Digesting the Truth

Could probiotics be your answer to better digestive health?

Millions of people deal with digestive issues on a daily basis – from the dreaded IBS and gastroenteritis to the after-effects of gall bladder removal – and can find themselves trapped into planning their days around bathroom availability. While no easy answer to these problems has been found, probiotics are gaining more and more of a following as the legions of believers grow in the ongoing fight against digestive problems.

While the history and use of antibiotics are well known in modern culture, the idea of probiotics as a dietary aid is relatively new to the masses. The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” While antibiotics fight illness-causing bacteria in your system and have been one of the great advances in modern medicine, they can come with a cost and can reduce the amount of healthy bacteria in your system, needed for digestion.

Enter probiotics.

Whether they prefer one of the many over-the-counter supplements or a naturally-fermented drink such as kombucha, the legions of probiotic advocates are growing daily. What many are realizing is that through diet and the right probiotic supplement, the days of being tied to the toilet can be behind them.

You may be surprised to learn that you might already include a form of probiotic in your daily diet without realizing it. Yogurt, aged cheeses, sauerkraut and vegetarian staples such as tempeh all can work as probiotics, as can miso and kefir. However, many would struggle to include these foods in their diet on a daily basis, which has led to a spike in the pill-based supplements.

More than half a million people have their gall bladders removed each year, and for many the result is a run to the bathroom immediately following meals that contain fat of any kind. Unfortunately that means many of the nutrients you put in your system don’t have time to be absorbed before passing through. If you don’t want to spend the rest of your life eating nothing but raw vegetables, a probiotic supplement can help regulate your system and allow you to reintroduce foods which contain the healthy fats your body needs.

The trick is finding what works for you, which can only be done through trial and error. Many of the over-the-counter probiotics contain similar bacteria strains, and can also be found in all-natural and organic forms. Many brands of kombucha are starting to pop up in grocery stores with a modern take on the traditional formula that was developed in China many centuries ago using fermented tea. Now you can find a variety of flavors including cranberry, mango, strawberry and guava, all containing raw bacteria that aids digestion. Take it easy, though, as authentic kombucha contains small amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process.

As always, do your research to make sure you are getting what you need. Apple cider vinegar is often lumped into the list of probiotics because it has been known to promote digestive health, but the reality is that apple cider vinegar contains pectin, which promotes the growth of healthy bacteria. It does not, however, deliver those bacteria into your system and therefore can’t be considered a true probiotic.

Ultimately, science is still exploring and weighing the full benefits of probiotics as digestive aids, but as the legions of believers continue to grow and share their stories of the benefits, probiotics will only gain in popularity.