PROBIOTIC( ADDITIONAL

INFO.)

Tina P. Ollanda
August 11, 2021
Wfh session
Probiotics
 Probiotics are made of good live bacteria and/or
yeasts that naturally live in your body. You
constantly have both good and bad bacteria in
your body. When you get an infection, there’s
more bad bacteria, knocking your system out of
balance. Good bacteria helps eliminate extra bad
bacteria, returning the balance. Probiotic-
supplements are a way to add good bacteria to
your body.
What are probiotics?
 Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that
naturally live in your body. Bacteria is usually viewed in a negative light as
something that makes you sick. However, you have two kinds of bacteria
constantly in and on your body — good bacteria and bad bacteria. Probiotics
are made up of good bacteria that helps keep your body healthy and working
well. This good bacteria helps you in many ways, including fighting off bad
bacteria when you have too much of it, helping you feel better.
Probiotics are part of a larger picture concerning bacteria and your body —
your microbiome. Think of a microbiome as a diverse community of
organisms, such as a forest, that work together to keep your body healthy. This
community is made up of things called microbes. You have trillions of
microbes on and in your body. These microbes are a combination of:
 Bacteria.

 Fungi (including yeasts).

 Viruses.

 Protozoa.

 Everyone’s microbiome is unique. No two people have the same microbial

cells — even twins are different.
For a microbe to be called a probiotic, it must have
several characteristics. These include being able
to:
 Be isolated from a human.

 Survive in your intestine after ingestion (being

eaten).
 Have a proven benefit to you.

 Be safely consumed.
Where do beneficial probiotics (microbes) live in my
body?
Though the most common place linked to beneficial
microbes is your gut (mostly large intestines), you have
several locations in and on your body that host good
microbes. These locations are in contact with the “outside
world" and include your:
 Gut.

 Mouth.

 Vagina.

 Urinary tract.

 Skin.

 Lungs.
How do probiotics work?
The main job of probiotics, or good bacteria, is to maintain a healthy balance
in your body. Think of it as keeping your body in neutral. When you are sick,
bad bacteria enters your body and increases in number. This knocks your
body out of balance. Good bacteria works to fight off the bad bacteria and
restore the balance within your body, making you feel better.
Good bacteria keeps you healthy by supporting your immune function and
controlling inflammation. Certain types of good bacteria can also:
 Help your body digest food.

 Keep bad bacteria from getting out of control and making you sick.

 Create vitamins.

 Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent bad bacteria that you
may have consumed (through food or drinks) from entering your blood.
 Breakdown and absorb medications.

This balancing act is naturally happening in your body all of the time. You
don’t actually need to take probiotic supplements to make it happen. Good
bacteria is just a natural part of your body. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in
fiber every day helps to keep the number of good bacteria at proper levels.
What are the most common types of probiotic bacteria?
Though there are many types of bacteria that can be
considered probiotics, there are two specific types of
bacteria that are common probiotics found in stores. These
include:
 Lactobacillus.

 Bifidobacterium.

Probiotics are also made up of good yeast. The most

common type of yeast found in probiotics is:
 Saccharomyces boulardii.
Can probiotics help with medical conditions?
There is currently a large amount of research happening around the idea of what
probiotics can do for your body. Even though there are a lot of possibly positive
outcomes, researchers are still working to find definitive answers about how probiotics
can help with various conditions.
However, there are some medical conditions where probiotics may help. This can vary
between people meaning that what works for one person may not work for another.
These can also vary based on the certain probiotic that is taken.
Some of the conditions that might be helped by increasing the amount of probiotics in
your body (through food or supplements) include:
 Diarrhea (both diarrhea caused by antibiotics and from Clostridioides difficile
 (C. diff) infection).
 Constipation.
 Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
 Yeast infections.

 Urinary tract infections.

 Gum disease.
 Lactose intolerance.
 Eczema (atopic dermatitis).
 Upper respiratory infections (ear infections, common cold, sinusitis).
 Sepsis (specifically in infants).
How effective are probiotics?
 Researchers are currently unsure how effective probiotic
supplements are for treating conditions. There’s constant
research on the topic. While many research studies have
had positive results on the impact of probiotic
supplements, more research is still needed.
 It’s also important to keep in mind that unlike
medications, dietary supplements do not need to be
approved by the FDA. This means that manufacturers
can sell supplements simply with “claims” of safety and
effectiveness.
 Supplements might interfere with medicines you may be
taking. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, check with
your provider before taking any supplement.
How safe are probiotics?
Because microbes used as probiotics already exist naturally in
your body, probiotic foods and supplements are generally
considered safe. They may trigger allergic reactions, and may also
cause mild stomach upset, diarrhea, or flatulence (passing gas)
and bloating for the first few days after starting to take them.
There are certain people who need to use caution when using
probiotic supplements. There is a risk of infection in some people.
These people include those who have:
 A weakened immune system (those going through
chemotherapy for example).
 A critical illness.

 Recently had surgery.

Caution should also be used when giving probiotics to very sick

infants.
Probiotics for kids?
 Probiotics can be beneficial for both adults and kids. If
your child has an illness that requires an antibiotic
medication for treatment, taking a probiotic can help
shorten symptoms. Probiotics can also be used to help
relieve constipation, acid reflux, diarrhea, gas and
eczema in children.
 Introducing probiotics into your child’s diet through food
is typically a safe way to give them probiotics. Foods
like yogurt and cottage cheese are often part of a
balanced diet and can add in good bacteria without much
risk.
 There are commercially available probiotic supplements
specifically designed for infants and children.
Probiotics after taking antibiotics?
 Antibiotic medications are often needed to fight an infection.
However, while antibiotics are killing the bad bacteria, they
are also knocking out the good bacteria in your body. Some
people develop conditions like diarrhea after taking an
antibiotic. In other people, this may allow for really bad
bacteria to take over and populate the gut, such as with C.
diff. Some research has shown a positive connection between
taking probiotics after an antibiotic and relief from diarrhea.
 The thought behind adding probiotics back into your body
after taking an antibiotic is that it can repopulate the good
bacteria that was destroyed by the antibiotics and re-boot your
system. The extra good bacteria helps repopulate your gut and
fight off any remaining bad bacteria. Many people feel that
adding in probiotics won’t hurt, might help you feel better a
little faster and prevent diarrhea.