How probiotics can instantly improve YOUR health
- Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that actively boost digestive health
- But they also treat a variety of other ailments, such as hay fever and eczema
- While they are also believed to have weight loss and heart health benefits
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Supermarket shelves are littered with products containing probiotics, but do they actually have any benefits?
Having become a buzzword in recent years, the yoghurt drinks and supplements have been under close scientific scrutiny.
But now studies are finally starting to highlight the power of products such as Yakult and Actimel.
Probiotics are are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in the stomach gut.
The live bacteria, mostly lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, are strong enough to survive the acid environment of the stomach.
And just this week, researchers found that the supplements can help to suppress hay fever symptoms.
While a study in 2014 noted that probiotics could help to lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of both heart disease and stroke.
And they are also believed to have weight loss benefits and aid the digestive system’s balance, data shows.
But some experts have previously claimed that probiotic drinks and yoghurts make little difference to the make-up of the gut bacteria.
Here, MailOnline has pulled together five studies that have outlined the powers of probiotics.
WHAT ABOUT PREBIOTICS?
Prebiotics can be found in small quantities in artichokes
Prebiotics work differently to probiotics as they help to feed the ‘good’ bacteria in the digestive tract.
Whereas probiotics only add beneficial bacteria to the gut to rebalance levels.
Prebiotics are a form of natural, indigestible starch found in small quantities in foods such as banana, onions, leeks, asparagus and Jerusalem artichokes.
And they can be added to a wider selection of foods than probiotics because they do not have the same storage problems as ‘live’ products.
As well as boosting bacteria levels, pre-biotics are thought to encourage the absorption of bone-strengthening calcium thanks to the way they are digested.
And this comes after a study earlier this week found that prebiotics could help stressed people sleep easier at night.
Scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder pointed to onions, leeks and artichokes as being the main sources of the dietary fibers.
Alongside their already proven benefits of boosting gut health, they were found to release metabolic byproducts which influence the brain into overcoming worry and fear.
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