What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are bacteria that produce lactic acid, whose natural habitat is the human large intestine and which show properties potentially beneficial to health. They are often referred to as ‘friendly bacteria’ or ‘good bugs’. The most researched and recognised strains are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. By taking a Probiotic supplement, the levels of health promoting bacteria within the gut will be replenished, so improving digestion and supporting the immune system.

How do Probiotics work?

There are several mechanisms that Probiotics employ in order to exert their beneficial effects. Three of these mechanisms are:
• Probiotics produce organic acids that inhibit the growth of pathogens (bad bacteria). Probiotics are the natural defences in our bodies that fight off intruders. Some intruders may be difficult for our defences to fend off if our immune system is not at its peak. By taking Probiotics, our immunesystem is boosted and our defences work harder.
• Pathogens need to bind to the wall of the gut in order to multiply and colonise, so causing infection. If these binding sites are already occupied by friendly bacteria, it is clear that the disease process cannot start.
• Probiotic organisms stimulate the production of substances that contribute toward natural defences of the body. If the levels of Probiotics are low for any reason in the gut, then it is easy for the bad bacteria to outnumber and overcome the good. However, if we replenish the levels of good bacteria by taking a Probiotic supplement, the balance is tipped back in our favour.

Human breast milk contains a very special protein that stimulates the growth of good bacteria to help with digestion, which has led infant formula manufacturers to add Probiotics to their milk.

Benefits of Probiotics

1) Boosts Your Immune System
• A weakened immune system leaves the body vulnerable to virtually every type of illness and disease. Fatigue, lethargy, repeated infections, slow wound healing, allergies, thrush, colds and flu are all signs that the body’s immune system is functioning well below par. In a healthy gut Bifidobacterium naturally produce antimicrobial agents and acids, which kill off or inhibit the more harmful micro-organisms. When this balance is disturbed the bad bacteria can flourish, as they are able to bind to the gut wall.

2) Healthy Digestive System/Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• There is between 1-2kg of bacteria that live in our large bowel. It’s known as gut flora. Major alterations on an individual’s gut flora may cause digestive problems. It is estimated that 15% of people in western countries are affected by IBS. For reasons unknown women are twice as likely to be affected as men (Source: www.vhi.ie). Symptoms include diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, bloating, food intolerance and abdominal pain. People with IBS have low levels of the good bacteria that would otherwise maintain harmony in the gut. Probiotics can help by normalising digestion and boosting the absorption of nutrients in the diet.

3) The ability to cope with stress
• Stress typically affects those parts of the body related to the nervous system, especially the gastro-intestinal tract. Stress causes an increase in adrenaline, which triggers a release of stored sugar (energy) from your liver. In response to this rush of adrenaline, blood is diverted from your intestines to your muscles, which causes a dramatic slowdown of your digestive processes. Chronic stress causes a constant digestive slowdown, which compromises the health of your friendly bacteria, therefore a Probiotic supplement may be considered to maintain levels.

4) Recovery from taking antibiotics
• Antibiotics kill all bacteria which means they not only destroy the bacteria that is causing the infection but also the Probiotics in the gut. This means those customers taking antibiotics are susceptible to dysbiosis (unbalanced gut flora) and to counteract any negative effects, a Probiotic supplement will replenish Probiotic levels.

5) Thrush (candida albicans)
• Candida albicans (the organism that causes thrush) is a yeast that is present in everyone’s bowel and doesn’t cause any harm until the immune or digestive systems are compromised, allowing the multiplication of the bacteria to occur.
• In order to rid the body of a Candida overgrowth, a Probiotic supplement should be taken, so replenishing levels of good bacteria that will halt the Candida growth.
• The effectiveness of taking a Probiotic supplement is supported by a number of clinical trials on products containing Lactobacillus. These products were associated with a reduced incidence of vaginal thrush in patients suffering from recurrent infections.

Forms of Probiotics

Customers are interested, when deciding what Probiotics to take, in the levels of Probiotics contained within a product and how many are active in the gut. Probiotic bacteria are available in the form of functional foods such as yoghurt drinks or as a supplement, such as Multibionta, a Probiotic multivitamin.

Yoghurts
• Bio-yoghurts and bio-yoghurt drinks are fermented milks that contain probiotics but it is difficult to ascertain the number and types of Probiotics, which actually reach the intestines. This is because the stomach is a sterile and acidic environment that has been designed to kill off bugs, whether they are good or bad. If the good Probiotic bugs cannot get to the large colon where they are most needed, the full benefits cannot be reaped. They also need to be kept refrigerated in order to maintain the stability of the product.


Multibionta, Probiotic Multivitamin
• Multibionta is an enteric coated supplement, which combats this problem as it has a special protective layer to ensure the probiotics will survive the journey through the stomach and will get to the lower part of the intestine. Multibionta is a unique multivitamin as it contains Probiotics with vitamins and minerals. It is shelf stable due to the specialist freeze-drying process
so it doesn’t need to be kept refrigerated as the enteric coating of the product means the nutrients remain intact during the passage through the digestive system. The Probiotics, vitamins and minerals contained in the product have a synergistic role in improving the symptoms of stress and wellbeing.