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What are the Benefits and Side Effects of Probiotics?

Probiotics are known as live microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed by improving or restoring the digestive system. They are considered safe, but can sometimes cause bacterial interactions and unwanted side effects. Probiotics can be found in many supplements and food, like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kimchi.

Let us check out the benefits of probiotics:

  • Importance of good bacteria

Probiotics might seem new to the food industry, but they have been an essential part for human consumption . When babies are born through natural process, they pick up a few good bacteria like Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli from the mother. But when they are born through Cesarean section, these good bacteria are not transmitted to them. These babies are more prone to allergies that are caused because of a weak immune system.

  • Good and bad gut bacteria

Probiotics can protect us in two ways. First, they improve our digestive system. We all know that our digestive tracts need a balance between the good and bad gut bacteria. Our poor food choices, stress, lack of sleep, antibiotics, and environment can influence or shift the balance of our body in favor of the bad bacteria. When our digestive tract is healthy, it can filter out things that can damage it, like harmful bacteria, toxins, chemicals, and other waste products. The healthy balance of bacteria can assist the regulation of gastrointestinal motility and maintain the function of the gut barrier.

  • Healthy Immune System

Another way through which probiotics impact our immune system is by protecting it from germs. When our immune system does not function properly, we can easily suffer from many things like allergic reactions, autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and infections such as diarrhea, H. pylori, skin infections, and vaginal infections. By maintaining balance in the immune system, it can protect us from these harmful ailments.

According to probiotics manufacturers, there are many health benefits linked to consuming probiotics. However, there are also many related side effects which can affect a small percentage of the population. Let’s check out some of the side effects which can be cause by probiotics:

  • Can cause unpleasant digestive symptoms:

One of the most commonly reported reactions with bacteria-based probiotic supplements is the increase in gas and bloating. People who consume yeast-based probiotics can experience constipation and increased thirst. To reduce this type of effect, you can start with a low dose of probiotics, slowly increase and help your body to adjust.

  • Probiotic foods can trigger headaches

Probiotic-rich foods, like sauerkraut, yogurt, and kimchi, contain biogenic amines. Amines are substances that can form when protein-contained foods age or get fermented by bacteria. Some of the most common amines found in foods include histamine, tryptamine, tyramine, and phenylethylamine. They can excite the central nervous system, increasing and decreasing blood flow, which triggers headaches.

  • Can increase infection risk

In some cases, the bacteria or yeasts, which are found in probiotics, can enter the bloodstream causing infections in individuals. They pose the greatest risk to people who have suppressed immune systems, prolonged hospitalizations, or those who have undergone recent surgeries.

  • Strains can increase histamine levels

Sometimes, strain development used in these probiotic supplements can produce histamine in the digestive tract. Histamine is mainly produced by our immune system when it detects a threat. When the level rises the blood vessels dilate to bring more blood to the affected area. This process can create redness and swelling, which can trigger allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, itching, runny nose, or trouble breathing.

How Should You Take Probiotics?

Like any nutrition, Probiotics are capable of helping you in a multitude of ways, provided you take care to take them in the appropriate ways. You might wonder why it is important how you take your probiotics, and what difference it would make if you took them any differently. In short, it is critical because probiotics are essentially living organisms that your body needs to interact in a very specific way, to help you reap its benefits.

So, here we are, to answer all the questions you might have about probiotics and how you should take them.

When is a good time to take probiotics?

The most suitable times to take your probiotic would be to around 15 – 20 minutes post the consumption of food or the first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or the last thing at night. These timings make sense as they give the bacteria enough time to reach the gut where they play a significant, symbiotic role. If the timing is wrong, they could reach too early or too late, and get flushed out or destroyed along the way.

How frequently can you take your probiotic?

Ideally, you must take probiotics a single time, preferably at the same time every day. The only exception would be on your doctor’s advice, like of Bacillus Coagulans SNZ 1969 that is often recommended in a combination with antibiotics – when you’re required to take it more often. Sticking to a schedule for your probiotics will put a rhythm to your biological processes and regulate them.

What should you eat to help probiotics work well?

You need to make sure that the probiotics you’re taking enter a nurturing, suitable environment for the flora to flourish and offer their benefits. As a thumb rule, increase the intake of fibre and decrease the intake of oily, fried or spicy foods. What you must also avoid are highly processed foods and snacks that add no nutritional value and negligible amounts of fibre.

How should you consume probiotics?

Probiotics, when in capsule form must be taken with a lot of water to help the flora spread across the digestive tract. Avoid taking them with chlorinated water, as the chlorine could have an adverse effect on the micro-organisms that need to survive the journey until your gut. Generally regulated as a ‘food’ and not so much as a medicine, probiotics are generally considered safe to be consumed with any kind of medication. However, to ensure the most impact of the probiotics, it would be good to keep a 30-minute gap between any medications and your probiotics.

Now that you know how probiotics can be consumed to enhance their health benefits, go ahead and pick one of your preference and improve your gut health!