84 Burnett St Bundaberg
Probiotics are known for supporting your gut health. But did you know they have many other health benefits to offer? In fact, if you have an ongoing health concern, there’s a good chance there’s a probiotic that can help alleviate your symptoms.
Let’s take a look at the different areas of your health that can benefit from the use of supplements.
Digestive symptoms and conditions
Do you suffer from diarrhoea or constipation? Or perhaps you have a chronic condition such as inflammatory bowel disease or IBS? If so, probiotics might be an option to explore.
Probiotics can help to reduce all forms diarrhoea – including infectious diarrhoea and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. There’s also evidence to suggest that they can improve symptoms of constipation by increasing frequency and consistency.
When it comes to digestive disorders, the research is promising. Some probiotic strains have been found to be as effective as medication for ulcerative colitis. Other studies show that they can relieve symptoms of IBS.
Mental health concerns
There is a close two-way link between the gut and brain, so it’s no surprise that probiotics have benefits for your nervous system and mental health.
Some of the concerns that probiotics can help to manage include anxiety, depression, and OCD. They may also assist with the management of autism.
One of the potential factors is the impact on inflammation in the body. Many mental health issues have been linked to chronic inflammation.
Supporting a healthy heart
Some probiotic strains may even help to protect your heart health. There are a number of mechanisms at play here, so let’s take a closer look.
Some bacteria can help to reduce cholesterol by breaking down bile and preventing reabsorption of bile into the body. Studies suggest that consuming probiotics regularly can drop total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.
Some probiotics may also help to lower blood pressure by a small amount. For these benefits, people have to take them for at least 8 weeks and at a significant dose.
And as we touched on earlier, probiotics can influence inflammation, which plays a massive role in heart health and disease.
Optimising your immune function
Everyone wants to boost their immune system these days, and probiotics might be the secret weapon you’re missing.
Some strains can boost immune cells and promote the production of natural antibodies. There are also studies that show probiotics can reduce your risk of respiratory illness, as well as the duration of sickness.
This can even extend to urinary tract infections. One specific strain has been shown to reduce the risk of UTIs in women by 50%.
Tackling allergic conditions
Suffering from allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema or even dairy allergies? Probiotics may help to tackle your symptoms.
Probiotics may be able to prevent eczema in babies if the mother takes probiotics during pregnancy. They can also help to reduce the severity of the symptoms. In asthma, they can reduce the number of symptoms.
There’s also evidence that probiotics can lessen the inflammatory response for dairy allergies. However, you may still need to consider a dairy-free diet to fully alleviate your symptoms.
Balancing body weight and composition
Yes, even your body weight can be influenced by the addition of probiotics!
It’s believed that probiotics can help you feel fuller for longer, store less fat and burn more calories. They may help with weight loss as well as reduction in abdominal (belly) fat.
Of course, if weight loss is your goal, probiotics are only one piece of the puzzle.
Remember – not all probiotics are equal!
There are countless probiotic strains these days, and they don’t all offer the same health benefits. That’s why it’s best to work with a qualified health professional who can help you find the right probiotic strains for your needs and goals.
Wondering if probiotics are right for you?
Our naturopath Trish is happy to help you. She can assess your diet, lifestyle and goals, as well as any pathology results you might have from your GP. Together, you can discuss the best ways to improve your symptoms and which supplements will help with your specific concerns.
To book an appointment with Trish at our Bundaberg clinic, book an appointment online here or call us on (07) 41522372
