What are Probiotics?
For people who have knowledge of nutrition especially when it comes to digestive health and immunity gut health and probiotics will always be a hot topic.
Our body contains around 40 to 50 trillion human cells, and about 10 times more bacteria, which include both good and bad bacteria. These bacteria are often referred to as the "forgotten organ" because they have countless functions in the body. They constitute about 1.5 kilograms of your body mass, and this is known as the microbiome.
What is the Microbiome?
Everyone should know that the microbiome is an ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and different microorganisms within our body, which are crucial for our survival, health, and bodily functions.
Just like our body has bad bacteria, it also has good bacteria those with numerous important functions which are called probiotics.
Over time, whether or not you experience diseases, the levels of these good bacteria decrease. If you suffer from illnesses especially those that attack the immune system the level of good bacteria declines even faster. And even if you're not sick, these good bacteria eventually exhaust themselves after performing their functions.
That’s why it’s important to include foods in your diet that replenish probiotics. Because they serve so many roles in the body, supplementation is also recommended.
How Do We Damage Our Microbiome?
1. Stress: It negatively affects the balance of good bacteria in the body.
2. Poor Sleep Hygiene: The body’s bacteria also follow a biological clock and sleep-wake cycle aligned with the natural sun cycle, not your personal routine.
3. Excessive Antibiotic Use: Antibiotics kill bad bacteria but unfortunately also eliminate good bacteria. Those who frequently take antibiotics, or suffer from immune system disorders with recurring infections, should consistently take probiotics.
4. Sugar & Refined Carbs: These harm your microbiome. As people enter their 30s or 40s, their good bacteria counts drop and they should include probiotics in their diet.
You may have heard yogurt is a good source of probiotics and it is but yogurt alone is not sufficient. Fermented vegetables are also great sources. However, natural sources of probiotics can sometimes be poorly tolerated by the body.
This is why probiotic supplements are generally safe and highly recommended.
Why Supplements?
Because many people can’t tolerate fermented foods, and stomach acid often destroys natural probiotics before they can reach the small and large intestine where they’re supposed to help absorb nutrients, strengthen immunity, and flush out toxins.
What to Look For in a Probiotic Supplement:
Storage Conditions: Usually refrigerated, airtight, and stored in dry, humidity-free environments.
Expiry Date: Always check before buying.
CFUs (Colony Forming Units):
People with compromised immunity are recommended 50 billion CFUs.
For moderate health, 25 billion CFUs are necessary.
Healthy people should take at least 10 billion CFUs daily.
When Should You Take Probiotics?
With meals (especially breakfast or dinner), or
20–30 minutes before or after meals, or
Before bed when your body starts its natural repair and recycling process.
Taking probiotics with food helps in nutrient extraction and protects probiotics from stomach acid, allowing them to reach the intestines and multiply effectively.
Choose enteric-coated capsules so the stomach acid doesn’t destroy the bacteria before they reach the gut.
Understanding the Relationship:
The human-probiotic relationship is similar to the oxpecker and rhinoceros. The bird eats parasites from the rhino’s skin, keeping it healthy, and in return, the rhino provides food and shelter.
Probiotics help us by flushing out toxins, and we support them by providing food and a living environment.
Who Should Take Probiotics?
1. Those with traveler’s or antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
2. People who’ve been on long-term antibiotics, which also destroy good fungi and yeast, sometimes leading to overgrowths in the mouth, scalp, or skin.
3. Those with weak immune systems who get frequent fevers, colds, or coughs.
4. People with recurring fungal infections.
5. Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases or gastric disorders since fiber-digesting enzymes are not present in our body, probiotics help in fiber digestion.
6. People with constipation or hemorrhoids.
7. People with body odor—caused by overgrowth of bad bacteria.
8. Those with halitosis (bad breath).
9. For general detoxification.
10. Individuals with food allergies or skin conditions like eczema, rashes, etc.
11. Those with autoimmune disorders like arthritis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis because probiotics regulate the immune sys
12. Diabetics—probiotics enhance insulin sensitivity and help control blood sugar levels.
13. Heart patients—probiotics help in producing heart-healthy vitamins like B2, B12, and K.
Vitamin K helps distribute calcium into bones and prevents calcium buildup in arteries, reducing risks of heart attacks and strokes.
Gut-Brain Axis
The gut and brain develop together in the embryo. The gut has more nerves than the spinal column. Bacteria influence mood, anxiety, stress, and depression.
Recent research even shows some autistic children lack certain strains of probiotics.
Probiotics produce amino acids like tryptophan, which is essential for creating serotonin—our mood-stabilizing hormone. About 85–95% of serotonin is produced in the gut.
If you're often in a bad mood, starting probiotics could suddenly make the world appear calmer and more beautiful.
They boost your immune system and remove toxins.
Probiotics are also recommended for people with leaky gut—a condition that can cause food or skin allergies.
They maintain the integrity of the intestinal wall, preventing harmful substances from leaking into the bloodstream.
That’s why people who suffer from acne, rashes, or eczema often see dramatic improvements in their "before and after" photos when they start taking probiotics—because what really improved was their gut health.