The Effects of Probiotics on the Body

Conner Camacho #3
10/29/13
Biology 8 a.m.
The Benefits of Probiotics on the Body

Probiotics have been defined as “Living microorganisms that provide a health benefit to the host when ingested in adequate amounts.” That fairly boring description hardly does justice to these tiny organisms, though. In fact, the word “probiotic” actually means “for life” and that’s an excellent description of these beneficial bacteria. Without sufficient supplies, your health can suffer in both mildly annoying and very serious ways.
The constant wear tear on the intestinal walls that are acquired from the decomposition of foods a person might intake overtime can cause serious problems regarding the digestive system.
With the way most people eat in today’s society a steady dose of probiotics would be a good idea in order to maintain and regulate a healthy functioning body. Many foods that are produced for today’s market have either been artificially altered in some way. When this happens all the
“good” bacteria is taken out and replaced with “bad” bacteria that does even more damage to inner linings of the stomach during digestion. Although you must also understand each and every person responds differently to certain stimuli. The overall health of the human body is in direct correspondence of how the good of condition the inner linings of the stomach are in.
Specific probiotic have been identified as beneficial to influence improvement for the metabolic activity within a person. Researchers have been studying the link between certain types of unfavorable bacteria and obesity. Studies over animals have revealed that substituting

the “good” bacteria for the “bad” ones results in healthy weight loss, and early human trials support those findings as well. Since weight management is very important to good health, probiotics are definitely a good idea if you’re trying to lose weight.
Recent researchers have examined probiotics’ and their effect on cancer. Their research suggested several possible ways that these beneficial microbes fight the disease. For example, certain fermented dairy products seem to have anti-tumor effects. In addition, probiotics may decrease the growth of unhealthy bacteria that create an environment favorable to cancer. Finally, probiotics are showing potential as a means of protecting against colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country.
Some benefits of probiotics have also shown to inhibit the growth of a wide range of infectious diarrhea characterized by inflammation in the gut. The first aim of using probiotics has been to increase the composition of the intestinal tissue from a potentially harmful state towards a composition that would be of benefit to the host. Several lines of evidence suggest that some probiotic bacteria can help regulate the immune system thereby improving immune defense mechanisms. First and foremost, it is known that eighty percent of a persons immune system is located in the stomach. Secondly, the probiotic bacteria helps to repair the layers of skin in the stomach that becomes worn down from digestive acids which in return helps the body be able to digest all the nutrients that are ingested. Lastly, when the gut is in good health it allows for an easy flow of material through the digestive system as well. Thus helping the body stay purified from the anything harmful that might cause illness.
Some probiotics can even help the symptoms experienced with disorders such as allergies. A condition known as “leaky gut” occurs when gaps develop between the cells that

make up the lining in your intestinal wall. These tiny gaps allow substances, such as undigested food, bacteria and metabolic wastes, that should be confined to your digestive tract to escape into your bloodstream. Hence the term leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome can contribute to the symptoms experienced with allergies. Thus helping explain why children with healthier gut flora have a reduced risk of developing allergies.
Probiotics are an essential ingredient in many fermented foods, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, buttermilk, kimchi, cheese, miso, and tempeh. Even though you can get some beneficial bacteria from eating these foods, there is no reliable way to tell how much they contain. In addition, supermarket yogurt is not a good way to get these nutrients. For one, it contains far too few probiotics and we need doses that include billions of organisms. That’s why supplements are the best way to be certain your beneficial bacteria are plentiful and functioning properly. If you’ve ever shopped for probiotics, though, you know that finding the right product is not easy. There are literally thousands of different strains of beneficial bacteria, making for a very confusing shopping experience.
After learning all the benefits that come from being on a steady dose of probiotics I hope you understand now how important it is to have a healthy gut. With a healthy gut, the longevity of a person will be increased drastically because a healthy digestive system allows for proper flow of nutrients throughout the body and in return allows for overall health to be achieved.