Do you experience digestive disturbances often? Have you been diagnosed with a digestive disorder? If so, it is time to take your digestive health seriously and learn how you can improve your digestive health using a natural, proven method. Probiotics have been used for several centuries as a natural way to improve digestive health.
Probiotics are live organisms (good bacteria) that improve one’s health. There are numerous types of probiotics, including lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and saccharomyces boulardii. Each of these probiotic strains provides different benefits, including improving one’s gastrointestinal health, immune health, skin health, and much more.
Probiotics occur naturally in certain types of fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut. You can also increase the number of beneficial bacteria by taking a probiotic supplement. A probiotic supplement is designed to boost the beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. The strength of a probiotic supplement is measured in colony forming units. The common dosage of colony forming units (CFUs) for adults range between 10 billion and 20 billion per day.
Benefits of Probiotics for Digestive Disorders
There are numerous digestive issues that can be relieved by taking a probiotic supplement. Let’s take a look at the different digestive issues that respond to probiotic supplementation.
Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea
Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. Unfortunately, that means antibiotics will also destroy the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. When the bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract become imbalanced, you can experience antibiotic associated diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and gas. The most common probiotics to ease this type of diarrhea is S. boulardii and L. rhamnosus probiotic supplements.
Constipation
Constipation is defined as infrequent bowel movements that are dry, hard, and difficult to pass. Conventional treatment options include stool softeners and laxatives. Unfortunately, these medications can cause bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and excess gas. Studies have shown that probiotic supplementation can help relieve constipation. The probiotic B. lactis has been shown to relieve constipation while reducing abdominal fullness, belching, and bloating.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is defined as frequent bowel movements that can range in consistency from loose to liquid. Most diarrhea is short lived; however, it can be chronic. The common causes of diarrhea, including infections of the GI tract, food poisoning, and gastroenteritis. Probiotics including lactobacillus strains, S. boulardii, and Bifidobacterium strains can help improve digestive health and relieve diarrhea.
H. pylori
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that infects the lining of the stomach. H. Pylori causes a number of gastrointestinal problems, including gastritis, gastric cancer, and peptic ulcers. A probiotic supplement can help replenish the beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, probiotics help heal ulcers and reduce GI inflammation naturally. Research has shown that probiotics, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus can help eradicate H. pylori and relieve the symptoms of gastritis and ulcers.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, cause a number of symptoms. The chronic inflammation associated with IBD causes damage to the GI tract. This damage can cause a number of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloody stools, fatigue, persistent diarrhea, and weight loss. Although there is no cure for inflammatory bowel disease, certain probiotics can help reduce the symptoms.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic abdominal disease characterized by diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. Although the exact cause of IBS remains unknown, approximately 84 percent of those suffering from IBS have a bacterial overgrowth in the small intestines. Probiotic supplementation helps restore the gut’s balance and relieve many of the symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance causes a number of symptoms that can disrupt your life. When a lactose intolerant individual consumes dairy products, they can experience abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea. Lactose intolerance occurs when you do not have a sufficient enough level of lactase, the enzyme that the body uses to digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products). Probiotics can help your body break down lactose and prevent lactose intolerant symptoms.
The digestive tract contains more than 500 different species of bacteria. Each individual’s gut microbiome is unique in the combination of bacterial strains in the colon. Illness, toxic exposure, and antibiotics can disrupt the delicate balance in the digestive tract, leading to a number of digestive disturbances.
Probiotics supplementation can help restore balance and relieve many of the symptoms experienced with these conditions. You do not have to suffer in silence any longer. Some practices such as Rose Wellness Center offer an integrative and holistic approach to treating digestive issues. They will help determine the root cause of your digestive disturbances and make nutritional and supplementation recommendations to restore your digestive health.
