nutrition

You may have heard friends, family, or co-workers talking about ‘probiotics’. If so, you likely thought that this was the next big trend in weight loss and nutrition. Well, you may be happily surprised to learn that probiotics are gaining traction in the medical world as well. Numerous studies have been done on the benefits of introducing probiotics into your lifestyle. It turns out, probiotics can help a number of conditions while aiding in weight loss management. In this article, we’ll dive into how you can use probiotics to achieve and maintain your health and nutrition goals. What are Probiotics? Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria that can be found in within your body already. Adding these ‘good’ bacteria to your daily routine can improve your overall well-being in many ways. Probiotics support weight management and promote a healthy immune system. Typically you can get enough probiotics through foods like: Yogurt Cheese Saurkraut Kimchi Kombucha However, those with an aversion to foods that contain healthy probiotics, or if you are lactose intolerant, you can easily get your health on track with dairy-free probiotic supplementation. How do Probiotics Work? When there are too many ‘bad’ bacteria in your gut and not enough ‘good’ (usually due to a poor diet), the imbalance can have adverse effects on your body. Not having enough ‘good’ bacteria in your diet to counteract the bad can lead to weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, skin conditions, and other various health conditions. There are several ways probiotics can be used to improve your overall health. 1)   Introduction of Good Bacteria When you introduce friendly bacteria into your digestive tract, they instantly begin to work to improve your overall immune system by making short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). The SCFA create a colonization microbiota that teaches the immune system to increase its tolerance to harmful bacteria. Secondly, microbiota that can help break down otherwise indigestible foods. 2) Enhance Existing Bacteria Many probiotics are not only designed to introduce new bacteria into your system but also enhance the bacteria that is already there. Intensifying the prebiotic fiber keeps your body trained to produce more on its own.  3) Encourage Nutrient Absorption Probiotics allow you to get more out of your food. Introducing new bacteria into your stomach can break down the food you eat more easily. Ensuring you have a healthy digestive tract is the best way to increase the performance from the other foods you eat. Taking probiotics alongside other supplements is also beneficial. Many dieticians recommend stacking these supplements to enhance the absorption of your vitamins. Probiotics improve digestion which raises the bio-availability of the nutrients in the foods and other supplements you take. Probiotics and Weight Loss Obesity has been shown to be closely linked to your gut flora. Probiotics are helpful in supporting proper weight management and can even combat the weight gain typically associated with aging adults. Maintaining a healthy balance of probiotics such as Lactobacillus helps the body reduce inflammation which helps keep metabolic diseases at bay. One study showed that Lactobacillus amylovorus decreases the ‘bad’ gut bacteria Clostridium leptum. As a result, subjects were able to achieve and maintain a total fat loss of 4%. Final Thoughts Probiotics can aid in your battle against obesity by supporting the maintenance of a healthy well-balanced diet. Feel free to call our office if you have questions regarding nutrition or probiotics.