Probiotics Support Digestion and More!

Probiotics–otherwise known as friendly bacteria–support a healthy body in many ways. These bacteria live in your GI tract, and offer a surprising number of benefits to their host organism, meaning you.

These “good guy” types keep away harmful forms of bacteria, which, if they were allowed to proliferate, could cause numerous illnesses.

These beneficial bacteria even assist in getting the nutrients from your gut to your bloodstream, where your body can most benefit from them.

Probiotics also serve as little vitamin factories: when probiotic bacteria live abundantly in your gut, they pump out vitamin K as well as some of the most important B vitamins.

Probiotics play a large role in a strong immune system. An even more underappreciated area of probiotic benefit is that of mental health, according to personal trainer JJ Flizanes, director of Invisible Fitness.

“Your gut actually produces a lot of neurotransmitter type chemicals such as serotonin, which is why probiotics can help you experience better moods,” she said.

Get Cultured

If these bacteria are so important, why is it only recently that they’ve made their way into supplement bottles?

“Probiotic bottles weren’t on any shelves 30 years ago because most people got these bacteria from cultured foods in their diet, such as yogurt and sauerkraut,” Flizanes said.

A quick look around the world shows that cultured foods were developed in every corner. One of the drivers of cultured foods is that cultured vegetables, dairy products, and even fish can be stored far longer than their noncultured counterparts (something that was very important prior to refrigeration).

If cultured foods are not a significant part of your diet, then you might want to consider a probiotic supplement to make up the difference.

“One of the biggest bacterial species that we know to be effective is Lactobacillus acidophilus,” Filzanes said. “It is a very effective strain of beneficial bacteria that works to help improve your immune system. Bifidobacteria, another excellent strain, also strengthens immune response.”

“Consider paying the little extra money to make sure the probiotic you buy is acid- and bile-resistant,” Flizanes said, “so that it actually survives through the first stage of digestion, which is getting past the strong acid of the stomach.”

Feed Your Bugs

Don’t overlook prebiotics. The probiotics you already have in your body can grow into larger colonies if you eat foods known as prebiotics—nutrients that probiotic bacteria love.

Key prebiotics include fibers called inulins and fructooligosaccharides, which are found in foods such as bananas, artichokes, and sunchokes.

“You can also get prebiotics from raw and cooked onions, raw garlic, raw leeks, raw dandelion greens, raw asparagus, and raw chicory root,” Flizanes said.

Whether it’s from cultured foods, a bottle of probiotic bacteria, or feeding your gut’s own resident healthy bacteria, it’s a good idea to support the healthful bugs living in your GI tract.

Label Literacy

The sea of probiotic choices in the supplement aisle can be overwhelming. Sylvia Laman, a toxicologist with the third-party product tester NSF International, has a few tips to make your selection easier.

• Any probiotic supplement you’re considering should carry a detailed label stating what the product contains: from genus down to species, then down to the exact strain of bacteria that’s in the bottle.
• Check that the product states the bacteria quantity, which is listed as colony forming units (CFU).
• Laman recommends consumers consider buying probiotic supplements from manufacturers “committed to verifying the identity and safety of probiotic ingredients, such as products that are tested and verified by a third party such as NSF International.”

Navigating through a sea of information can be tricky. This is especially true when it comes to celiac disease, where there seems to be a constant flow of new studies and research. To help you with the latest developments, we’ve answered some common and not-so-common queries.

Common Questions About Celiac

I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Do I need to worry about gluten-containing ingredients in the body care and makeup products that I use?

Research has shown that gluten molecules are too large to penetrate intact skin. However, there are some people with celiac or gluten sensitivities who avoid any skin care items or makeup products that contain gluten on the chance that it may irritate their skin or accidentally be swallowed. (This is a particular concern with lip balms, lip glosses, and lipsticks.) Fortunately, there are many natural skin care and makeup manufacturers that avoid gluten as well as other common allergens in their product lines. Be sure to check labels every time before purchasing, as formulations may change.

If I have celiac disease, do I need to worry about feeding gluten to my baby girl? Will her avoiding it help prevent the disease?

It was believed that if gluten was introduced later on in a genetically susceptible child, the risk of developing the disease could be reduced. However, new data from randomized clinical trials shows that children who are genetically susceptible to celiac disease who were introduced to gluten later on simply developed the disease later on.

Michelle Pietzak, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, advises that genetic testing be considered before introducing gluten to infants with a celiac sibling or parent. While not all experts agree on delaying gluten if the baby has a high genetic risk, you may want to wait to introduce it—or avoid it altogether. Delaying gluten until the child is 2 won’t prevent the disease, but it will delay its onset during important growth periods.

It’s interesting to note that if a baby has high-risk genes for celiac disease, breastfeeding won’t protect her. It can help protect against a wheat allergy, however, as babies who are breastfed tend to have fewer allergies.

Are there new tests coming out to determine if someone has celiac disease? What about testing for non-celiac gluten sensitivity?

There’s a new blood test being developed at Norway’s University of Oslo for celiac disease. It will work even when individuals are on a gluten-free diet by detecting special gluten-reactive T-cells in the body. Those with celiac disease have greater numbers of these T-cells, even when they eat gluten free. Later this year a preliminary clinical trial on the testing should be complete.

Researchers are getting closer to identifying markers for gluten sensitivity in the body. A study from the University of Bologna in Italy indicates that those who are gluten-sensitive may have high levels of zonulin—a molecule linked to inflammation. Preliminary results find that levels of zonulin in gluten-sensitive individuals nearly match those who have celiac disease. This is a promising start for developing tests to diagnose non-celiac gluten sensitivity in the future.

Should I be taking probiotics if I have celiac disease? Which ones would work best?

When unresolved issues are present (abdominal discomfort, bloating, occasional constipation or diarrhea), a probiotic may help, according to Stefano Guandalini, MD, an expert in celiac disease and founder and medical director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. Research suggests that the strain Bifidobacterium breve may reduce inflammatory markers in children with celiac disease. Bifidobacterium infantis may lessen some symptoms of the disease in adults. 

Carefully read labels or contact the manufacturer, as not every product is gluten- or allergen-free. Inquire with the manufacturer whether any of the bacterial strains in the probiotic supplement were grown on a gluten-containing grain such as wheat or barley. Instead of—or in addition to—probiotics, you may also want to consume fermented foods containing live cultures (yogurt, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi). These items can be good gluten-free sources of probiotics.