Sunday, March 24, 2024

Do Probiotics Help With Inflammation

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Can Probiotics Hurt Me

How do probiotics help with urinary tract infections?

For most healthy people, probiotics dont cause any harm. They are generally considered safe and are often given a try to see if they could help with various medical conditions. Theres a lot of research around the topic of probiotics. Scientists are trying to determine when and how they should be used, as well as how effective they are. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting a probiotic supplement because there are some cases where you shouldnt be taking them. Its always best to have the conversation first before starting a new supplement.

Are There Any Risks Related To Probiotics

Probiotics are generally considered safe. However, there are some risks linked to the supplements. These risks are increased if you have a medical condition that weakens your immune system, have recently had surgery or have other serious medical conditions.

Unlikely, but possible, risks can include:

  • Developing an infection.
  • Developing a resistance to antibiotics.
  • Developing harmful byproducts from the probiotic supplement.

Role Of Intestinal Flora

We may not realize that our intestinal flora can be a driver of inflammation. Gut-associated inflammation has been linked to insulin resistance, some forms of cancer, and even mental health concerns.

The trillions of bacteria that live within our gut have an intimate connection to our immune system, helping to strike a balance between tolerance and regulation. One type of bacteria that can cause inflammation is gram-negative bacteria.

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The Best Probiotics For Men & Women

There arent really any strict this type for men, and this type for women probiotics when it comes to relieving joint pain, as the most common types of probiotics in general have been shown to bring the above effects to those who take them regularly.

Of course, there are certain other effects which are tailored to men and women in general, e.g. certain probiotics can help with the reproductive system of a woman, etc. It is therefore important to do your research into which is best for you before you begin taking it, as well as checking into the reputation. Probiotics are still quite unknown and a little unregulated, so going for the most high profile options will serve you well.

The most common types of probiotics are

  • Lactobacillus

How Effective Are Probiotics

Do Probiotics Help Inflammation &  Obesity?

Researchers are currently unsure how effective probiotic supplements are for treating conditions. Theres constant research on the topic. While many research studies have had positive results on the impact of probiotic supplements, more research is still needed.

Its also important to keep in mind that unlike medications, dietary supplements do not need to be approved by the FDA. This means that manufacturers can sell supplements simply with claims of safety and effectiveness.

Always talk with your healthcare provider before taking a supplement or giving one to your child. Supplements might interfere with medicines you may be taking. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, check with your provider before taking any supplement.

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How Do Probiotics Reduce Skin Inflammation

One of the hallmarks of eczema is inflammation, so it makes sense to look at how probiotics may help to alleviate inflammation. By reducing inflammation, this contributes to an improvement in eczema symptoms.

What is Inflammation?

When illness and injury occur, the body initiates an immune response. Part of this is inflammation. You need inflammation for the body to attack foreign invaders, to repair damaged tissue and to promote overall healing. If inflammation never happened, infections could become life-threatening and even the smallest wounds could not heal. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, problems start to occur.

When skin inflammation is present, it generally presents as warmth, swelling, and redness. In some cases, pain can be present. After an illness or injury, inflammation occurs in the following general steps:

When inflammation is acute, once the body heals, the inflammatory response stops. The associated symptoms go away. However, there are times when it remains and becomes a chronic issue. With eczema, inflammation can be chronic. It needs to be addressed to alleviate it.

Choose The Right Kind Of Probiotic

There are a number of different kinds of probiotics to choose from. Some people benefit from taking lactic-acid probiotics like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, while others do better with yeast-derived probiotics like Saccharomyces boulardii or soil-based organisms like Bacillus. For some people, a combination of all three probiotic types is ideal.

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Do I Need To Take Probiotics After I Take Antibiotics

Antibiotic medications are often needed to fight an infection. However, while antibiotics are killing the bad bacteria, they are also knocking out the good bacteria in your body. Some people develop conditions like diarrhea after taking an antibiotic. In other people, this may allow for really bad bacteria to take over and populate the gut, such as with C. diff. Some research has shown a positive connection between taking probiotics after an antibiotic and relief from diarrhea. This hasnt been proven yet and doesnt work for everyone.

The thought behind adding probiotics back into your body after taking an antibiotic is that it can repopulate the good bacteria that was destroyed by the antibiotics and re-boot your system. The extra good bacteria helps repopulate your gut and fight off any remaining bad bacteria. Many people feel that adding in probiotics wont hurt, might help you feel better a little faster and prevent diarrhea.

An Overview Of Gastritis

Probiotics, Blood Sugar, and Diabetes

The stomach secretes acid and the enzyme pepsin to break down food during digestion. It is lined with a layer called the mucosa, which protects itself from damage caused by the acidity of gastric juice. The stomach lining can become irritated and inflamed, resulting in a decrease in the production of protective mucus, as the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes.

Depending on the cause, gastritis can occur as a flare-up or it can be a long-standing, chronic condition that requires medication for treatment. In some cases, it may cause stomach ulcers when the mucosal lining erodes and exposes the tissue that lay beneath. Left untreated, severe gastritis and ulcers may lead to stomach cancer.

Gastritis can be detected by looking at an X-ray image of the stomach after the interior has been coated with a barium solution, according to the NIDDK. Another method uses an endoscope to capture images of the stomach lining when a camera is inserted into the patient’s esophagus while sedated. Blood, stool and breath tests can indicate if gastritis-causing bacteria are present.

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How Long Do Probiotics Take To Help Constipation

If you are taking high quality probiotic supplements, improvements may appear between 1-4 weeks. However, we have had patients see dramatic changes in as little as 48 hours.

For example, Rachel struggled with IBS-C for most of her life, often only having a bowel movement every 5-6 days, even with a good diet in place. She also struggled with low mood, eczema, daily headaches, and other symptoms. She tried dozens of different natural treatments with little success. Rachel began Probiotic Triple Therapy, and her constipation improved within 48 hours.

Over time, she noticed that her mood was better too. After the initial period on the protocol, she was able to reduce her dosage and only take type 2 probiotics, Saccharomyces Boulardii.

Improvements like Rachels dont come as easily for everyone, so make sure to try the therapy for at least three weeks to observe any changes. Even small improvements show that probiotics are having a positive effect on your gut microbiome composition.

Clinical Demonstrations Of Prophylactic And Therapeutic Effects Of Probiotics

The potential health effects of normal gut microflora have to be shown by well controlled clinical and nutritional studies in human subjects. So far, several clinical studies have investigated the use of probiotics, principally lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, as dietary supplements for the prevention and treatment of various gastrointestinal infectious and inflammatory conditions.

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How To Take Probiotics

When you take probiotics for UC, there are two key things to know.

  • You’ll likely need to take them for a while. Your stomach acid kills bacteria, whether good or bad. Experts suggest that you take the probiotics for at least 7 to 10 days to get enough good bacteria. Studies have treated patients with probiotics for up to 6 to 8 weeks. You need millions and millions — possibly billions — to start relieving UC symptoms.
  • To keep up the benefits, you have to keep taking them. If you stop, the balance of bacteria in your colon will change and a flare-up may occur. Talk to your doctor about a long-term probiotic plan.

  • Taking them by mouth may not be best. Although it may not seem pleasant, there may be some advantages to taking probiotics rectally. A smaller dose may be possible because the probiotics skip the stomach acid. This lets more of the good bacteria reach the intestines. But for obvious reasons, most people find it easier to just swallow a pill.
  • Probiotic Hydrogels Heal Gut Wounds That Other Treatments Cant Reach

    Promoting a Strong Immune System: Anti

    Could open the door to new bioactive healing strategies

    In their new study, the team further built on these findings by introducing the machinery for producing one of the mucoadhesive hydrogels based on TFF3 into an E. coli Nissle strain that is a normal gut bacterium that can thrive in the colon and cecum sections of the intestinal tract affected by IBD, and is currently sold in many commercial probiotic formulations. We found that the newly engineered Nissle bacteria, when given orally, also populated and resided in the intestinal tract, and that their curli fibers integrated with the intestinal mucus layer, said first author Pichet Praveschotinunt, who is a graduate student mentored by Joshi.

    When we induced colitis in the colons of mice by orally administering the chemical dextran sodium sulfate, animals that had received the PATCH-generating E. coli Nissle strain by daily rectal administration starting three days prior to chemical treatment had significantly faster healing and lower inflammatory responses, which caused them to lose much less weight and recover faster compared to control animals, said Praveschotinunt. Their colon epithelial mucosa displayed a more normal morphology and lower numbers of infiltrating immune cells.

    Additional authors on the study are Wyss Institute researchers Ilia Gelfat, Franziska Bahl, and David B. Chou.

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    How Do Probiotics Help Heart Health

    Probiotics play a role in restoring gut health, which can improve heart health. Research has also shown that probiotics can have specific health-promoting effects on the heart such as lowering cholesterol, reducing blood pressure and normalizing lipid levels. Additionally, probiotics can , which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular conditions.

    Probiotics are needed to change gut ecology. When you take a probiotic, the good bacteria go into your gut and push the bad, inflammatory bugs out. Additionally, probiotics have been shown to decrease gut permeability and ward off pathogenic bacteria .

    Probiotics also help with the synthesis of vitamins like vitamin K2 in the gut. K2 is a heart-protective vitamin that can help to reverse calcification of arteries by putting calcium back where it belongs in the bones and teeth. Probiotics also aid in detoxification of chemicals and toxins, both of which are irritants to heart muscle.

    How To Improve Gut Health Naturally And Reduce Inflammation

    Because inflammation is at the root of so many issues, resolving that inflammation through natural means will improve gut health in many ways, explains Bard.

    Chronic inflammation just makes everything harder, she says. The organs have to work harder when everythings out of balance. The body wants to achieve homeostasis . With inflammation, it cant do it. Cleaning up the gut can help reduce some of the chronic inflammation in the body.

    As a nutritionist, Bard emphasizes that what we eat and drink directly affects our gut microbiome. She believes that a diverse, whole-foods diet that feeds the good bacteria in the gut is the best way to minimize inflammation and maintain a healthy gut microbiome. That means foods that come from the earth or animals that have sacrificed their lives for us to eat.

    Heres how to improve gut health through exercise, stress management, and a healthy diet centered on protein, healthy fat, and healthy carbohydrates in the form of fruits, vegetables, and grains.

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    In One Randomized Controlled Trial: 7

    • The probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarumDR7 suppressed proinflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma and TNF-alpha in middle-aged adults and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 in young adults .
    • The probiotic was also associated with reduced levels of plasma peroxidation and oxidative stress, suggesting less tissue damage due to inflammation and oxidation.
    • And those taking the probiotics for at least four weeks had reduced frequency of upper respiratory tract infections and duration of nasal symptoms after 12 weeks, compared with a placebo group.

    Probiotics may also help in COVID-19 simply by competing with and inhibiting the growth of pathogenic organisms, such as Clostridium difficile and Streptococcus pneumoniae. In one study, patients on mechanical ventilators in the ICU were significantly less likely to develop ventilator-associated pneumonia if given the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.8 They were also less likely to develop diarrhea resulting from C. difficile infection.

    In another small study involving 100 critically ill adults undergoing mechanical ventilation, those who received a probiotic containing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus spp. daily for 14 days had a lower incidence of VAP and were released from the ICU faster than those who received a placebo.9 The probiotic group also had less gastrointestinal upset, as well as a decrease in multidrugresistant pathogens .

    Do Probiotics Contain La1

    Verify: Do probiotics help maintain overall health?

    Food manufacturers include L. acidophilus in a range of commercial brands of probiotic yogurt.

    Medical News Today asked Dr. Ma whether any of these products contain the specific bacterial strain, LA1, that appears to protect the gut lining from inflammation.

    Unfortunately, most probiotic companies do not list the specific strains contained in their probiotic product, Dr. Ma explained.

    The Lactobacillus acidophilus strain that we referred to as LA1 is available in some of the commercial products, but it is not clear which do and do not, he said.

    He added that the amount of probiotic bacteria in a product is also crucial to their biological effect, with quantities in excess of 1 billion colony-forming units per dose working best.

    Dr. Ma went on to say that L. acidophilus is a component of healthy adults gut flora, but not necessarily LA1.

    Because the bacterium undergoes constant genetic change, every individual will have different and often unique strains of the bacterium.

    A persons diet helps determine the makeup of their gut microbiota, as recent research reported by MNT discovered.

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    The Takeaway: How Long Does It Take For Probiotics To Work

    The short answer: It takes most people 2 to 3 weeks to feel significant benefits when they start taking probiotics.

    Thats because probiotics need time to accomplish their three key goals: increase your good bacteria count, decrease your bad bacteria count, and reduce inflammation.

    Overthrowing the bad bacteria thats already in power, working to remove them, and reducing the inflammation that the bad bacteria had produced is a process.

    Adding good bacteria in the form of probiotics is not a one-time thing — you need to consume them consistently to win the war thats going on down there.

    Think of taking probiotics as adding more soldiers to the microbiome battlefield every day — and think of taking prebiotics as giving your soldiers supplies.

    Expecting one dose of probiotics to fix your symptoms is like expecting to win a war in a single day. Sending one small wave of good soldiers to the battlefield — taking one probiotic pill — wont be enough to overthrow the king in power .

    But sending a well-supplied group of soldiers to battle on a daily basis will eventually be enough to put your desired ruler back in power, so they can clean up the damage that bad bacteria has done .

    Give your gut the soldiers, supplies, and time it needs to fix things up, and youll finally feel your best again.

    Benefits Of Taking Probiotics

    Not all probiotics are the same. Different strains of the bacteria have different effects. For example, one strain may fight against cavity-causing organisms in our mouths and don’t need to survive a trip through our guts.

    Research has been promising for these friendly critters. Potential benefits of probiotics have been seen in the treatment or prevention of

    • H. pylori
    • vaginal infections
    • infection of the digestive tract caused by Clostridium difficile
    • pouchitis
    • eczema in children.

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    Reduce Inflammation With Probiotics & Improve Digestive Symptoms

    Here comes the big one – probiotics reduce inflammation within the gut .

    Inflammation is particularly detrimental to proper digestion. It exaggerates intestinal permeability, interferes with insulin signaling, and can cause digestive symptoms .

    Why does dysbiosis cause inflammation in the first place? Well, bad bacteria living within the gut have toxic molecules called lipopolysaccharides in their outer membrane, which trigger an immune and inflammatory response in the body. And that response is associated with digestive symptoms, among other health issues.

    With less bad bacteria and LPS around, inflammation will go down.

    So lets connect the dots since probiotics may increase the amount of beneficial bacteria and reduce counts of bad bacteria in your gut, they may also reduce the amount of lipopolysaccharides in your body, which in turn lowers inflammation.

    And lowering inflammation is key to improving your digestion, since inflammation is associated with digestive issues .

    Quelling Inflammation With Probiotics

    Promoting a Strong Immune System: Anti

    One way to help alleviate inflammation is with probiotics. There are probiotic sprays that can be applied directly to areas of the skin affected by eczema. These have shown great promise in helping to alleviate a patients symptoms. However, since chronic inflammation tends to be systemic, it is also important to target inflammation from the inside out. This means also eating probiotic foods or taking a quality supplement.

    Topical probiotics can be used with those you ingest. They may help to do the following:

    • Alleviate eczema symptoms
    • Rehydrate the skin
    • Provide the skin with powerful antioxidants

    When the skin is healthier, eczema symptoms may be reduced. It is also critical to keep the skin hydrated since dryness can trigger certain eczema symptoms.

    When you apply probiotics to the skin, it absorbs them. The skin is better able to fight against the allergens and other environmental factors that might trigger eczema symptoms. With sufficient probiotics, the skin also tends to be stronger.

    When you are using topical probiotics, make sure to follow the directions exactly. Use the same information for choosing this type of probiotic that you do when you pick out a supplement.

    With this information, you can better determine if probiotics are the answer to your eczema problems. You can get them from your diet, as well as from high-quality supplements. Take the Vitagene Health + Ancestry DNA test to find out if supplementing with probiotics is right for you.

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