EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROBIOTICS AND GUT HEALTH

What are live bacteria?

The human body is full of living microorganisms, especially bacteria. The most surprising thing is that in our body we have 10 times more bacteria than human cells. So we could say that they are quite important, right? That's how it is! They are essential for our health and today we will tell you why.

Beneficial bacteria, better known as probiotics , have a symbiotic relationship with our body, since they need a place to live, eat and reproduce, and in this way they support our metabolic activity and health in many ways.

So, what role do bacteria play in our body specifically? It has been seen that healthy levels of beneficial bacteria are essential for the proper functioning of various bodily activities such as:

Defense against harmful bacteria and other microorganisms

Beneficial bacteria defend us from harmful bacteria and support our digestion. Its mechanism of action consists of displacing these “bad bugs” to which we may be exposed through food. For example, with food poisoning or when we travel, and they even produce their own natural antibiotics to keep them at bay.

An unbalanced microbiota (dysbiosis) can lead to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, including “traveler's diarrhea” or gastroenteritis. One of the biggest causes of this altered microbiota is the use of antibiotics, which eliminate harmful bacteria when we have an infection, but at the same time, they get rid of the good bacteria in their path, causing dysbiosis that generates digestive symptoms such as bloating and pain. abdominal.

So how can we help restore balance to our gut? With the support of probiotic supplements! Probiotics are essential when we are undergoing antibiotic treatment and should always be consumed in parallel. These supplements will help us restore the microbiota and reduce digestive symptoms, and they also reduce the opportunity for harmful microorganisms to become resistant to the antibiotics consumed.

It has been shown in several researches that probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, like those contained in our supplements, can restore the balance of bacteria during and after antibiotic treatment. They also reduce diarrhea and antibiotic resistance. In other studies, they have proven the improvement of symptoms in conditions such as IBS and SIBO, reducing pain, bloating and normalizing intestinal digestion.

Support for good digestion and nutrient absorption

Probiotics also help us digest and absorb food properly. A good example is when we use live bacteria to produce foods such as yogurt or cheese, where they are metabolically active producing enzymes that break down proteins such as gluten and lactose. What they do is ferment food in the intestine, feeding the prebiotic fibers, supporting intestinal movement. In addition, as if that were not enough, they secrete substances useful to the body as part of its metabolism, such as B complex vitamins, including vitamin B9 (folic acid), butyric acid and other short-chain fatty acids that feed intestinal cells.

Support for our metabolism and cardiovascular health

Probiotics play a fundamental role when we talk about supporting proper metabolism, especially due to the role of short-chain fatty acids in affecting how energy is metabolized in our body. There is increasing evidence that the microbiota can positively influence levels of obesity and metabolic diseases. They also help us eliminate cholesterol, supporting cardiovascular and sex hormone health.

Strengthening our immune system

Did you know that 80% of our defense barrier is found in our intestine? Good bacteria are essential in newborn babies to be able to program their immune system correctly and have the expected response to their environment, learning which microbes are harmful to attack and which ones should exist and be tolerated.

When our microbiota does not develop as it should or is unbalanced, immune function may be altered and infections may not be handled correctly. Probiotics help keep the immune system at a low alert threshold, supporting its function. There are several studies where it has been shown that certain strains of probiotics support the prevention or reduction of symptoms in colds in both children and adults, reducing the number of infections, their duration, symptoms and need for medications. In fact, the best thing we can do to support our immune system now in winter is to consume probiotic supplements.

Balance the immune response to not cause inflammation or allergies

Probiotics not only improve immune function, they will also help prevent it from reacting inappropriately when it shouldn't. In the case of allergies or autoimmune conditions, the immune system reacts to substances in the environment that it would normally ignore, generating symptoms of inflammation. It has been studied that the microbiota is essential to program our tolerance to everyday molecules such as pollen or oriental plantain and prevent these extreme reactions. When babies do not develop their probiotic bacteria adequately, they are more vulnerable to developing allergies, so the consumption of probiotics in pregnant women and newborns helps reduce eczema or asthma.

Gut-Brain Connection

Have you noticed that every time we feel nervous or stressed, this has an impact on our digestion? This is due to the close relationship that exists between our intestine and brain. A good example is neurotransmitters, especially because 90% of serotonin, the “happiness” neurotransmitter, is secreted at the intestinal level. For this reason, having good intestinal health can improve our mood, among its benefits.

How to choose a good probiotic supplement?

There is a wide variety of probiotic supplements on the market, however, not all are the same and we must know what requirements they must meet to choose the most appropriate one. We suggest you check out our blog! Here we tell you how:

https://biocarechile.cl/blogs/news/como-escoger-los-mejores-suplementos-probioticos

For daily use, choose our 20 billion Bioacidophilus , with our clinically proven combination of LAB4 bacteria.

For a higher dose, choose BioAcidophilus Forte , an incredible 30 trillion LAB4 bacteria in a single capsule.

For children, you can try our Bioacidophilus Strawberry with 2 billion potency or Mindlinx Probiotic Powder with 16 billion potency, both powdered bacteria supplements that can be dissolved in water or cold liquids and have an excellent taste

For use during pregnancy, our BioFlora Capsules contain LAB4B. This product is also suitable for babies from the day of birth in its Bioflora powder format.

If you want to know which probiotic is the most suitable for you, you can write to us at nutricion@biocarechile.cl