Why It’s Important To Us And How To Include More Of It In Our Diets.
With gut health continuing to rise in popularity, it is time we dove deeper into a field which continues to stand above the rest – Probiotics. If the term probiotics doesn’t ring any bells to you, catch up by reading what we discussed in What Are Probiotics And Why Are They Good For Us? If you need a brief reminder, probiotics are essentially living things that when consumed in adequate amounts, give health benefits. Let us pick up where we left off last time and take a look into why these good-guy bacteria are so good for us.
There are lots and lots of different strains (or types) or probiotics. For example, one study found 28 different strains of lactic acid bacteria in sauerkraut alone (1). Different types of bacterial strains have different health benefits. This means it is important to include a variety of different plant-based, fermented and high fibre foods in your diet so you consume a range of different probiotics.
A collective group of probiotic bacteria known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a very important role in our gut health. One of over a hundred species identified from the Lactobacillus family is Lactobacillus Acidophilus. L acidophilus has well established beneficial effects listed below:
Inhibits Development of Pathogens (Salmonella spp, E. coli) (2)
L. acidophilus converts carbohydrates in our gut to lactic acid. Unlike the stuff that builds up in muscles when we exercise and causes grief, the lactic acid that builds up in our gut is helpful. Lactic acid creates a drop in pH, making the home in which it lives harder for intruders to survive in. Think of it like a burglar trying to steal from a house that’s on fire – they probably wouldn’t bother. The low pH helps prevent the growth of not-so-good bacteria. LAB also produce antimicrobial compounds which work to protect the gut from harmful intruders. Another benefit of these lactic acid bacteria is that they can produce a compound called hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is used by the immune system to destroy pathogens (infectious things which can cause disease).
Reduces Blood Cholesterol
Cholesterol is synthesised in the liver, gut and skin. Its synthesis and absorption largely takes place in the intestine. The intestinal bacteria, therefore, could have marked effects on the metabolism of cholesterol. Numerous studies have demonstrated Lactobacillus acidophilus to lower cholesterol in a significant way when its level is too high (3,4).
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptom Relief
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition of the gut characterised by inflammation. People with IBD have altered microflora. Lactic acid bacteria have proven effective in improving the activity of Ulcerative Colitis and Pouchitis – types of inflammatory bowel disease (5,6) L. acidophilus was in a combination probiotic for both of these studies (7, 8).
Reduces Lactose Intolerance Symptoms
Having a good number of lactic acid bacteria in the gut is important to improve the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. It is thought that when we consume LAB, in particular, Lactobacillus acidophilus, we are also consuming a source of lactase. Lactase is the enzyme that helps digest lactose found in milk. Many adults are poor digestors of lactose, by consuming extra lactase we can aid digestion so lactase can be readily absorbed. L. Acidophilus has been shown to improve lactose digestion by reducing the intolerance symptoms (9).
Increases iron bioavailability (10)
Improved IBS symptoms
Six weeks' treatment with L. acidophilus improved the symptoms of pain, flatulence and bowel frequency. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) comprises a variety of conditions causing discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. IBS is a functional bowel disorder and may be characterized by chronic abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, or constipation (11).
Reduction of Harmful Carcinogens Associated with Colon Cancer
L. acidophilus when taken in adequate quantities, has been shown to reduce the concentrations of potentially harmful enzymes that have the potential to convert procarcinogens (precursor to a carcinogen) to carcinogens (substance capable of causing cancer) in the colon (12). Whether or not this results in a decrease of cancer incidence remains to be determined but preliminary results look promising.
Travellers’ Diarrhoea
Another beneficial effect of lactic acid bacteria is the prevention of traveller's diarrhoea. When L. acidophilus is taken in the form of a mixed probiotic, it significantly reduced the occurrence of travellers diarrhoea in comparison to those who took no probiotics (13).
Effective in reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (14)
Probiotic strains don’t stick around for a long time after you eat them, this means to get a long-term benefit they must be consumed regularly. (15). Here are some ways you can pair your pickled produce with daily foods to include more lactic acid in your diet today:
Included some non-milk-based foods in your diet daily: brined olives, salted gherkins, and sauerkraut
Top your cold meats with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a home-made dressing -just delicious. Sauerkraut cuts through fatty foods with its acidic taste and crunchy texture.
Give pickled vegetables a go e.g. pickled carrots, cabbage and cucumber.
Clara Fergus
Nutritionist and Student Dietitian
https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-fergus/
Further Reading:
Lu Z, Breidt F, Plengvidhya V, Fleming HP. Bacteriophage ecology in commercial sauerkraut fermentations. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2003;69(6):3192-3202
Goel A, Dilbaghi N, Kamboj D, Singh L. Probiotics: Microbial Therapy for Health Modulation. Defence Science Journal. 2006;56(4):513.
Anderson JW, Gilliland SE. Effect of fermented milk (yogurt) containing Lactobacillus acidophilus L1 on serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic humans. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Feb; 18(1):43-50.
Lin SY, Ayres JW, Winkler W, Sandine WE. Lactobacillus effects on cholesterol: in vitro and in vivo results. Journal of Dairy Science. 1989;72(11):2885–2899.
Gionchetti P, Rizzello F, Venturi A et al. (2000) Oral bacteriotherapy as maintenance treatment in patients with chronic pouchitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Gastroenterol 119:305-309.
Mimura T, Rizzello F, Helwig U et al. (2004) Once daily high dose probiotic therapy (VSL#3) for maintaining remission in recurrent or refractory pouchitis. Gut 53:108-114.
Sood A, Midha V, Makharia GK et al. (2009) The probiotic preparation, VSL#3 induces remission in patients with mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 7:1202-1209.
Tursi A, Brandimarte G, Papa A et al. (2010) Treatment of relapsing mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis with the probiotic VSL#3 as adjunctive to a standard pharmaceutical treatment: a double-blind, randomized, placed-controlled study. Am J Gastroenterol 105:2218-2227.
Oak SJ, Jha R. The effects of probiotics in lactose intolerance: A systematic review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2019;59(11):1675-83.
Lee, Y.-K, Nomoto, K., Salminen, S., and Gorbach, S.L. 1999. “Handbook of Probiotics,” John Wiley & Sons, Inc., N.Y.
Halpern G.M., Prindiville T., Blankenburg M., Hsia T., Gershwin M.E. (1996) Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with lacteol fort: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial. Am J Gastroenterol 91:1579–1585
Ingrid Wollowski, Gerhard Rechkemmer, Beatrice L Pool-Zobel, Protective role of probiotics and prebiotics in colon cancer, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 73, Issue 2, February 2001, Pages 451s–455s, https://doi-org.ezproxy.otago.ac.nz/10.1093/ajcn/73.2.451s
Bae J. M. (2018). Prophylactic efficacy of probiotics on travelers' diarrhea: an adaptive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Epidemiology and health, 40, e2018043. doi:10.4178/epih.e2018043
Yoon SS, Sun 2011 (2011) Probiotics, Nuclear Receptor Signaling, and Anti-Inflammatory Pathways. Gastroenterol. res. pract. 2011 Article ID: 971938.
Corthesy B, Gaskins HR, Mercenier A. Cross-talk between probiotic bacteria and the host immune system. The Journal of nutrition. 2007;137(3 Suppl 2):781s-90s.