10 Things You Might Not Know About Probiotics

10 Things You Might Not Know About Probiotics

Most people have at least a passing familiarity with probiotics.

If you’re as concerned about health and fitness as we are, you’ve likely heard the term thrown around at the gym, at the health food store, among friends, or online. But do you really know what probiotics are?

We’re here to set the record straight. Below we offer a brief description of what probiotics are as well as 10 interesting facts you didn’t know about them.

Yet all of this information won’t do you any good if we don’t tell you how to reap the rewards of probiotics. We finish things up with a few of the best ways to introduce probiotics into your diet.

What Are Probiotics?

There is a lot of confusion out there about probiotics. Because they’re bacteria, many people assume they’re bad for you. This is not the case at all.

Probiotics are special living bacteria that are actually great for your health. They’re particularly effective at digesting food and supporting the immune system. Add probiotics to your diet to boost your overall digestive health.

Thanks to their impressive health benefits, probiotics are often referred to as “helpful,” “good,” or “friendly” bacteria.

10 Interesting Facts About Probiotics

We love probiotics here at The Daily Vitamin. Here are 10 of the most interesting facts about this type of friendly bacteria:

1. 400 Strains – There are over 400 different kinds of probiotics in the body. While they’re generally lumped together under the same blanket term, each of these provides different benefits to the body. The most common strains of probiotics are Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.

2. Outnumber Body Cells – According to the National Institutes of Health Human Microbiome Project, the average human body contains between 3 to 5 pounds of bacteria. This outnumbers the amount of human body cells about 10 to 1. Yet because of the small size of the bacteria, they only make up around 2 percent of the average human’s body mass.

3. Live Everywhere – It’s a common misconception that probiotics live solely in the gut. They actually live everywhere. In addition to the billions of probiotics found in the colon, billions of others make their homes in the mouth, nose, eyes, ears, armpits, and more.

4. Boost Mood – A study in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, shows there is a direct link between the brain and gut. Often referred to as the “brain-gut axis,” it’s been proven that probiotics reduce anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. In other words, a helping of probiotics a day can help boost your mood considerably.

5. Increase Energy – Along with a boost in mood, probiotics serve up a noticeable increase in energy by helping the body process essential vitamins and other nutrients. These vitamins are more effectively distributed and absorbed by your body. This boost in nutrients leads to less fatigue and more energy.

6. Improve Sleep – The link between probiotics and better sleep once again highlights itself through the brain-gut axis. Helpful bacteria in the gut is a chief factor in the production of serotonin and melatonin. Increased production of these hormones helps you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly.

7. Aid Weight Loss – Of course, upping your intake of probiotics isn’t going to help you lose weight in itself. But combining probiotics with a healthy diet and regular exercise has been shown to work wonders. The main way probiotics do this is by limiting the absorption of dietary fat.

8. Maintain Dental Health – According to a study in The Swedish Dental Journal, probiotics provide a natural way to maintain good dental health. They help fight gum disease and plaque. Probiotics are also a natural cure for bad breath.

9. Prevent Bloating – No one likes to feel or appear bloated. Luckily, probiotics can help. The healthy bacteria prevent bloating in the stomach by preventing imbalances in the gut.

10. Affected by Stress – Your body’s natural production of probiotics is severely affected by stress. When you’re experiencing undue stress, the number of bad bacteria quickly overwhelms the good. Poor diet, certain antibiotics, and toxic substances also reduce the number of probiotics. This is why it’s so important to combine a good diet and regular exercise with probiotics for the most benefits.

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How to Take Probiotics

The benefits of probiotics sound pretty good, huh? If you’re interested in reaping the rewards of healthy bacteria yourself, there are two main ways to go about it.

A probiotics-rich diet is the best way to increase the amount of probiotics in your body. It all comes down to consuming foods high in these healthy bacteria. Daily Burn suggests starting with yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sour pickles, kombucha, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, miso, and tempeh. The great thing about introducing these foods into your diet is not only do they contain a lot of probiotics, they also taste great!

Though food is a more effective and more natural carrier of probiotics, another option is to take a probiotic supplement. This is a good option for those that don’t like many (or any) of the foods listed above.

There are dozens of great probiotic supplements available on the market. It’s important to find the best one for you personally. Be sure to select one that includes Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, the two most well-studied and powerful strains.

According to Women’s Health, you should also look for a probiotics supplement that contains at least 20 billion live organisms. These are available in pill, powder, and liquid form.

Though there are a lot of options available, the one that works best for you all boils down to personal preference. Experiment with a handful until you find a supplement that you like. Even when you do find a particular supplement you like, WebMD recommends switching to a new supplement every few months.

Final Thoughts,

There you have it – the basics on probiotics and their many health benefits.

We encourage you all to experiment with probiotic-rich foods or probiotic supplements yourself. Here at The Daily Vitamin, our favorite way to incorporate such foods into our normal diets is by making a probiotic-rich green smoothie. Swap milk for yogurt and you’re good to go.

What’s your favorite way to incorporate probiotics into your normal diet? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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