By Esteban Tovar: blogger, podcaster and energy healer

Probiotics have become very popular in recent years. The global market for probiotics is at 15 billion USD per year and growing at a yearly rate of 7%. This could be related to the growing research that has begun to show the importance of probiotics and how they can affect our health in a positive way.

What are Probiotics?

We all have bacteria that are beneficial to us. These good bacteria are all over our bodies. They can be found on our skin, inside our mouths and even lining our organs. Probiotics are the name for the good bacteria that are in our gut. These good bacteria live in a mutual beneficial relationship with us. We can get probiotics from foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, and kimchi. There are also many forms of probiotic supplements, such as probiotic pills, drinks and even chewing gum. However, if you do decide to take probiotic supplements it might be good to take probiotics with the genera lactobacillus and bifidobacteria as they are well researched and show many benefits that aid in digestion, mood, and immunity.

Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis is a connection between the central nervous system (brain and spine) and the enteric nervous system (gut). There are other indirect systems that include additional nerves and hormones that connect the gut-brain axis. The entire microbiota (bacteria) in the gut are also a part of the gut-brain axis.

The gut and brain connection for mental health has been studied in mice. Mice that are bred germ-free and lack intestinal microbes are not able to recognize other mice when they interact with them. Mice who have intestinal microbes, but their population is later disrupted, begin to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. In some cases, scientists can later restore the mice to more normal behavior by treating them with probiotics. Probiotics that can aid in reducing anxiety and depression are sometimes referred to as psychobiotics. These are probiotics that are specifically connected to mental health and mood.

Probiotics and Immunity

80% percent of our immune cells are found in our gut. This means that probiotics can play a large role in regulating our immune system. This can be done through the interchanging of gut flora. Probiotics compete with the bad bacteria in our gut, releasing by-products that are harmful to the bad bacteria—destroying them. This makes more room for the good bacteria to grow. The harmful effects of bad bacteria are thus reduced, and the effects of good bacteria are increased. Probiotics can also increase our gut health by strengthening the cells that line the intestine. They can also promote cell longevity and increase the immune response of the cells that line the intestinal tract.

Probiotics and Stomach Ulcers

Most stomach ulcers are caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria do not cause symptoms in most people, but when they do it can lead to ulcers from the acid released by the H. pylori that get through the stomach lining. A study from 2004 showed that by giving the participants yogurt with lactobacillus and bifidobacteria increased the rate of H. Pylori inhibition, which can speed up the healing process of ulcers.

Conclusion

The growing knowledge of probiotics has increased. Researchers have found that the bacteria in our gut play a large role in how our physical and mental health is affected. It appears that Probiotics will only increase in popularity with growing research.

Sources:

Future-Science: Probiotics: current landscape and future horizons

PMC: Allergy and the gastrointestinal system

PubMed: Effects of ingesting Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt in subjects

PubMed: Growing up in a Bubble

PubMed: Microbiome, Probiotics and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Psychscenehub: The Simplified Guide to the Gut-Brain Axis

Scientific American: Mental Health May Depend on Creatures in the Gut

Web MD: What is Pylori?