right Probiotic for Gut Health

If you have walked into a health store asking for probiotics before, you have probably seen that there is a wide range of probiotics available; this can understandably be quite overwhelming or confusing. How do you pick? You may want to ask the shop attendant or do some online research about the gut microbiome and probiotics before buying any products. Some of the factors to help you decide include:

When to Seek Medical Advice About Gut Health

Probiotics may help to relieve mild digestive symptoms such as bloating, stomachaches, mild constipation, or mild diarrhoea. However if your symptoms persist or get worse, it is crucial that you seek medical attention. In particular, if you notice:

• unexplained weight loss
• blood in your urine or poo
• persistent diarrhoea or constipation
• severe abdominal pain
• gastrointestinal symptoms with a fever
• symptoms lasting longer than a few weeks

These symptoms might suggest there is an underlying health problem that requires medical assessment and treatment.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has given you a better understanding of the role of probiotics in gut health: what they are, how they work, and different benefits and drawbacks. Probiotics can be a great option for gut health by supporting the natural gut microbiome balance that can be disrupted by infections or some medication. For some conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, probiotics may help to relieve the bloating and discomfort. On the other hand, there are also many reasons why a probiotic may not help you and the research evidence on if/how a probiotic can help you is mixed and limited. It is likely that many factors including the strain of probiotic, the condition/symptom you are targeting, and individual health factors can have an impact on how effective the probiotic is. 

For most people, if you are generally healthy, probiotics are safe to take. However, if your symptoms persist or get worse, it is crucial that you seek medical attention as probiotics cannot replace medical care and are not a cure. Understanding how probiotics work (and why they are different to prebiotics!) can help you make an informed decision about which product to pick to support your gut health. Follow this link to read more on probiotics and gut health.