Probiotics: Useless Or Useful?

I found this interesting report that said, “Probiotics are useless. They may even be damaging your health. Stop taking them.” This news article basically said that all dietary supplements were pretty much useless. This reporter that she’s going to stop taking all her supplements because they’re junk, and science has proven that they’re useless.

I’d also read a report in the paper that a supplement called chromium could cause cancer in humans. When I had a very close look at the study, they were testing chromium on hamster cells in a laboratory. They were injecting the cells with a solution that contained bleach and chromium. The researchers noticed that the cells became very sick and began to act weirdly. Then the news reports announced that chromium causes cancer. What they later found later was that it was the bleach that caused a lot of problems for the cells. Studies like this show how “science” can get things horribly wrong.

I’ve seen studies that compare the effects of probiotics to fecal transplants (of their own stool) in people taking antibiotics. The group that took probiotics had good recolonization of the gut, but the bacterial community wasn’t necessarily the one present before the antibiotics. The subjects who had fecal transplants, responded quickly and beautifully after antibiotics. But, here’s the thing, fecal transplants aren’t feasible on a large scale. Further, my question is, why give the subjects antibiotics in the first place? Half of my time in the clinic is spent trying to clean up the mess caused by antibiotics.

We have no shortage of articles in the paper saying that probiotics may be harmful. Yet, the news never seems to talk about antibiotics, which literally means “anti-life” in Latin.

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Please don’t listen to newspapers that get it wrong. There are hundreds of credible studies that support probiotics work. You can see some of the research on websites from Harvard and the Mayo Clinic.

There can be problems with probiotics because corrupt businesses are willing to sell poor-quality products to the consumer. At one point, up to 50% of probiotics on the market weren’t probiotics at all. They were just milk powder or other cheaper substitutes.

That’s why it’s essential when you read studies about probiotics to know the details about the probiotics. What strains were used? What brand? What diets were the subjects following? I can tell you that when the right strains are correctly administered, you’re going to get a powerful effect from probiotics.

Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS1 are some of the best-known probiotics. There are thousands of scientific studies supporting their effectiveness.

It is important to bear in mind that some people do react quite strongly to probiotics. There are many reasons why people feel sick when they take probiotics. They take too much. They take them at the wrong time. They take the wrong strain. They don’t have the right diet to support probiotics. Sometimes people need digestive enzymes to benefit optimally from probiotics. These are all critical considerations. That’s why it’s essential to get advice from someone who understands how to use probiotics properly.

I’d be careful about who I believe when it comes to strong statements about natural treatments not working. Make up your own mind.

What probiotics are

Probiotics are useful for humans non-pathogenic and non-toxin-producing living microorganisms, which provide a favorable effect on the human body when systematically consumed in food.

The main probiotic microorganisms include Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, Propionibacteria, Streptococci thermophilus, Lactococcus genus bacteria, and spore-forming bacteria, especially those of the genus Bacillus.

Our intestines contain microorganisms that have inhabited it at birth and further colonized it through the process of colonization. Many of these bacteria are considered beneficial or “friendly”, another name for them is non-pathogenic. The functions of such bacteria include converting fiber into short chain fatty acids, synthesizing certain vitamins, and supporting the body’s immune system. Using probiotics can help increase the number of beneficial bacteria.

Essentially, probiotics are microorganisms that provide a variety of health benefits to our health when consumed in the right amounts.

Probiotics can be used in supplement form or with food, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir and yogurt are particularly rich in probiotics.

The human intestinal microbiome (or intestinal flora) consists of a wide range of microorganisms. It should be noted that its exact composition is unique to each individual. The colon contains billions of bacteria from more than 500 different species. Probiotics for which there is evidence of health benefits include various strains of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Saccharomyces. Many probiotic supplements contain a combination of different strains.

Various studies have shown that some strains seem to work more effectively than others to improve certain conditions. It is also important to consume probiotics in sufficient quantities. Probiotics are usually measured in colony-forming units. Generally, higher doses will produce better results, but using extremely high doses does not provide any additional benefits.

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