Probiotic supplements: really necessary or just advertising?

Reporting from MayoClinic, basically you don't need probiotics to make your body healthy. However, these microorganisms can help keep your digestion healthy and protect it from harmful bacteria, just like the "good" bacteria that are already in your body that are already doing this. So, if you are not obliged to increase your intake of probiotics, will the body still get good benefits from this microorganism? Check out the explanation below.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms in the gut. The normal human digestive tract contains about 400 types of probiotic bacteria which can reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and improve the health of the digestive system. Most of the probiotics used in health supplements are bifidobacterium strains and lactobacillus.

Probiotics help restore the number of good bacteria in the body that may have been depleted by the use of certain antibiotics or medications. Probiotics are recommended for people who suffer from chronic yeast infections, constipation (constipation), diarrhea, as well as gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. Probiotics are also believed to boost the immune system and control body weight.

Where can we find probiotics?

You can consume probiotics from fermented food products such as yogurt, sauerkraut, dark chocolate, pickles, and also kimchi. Yogurt contains high levels of lactobacillus and acidophilus which increase the levels of good bacteria in your body.

Apart from food, you can also find probiotics in supplements. Currently, probiotic supplements are available in various types of preparations. Starting from capsules, syrups, to powder.

How many probiotics can be consumed per day?

There is no fixed dose to determine how much probiotic you should take each day. Research from the University of Maryland Medical Center states that Lactobacillus acidophilus, that is, the most commonly used type of probiotic may be recommended in doses of about 1 billion to 15 billion CFU (colony forming units) per day. However, it is rare for packaged yogurt and similar products to list the CFU count.

Consumer Reports noted in 2011 that most yogurt products contained CFUs ranging from 90 billion to 500 billion per serving. Whereas probiotic supplements generally offer 20 to 70 billion CFU.

In addition, what you need to pay attention to is that the amount of probiotics needed by each person is different, depending on several factors such as body conditions and certain illnesses.

Are there any side effects from consuming probiotics?

When you first take probiotics, you may experience symptoms such as bloating, headaches, or skin rashes. Generally, these symptoms will reduce over time. You can take probiotics indefinitely. Unless you have an allergy to milk. If you have an allergic reaction to lactobacillus, acidophilus, bifidobacterium, or Streptococcus thermophilus, then you need to rethink taking probiotics.

You still need to consult your doctor when deciding to take probiotic supplements. Talk to your doctor if you have any health problems that might cause probiotics to react negatively in your body.

If you have a weakened immune system, you usually shouldn't take probiotics because they can increase your risk of certain infections.