Probiotics – Healing From the Inside Out

You may or may not know this about me, but over the last 9-10 years, I have battled with acne. I’ve tried nearly every holistic remedy, topical cream, face wash, and medication you could think of. Part of this regime was a cocktail of antibiotics. I’ve tried the family of “cyclines” – Minocycline, Doxycycline, and Tetracycline, in addition to clindamycin, and even the heavy hitter Bactrim.

For nearly a decade, I used antibiotics to help my skin issues. I was always conflicted to choose between “good” skin and the health of my human microbiome. I mean seriously, who wants to walk around with bad skin?! In turn, my antibiotic saga continued.  I had looked through the plethora of research which overwhelmingly has shown that antibiotic use diminishes the diversity, abundance, composition and function of our gut bacteria. But I continued to put my vanity before my health.

Over the last month or so, I have finally kicked my antibiotics for good (at least when it comes to my acne…who know if I will get sick). The overwhelming research related to the negative effects of long term antibiotic use has finally swayed me. If you take a look at the science, you’ll find:

Prolonged antibiotic use has been shown to effect health in numerous ways.

1. Intestinal Infections: Prolonged antibiotic use affects the health of gut microbiotia. When this occurs, the ratio of good to bad bacteria is altered, often resulting in an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. This can cause issues such as antibiotics associated diarrhea (AAD), C-diff infections, and inflammation of the intestinal tract⁽⁴⁾.
2. Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases: Having the right composition of gut flora can aid in the prevention of inflammation and autoimmunity. Decreased abundance of good bacteria can lead to conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis, lactose intolerance, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Chron’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and possibly obesity⁽⁴⁾. Additionally, new research shows there may be a connection to antibiotics and type I diabetes risk⁽²⁾.
3. Digestion: An overgrowth of bad bacteria can induce digestive issues such as diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort.
4. Immunity: In regards to immunity, long term antibiotic can displace good bacteria, resulting a takeover of bad bacteria. The non-resistant bacteria are no longer able to compete with resistant pathogens which can result in infections. Additionally, altered microbiota can decrease the immune system  immunoglobulins⁽⁴⁾.
5. Other Health Conditions: Changes in gut health can additionally affect the body in regards to other health conditions like mental health, weight control, blood sugar, and bone health. Promising research is available related to probiotic effects to improve anxiety/depression⁽⁶⁾, weight loss⁽³⁾, glycemic control⁽¹⁾, and bone health⁽⁵⁾. Though promising, further research is required to substantiate these claims.

But that is enough of the science and big words.  Let’s get to the fun stuff, I mean aren’t probiotics fun?!

Even though it took awhile to sink in, I was pretty compelled by all this information. I am currently exploring some more natural remedies to help manage my skin in place of antibiotics. In the mean time, I am working to heal my gut, starting with prebiotics and probiotics. So let’s start with a little background information:

Prebiotics: Are non-digestible components of food, usually carbohydrates, that promote the health and reproduction of “good” bacteria.

Probiotics: Are the “good” bacteria in our bodies which help the digestive system control “bad” bacteria. These active bacteria, or cultures, help repopulate the intestines to improve gut flora which can aid in immunity and gastrointestinal health.

Together, this combination is the perfect duo. Prebiotics support the health of probiotics and the probiotics support the health of the GI system.   Prebiotics and probiotics are able to work synergistically to create gut health. Optimally functioning probiotics work to prevent overgrowth of disease-causing bacteria, improve digestion, and help synthesize certain nutrients.

So how do I get started you ask? Simple, start with your diet!

1. Probiotic Foods: Probiotics, or active cultures, can be found in numerous foods such as yogurt, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kimchi or pickles, spirulina, miso, and tempeh.
2. Probiotic Drinks: Kombucha and Kefir are great drinks to add to your daily routine. Both contain a variety of active cultures.
3. Probiotic Supplements: If you feel you aren’t able to get enough probiotic food/beverages in your diet, a supplement can help. When looking for a supplement, make sure to look for a probiotic count of at least 3 billion and with multiple strains. Some good recommendations are Align, New Chapter Organics All-Flora, FloraStor, and FloraMyces.
4. Prebiotics: Let’s not forget the probiotics! Help all those probiotics out by getting in your probiotics. You can generally find prebiotics in high fiber foods like chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, apples, flaxseed, bananas, oats and barley. While not limited to these foods, this is a great place to start.
5. Variety: Last, but certainly not least, variety is important. For optimal results and flora diversity. Consume a variety of these items on a regular basis.

References:

1. Behrouz, V., Jazayeri, S., Aryaeian, N., Zahedi, M. J., & Hosseini, F. (2017). Effects of Probiotic and Prebiotic Supplementation on Leptin, Adiponectin, and Glycemic Parameters in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Middle East Journal Of Digestive Diseases, 9(3), 81-89. doi:10.15171/mejdd.2017.55
2. Boursi B., Mamtani R., Haynes K., Yang Y. X. (2015). The effect of past antibiotic exposure on diabetes risk.  J. Endocrinol. 172 639–648. 10.1530/EJE-14-1163
3. Fathi, Y., Faghih, S., Zibaeenezhad, M., & Tabatabaei, S. (2016). Kefir drink leads to a similar weight loss, compared with milk, in a dairy-rich non-energy-restricted diet in overweight or obese premenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. European Journal Of Nutrition, 55(1), 295-304. doi:10.1007/s00394-015-0846-9
4. Francino, M. P. (2015). Antibiotics and the Human Gut Microbiome: Dysbioses and Accumulation of Resistances. Frontiers in Microbiology, 6, 1543. http://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01543
5. GOHEL, M. K., PRAJAPATI, J. B., MUDGAL, S. V., PANDYA, H. V., SINGH, U. S., TRIVEDI, S. S., & … PATEL, R. M. (2016). Effect of Probiotic Dietary Intervention on Calcium and Haematological Parameters in Geriatrics. Journal Of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 10(4), 5-9. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/18877.7627
6. Wallace, C. K., & Milev, R. (2017). The effects of probiotics on depressive symptoms in humans: a systematic review. Annals Of General Psychiatry, 161-10. doi:10.1186/s12991-017-0138-2

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