Health Benefits of Probiotics - Best Probiotics For Women

Whether women desire to maintain their immune system or give their wellness a little boost, probiotic is the best practical solution.

Do you know the bacteria amount in your body is ten times bigger than that of your cells? It’s true, and most of them stay in your gut. But there's really no need to panic since most bacteria are harmless. In fact, having the right bacteria in your gut is even beneficial for overall health. These benefits include burning fat, improving digestion, boosting immune function, beautifying skin and reducing risk of some diseases. Taking care of your gut and the friendly bacteria that reside there may be one of the most important things you can do for your health.

What Are Probiotics?

According to the official definition of World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) or the World Health Organization (WHO), probiotics are "living microorganisms that, if administered in appropriate quantities, will have health benefits.” They are usually bacteria, but there is also a type of yeast acting as a probiotic. We can get probiotics from functional foods as well as foods processed by bacterial fermentation. Probiotic foods include yogurt, kefir (fermented cow's milk alcohol), sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, etc.

You shouldn't confuse between “probiotics" and “prebiotics.” Partly related to probiotics, prebiotics is dietary fibers that eat the friendly bacteria available in your gut.

There are dozens of different types of probiotic bacteria shown to have health benefits today. The most common groups are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Each group has various species with several strains. Interestingly, every probiotic has effects on particular health conditions. Therefore, choosing the best probiotic supplementation is essential.

Mechanism of Probiotics

In order to understand why probiotics have effects on health, one must first understand the physiology, the gastrointestinal microbiota, and the digestive process. The digestive process begins immediately when food enters the mouth and then reaches the stomach, while gastrointestinal (gastrointestinal-GI) microorganisms can be beneficial, harmful, and neutral.

Microorganisms in the small and large intestines complete the digestive process. Certain microorganisms are capable of producing vitamins. They are beneficial bacteria. Their metabolism is closely related to your healthy gut microflora, especially for women. Maintaining the intestinal microflora has a vital role in protecting health and preventing diseases. A healthy gut microbiota’s primary function is preventing the penetration and development of pathogenic microorganisms and increasing the natural resistance to the digestive tract’s infectious diseases. The metabolism products (lactic acid, acetic acid, and volatile short-chain fatty acids) reduce intestinal pH, thus creating unfavorable harmful bacteria conditions. 

Probiotics also play a role in protecting intestinal mucus through the synthesis and secretion of peptides with antibacterial properties, mucins, thereby preventing pathogenic microorganisms’ adhesion to the intestinal epidermis.

The gastrointestinal tract has a large surface covered with mucus, acting as a bridge between "internal body" and "external-body''. However, microorganisms normally residing in the gastrointestinal tract enhance the filter-blocking role of the gastrointestinal tract. Then, they reduce the movement to the gastrointestinal surface as well as the passage of bacteria, antigens from the intestine into the bloodstream. This role has the effect of reducing infection and allergy to antigens in food.

Microorganisms and antigens reside on the gastrointestinal tract’s mucous surface or travel through the gastrointestinal tract to interact with tuber components.

Probiotic Roles

Now, let's look closely at probiotic benefits:

1.Antimicrobial Effect 

Probiotics reduce the number of bacteria to suppress specific pathogens. Probiotic bacteria create a variety of substances that can inhibit both Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria, such as organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, and biocides. These compounds can reduce not only viable carrier organisms but also affect bacterial metabolism and toxin production. This is done by lowering the intestinal cavity’s pH through the creation of volatile short-chain beech acids that mainly are acetate, propionate, and butyrate, especially lactic acid.

Besides, they compete with pathogens to prevent intestinal adhesion and compete for nutrients necessary for pathogen survival.

2. Effects on Intestinal Epidermal Tissue

Not only do probiotics promote tight bonds between epithelial cells, but they also reduce secretory stimulation and inflammatory consequences of bacterial infection. They encourage the creation of defense molecules such as mucus, too. 

3. Digestive Performance

Many studies show that probiotics can aid digestive function. For example, recent research shows Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus casei in probiotic supplementation can effectively relieve constipation. In addition, probiotics help improve symptoms of a number of digestive tract diseases, including ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Probiotics also help the body better absorb the dietary sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

4. Strengthen Your Immune System

Research demonstrates probiotics can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and improve immunity - a mechanism that protects the body from certain infections. For example, scientists have found that the probiotic Lactobacillus crispatus can help women in their fifties reduce their risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) by 50%.

5. Impact On Intestinal Bacteria

Probiotics adjust the composition of gut bacteria. The survival of probiotics digested in different parts of the digestive tract differs. When concentrated in the intestinal cavity, they create a temporary balance of the intestinal ecosystem. Researchers found a change after consuming probiotic foods a few days. The results indicated that with regular consumption, the bacteria temporarily settled in the gut. Once consumption was terminated, the probiotic microbial population decreased. This is true for all probiotics.

Probiotic bacteria regulate the metabolic activity of intestinal organisms. Probiotics can lower the digestive tract’s pH and possibly interfere in the gut organism's enzyme secretion. At the same time, they increase lactose tolerance to avoid bloating, indigestion when absorbing foods high in lactose. Probiotic supplementation increases beneficial bacteria and reduces harmful ones, as well.

6. Good For Reproductive Health

Best probiotics for women also play an important role in maintaining the vagina's health, as it can prevent and treat problems caused by environmental imbalances such as vaginal infections (BV) and infections. It is known that the lack of Lactobacillus bacteria in your vagina is one of the causes leading to an imbalance in the physiological environment inside this organ. Signs of this condition are itching, discharge, having a fishy odor, as well as suffering from UTI.

Previously, many studies showed that the probiotics in yogurt could help prevent and treat environmental imbalances in the vagina. For example, one study found that women who ate yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus had more Lactobacillus bacteria in the vagina than those who used pasteurized yogurt.

7. Several Other Roles

• Anti-allergy: Best probiotics for women contribute to fighting some allergies of the body, providing many essential substances for the body such as folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12.
• Anti-cancer: Many studies show that probiotic bacteria can reduce the risk of colon and bladder cancer. In addition, it also has the effect of detoxifying cancer-causing toxins in the body and slowing the growth of tumors.
• Probiotics work to reduce serum cholesterol levels and lower high blood pressure. It also helps to recover quickly from diarrhea or after using many antibiotics.

In addition to these outstanding benefits mentioned above, the probiotic supplement also brings many other benefits for individuals, especially women, including reducing "bad" LDL cholesterol, losing weight, controlling blood pressure, reducing specific allergies and eczema, while helping to strengthen heart and brain health.

To receive the rich benefits of probiotics, women are recommended to prioritize consuming foods rich in probiotics - including yogurt, soy sauce, pickled dishes, and fermented soy products. Furthermore, women can also take these best probiotic supplements, but remember to consult your doctor or expert about your own health before taking any supplements.

California Gold Nutrition LactoBif Probiotics

LactoBif consists of select probiotic strains clinically studied to be extraordinarily resistant to low pH and gastrointestinal conditions like acid, bile, pepsin, and pancreatin. Moreover, the product adheres to the intestinal cell lines.

Hydroxycut Platinum 

Introduced by Medical Science, Hydroxycut Platinum is a dietary supplement with a pretty impressive ingredient profile. It includes a wide range of vitamins, enzymes, and enforcement material extracts to boost metabolism and lose weight. Having a 5-in-1 formula, it also claims to provide metabolic boost, probiotic beneficial bacteria, energy, multivitamins, along with weight loss benefits.

Purely Inspired Probiotics + Weight Loss

The product can be seen as the best probiotics for women. It also gives a rapid weight loss with a combination of great ingredients such as buds, green tea extract, and green coffee beans. Moreover, Purely Inspired Probiotics + Weight Loss contains 19 types of multivitamins and minerals to your body, providing about one billion alive bacteria per serving to eliminate harmful substances.