Top Signs You Should Be Taking a Probiotic

by Patti Croft November 22, 2021

We hear a lot today about bacteria and how bad it can be for our health. Some people forget that there is such a thing as good bacteria. That’s right, there are good bacteria that will have a positive impact on your health!

Probiotics are made up of those good bacteria that work hard to fight off illnesses. You have between 100 and 200 trillion bacteria that live inside you, and most of that is in your digestive tract.

The main goal of taking a probiotic is to maintain a healthy balance in your body. When you get sick, bad bacteria enter the body, upsetting that critical balance. When you replace the good bacteria, it helps restore that balance and makes you feel better.

There are numerous health benefits associated with taking probiotics. Some of them might even surprise you. Let’s discuss some of the signs your body may be giving you, and learn how critical taking a quality probiotic can be for your overall wellness!

Probiotics for Skin Health

Did you know that skin is the largest organ in the body? Our skin gets exposed to chemical, physical, bacterial, and other challenges every single day. Research has shown that taking a probiotic benefits various skin diseases and issues like acne, skin inflammation, eczema, and even sun damage.

One of the most amazing probiotic benefits for the skin is its anti-aging properties. When you use harsh cleansers and antibacterial soaps, your skin can get damaged and become dry. When your skin gets stressed, breakouts and flare-ups can occur. These leave your skin looking tired and older. Probiotics help to build back the natural skin defenses and give it a healthy glow again.

Gut Health Issues

It used to be that gut health wasn’t a popular topic because people didn’t like to talk about it. Most of us don’t enjoy discussing problems about gut health. The fact is probiotics have gotten heavily researched for their benefits regarding the digestive system. The results are astounding.

Millions of people visit the doctor because of stomach issues. They may get a diagnosis of IBS. People suffering from IBS report issues like bloating and upset stomach, while others may have the opposite problem of constipation.

Taking probiotics for gut health can help with the treatment of IBS. When using a multi-strain probiotic, many people see positive results with their IBS symptoms within weeks. Most experience less bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Some digestive problems are far worse, like colitis or Crohn’s disease. These can be debilitating for people and interfere with them having an active, healthy lifestyle. If you find yourself in this category and have a digestive disorder, you should try taking a probiotic.

If you had to take antibiotics or other medications recently, you need a probiotic. These medicines can wipe out the good bacteria in your gut, causing a microbiome imbalance. That can leave you susceptible to many new illnesses and a digestive system that doesn’t work the way it should.

Probiotics for Mental Wellness

Millions of people suffer from depression and anxiety. Some may seek treatment for it. They go to their doctors and often will get a prescription for antidepressants or anti-anxiety medicines. An interesting fact you may not know is that your gut health can affect how your brain functions. There is a definite connection between the two. Many times, people suffering from mental issues have a lack of probiotics in their systems. Taking a probiotic can help mental health problems for many people, and they may even find they don’t need medications once they get their gut microbiome balanced. It is critical to note that many of the medicines also carry side effects and other potential problems. If you take medications for mental health issues, make sure you take care of your complete mental health and keep your cognitive health a priority.

Increased Allergies

If lately you seem to be sneezing your head off or can’t even work because you have a constant runny nose, you may need to take a probiotic. Tons of us have allergies, and many people don’t know that some of the probiotic benefits could be decreased allergy symptoms. They may also be able to stop taking some, if not all, allergy medicines.

We must remember that allergies are our body’s immune response to antigens. Everyone has heard a lot about cytokine storms lately and how these storms can cause illnesses. A probiotic benefit is that it can reduce inflammatory cytokines while improving intestinal permeability. That is thought to be why probiotics are effective in treating many allergy conditions.

Recent studies have shown that the instance of allergy problems have increased over the last several decades. The research indicates that taking probiotics benefits people who have allergies. Probiotics are also safer than many pharmaceuticals that get prescribed to treat people with allergies. Parents can give them to their children without fear of problematic side effects.

Autoimmune Disorders

When you have an autoimmune disorder, your natural immunity is depressed. People with autoimmune issues get sick often and have trouble fighting off illnesses. If you have any autoimmune problems, you should be taking a probiotic every day.

Millions of people suffer from various autoimmune diseases. One of the descriptions of autoimmune disease is that the body fights itself instead of fighting off illness and disease. Probiotics benefit people with these issues by reducing inflammation in immune cells. Since the microbiome is an active part of the immune response, it stands to reason that getting in good bacteria will help restore a normal immune function.

Probiotics for Weight Loss

Research has shown that people who begin taking a probiotic lose weight. If you have found that you’ve gained some weight recently, taking a quality probiotic supplement may help.

Gut bacteria is thought to affect body weight and how your system regulates belly fat. People who have some weight to lose may have less diverse gut bacteria. Taking a probiotic benefits weight loss and adding in foods rich in probiotics like yogurt and other fermented foods will contribute to a healthy diet.

Which Probiotics Are Best?

There is no shortage of places to get probiotics. They’re in many stores, and you can always get them online. The problem is that they are not all the same. Many have been sitting in unstable environments. They may require refrigeration but have not been kept in cold storage before you get them. When that happens, you have wasted money on an inferior product.

When purchasing probiotics, you want to be sure you get quality supplements, made with a pharmaceutical-grade formula. They need to have been studied for efficacy. You can get probiotics that are strong enough to withstand your stomach acidity, so they make it to your intestines intact. You want your probiotic to survive the trip through the stomach!

If you get some that aren’t refrigerated, make sure they show on the package that they don’t require cold temperatures to remain viable.

You need to take probiotics with multiple strains. Many times, people buy probiotics because they see a high CFU count (colony-forming unit). The variation in strains is crucial for getting all the probiotic benefits possible. The last thing you want to do is spend your money on something sitting on a shelf at the grocery store that won’t do you any good. When it comes to probiotic benefits, you get what you pay for sometimes. If you find cheap ones at a local store, you may be getting something that has no positive effects on your health. Get your probiotics in packaging that keeps them safe against factors that could hinder their stability.

Back By Research

There are lots of claims out there about different supplements that will work wonders for your health. Often, these are not backed by scientific research. Many studies have shown the powerful benefits of taking probiotics.

For a health boost, combine probiotics with a diet rich in healthy fats and fermented foods. There’s more research being done on probiotics, and current literature suggests them for the treatment of many different health conditions. Isn’t it incredible to know many problems you may be experiencing can get wiped out by taking something that’s good for you? Remember that true wellness comes from the inside, so keeping your gut healthy is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

References :

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14598-probiotics

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24364369/

https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/skin-hair-and-nails/what-probiotics-do-for-your-skin

https://www.gastroconsa.com/4-benefits-of-probiotics/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/probiotics-101#digestion

https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1710-1492-5-5

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245201441930007X

https://www.technology.org/2020/04/07/probiotics-could-help-people-with-autoimmune-diseases/

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-are-probiotics

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics-what-you-need-to-know

Patti Croft
Patti Croft

Patti Croft is a Certified Health Data Analyst with a thirst for all things natural and holistic. Coupled with her MBA, Patti uses her skill set here at NuVision Health Center to dive into the research. Her expertise is in taking complex medical data and delivering it in a way that readers can understand and implement into their lives.