Probiotics Archives

Five capsules on a wooden measuring spoon next to a glass of water. Text: 4 Good reasons why you need a probiotic

Four Reasons Why You Need a Probiotic

Given that your attention has been diverted very recently to more pressing issues like the coronavirus, it’s a good time to remind you about a few of the many good reasons you should be taking a probiotic.

1. Maintaining the healthy balance of your gut

Did you know that an unhealthy imbalance of bacteria in your gut can make you vulnerable to a more severe case of the coronavirus?

The gut health of patients stricken with the coronavirus lacked strains of beneficial bacteria that could muster a good immune system response, according to a very recent study.

What’s more, severe cases of the coronavirus among patients were linked to the absence of several strains of beneficial bacteria in their gut, including Bifidobacterium bifidum (one of the potent strains of bacteria featured in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.)

2. Protecting your gut health from common drugs

We’re learning more by the day about the effect even ordinary over-the-counter drugs like aspirin may have on your gut.

Taking a probiotic may be helpful in relieving gut-related problems linked to taking aspirin, and it won’t interfere with the cardiovascular reasons patients take a low-dose aspirin every day either.

3. Getting the restful sleep you need

We’ve talked a lot about the benefits of taking a probiotic to help you get a good night’s sleep due to abrupt changes in your body’s circadian sleep cycles triggered by jet lag or late-night work schedules, and sleep apnea can be problematic for your gut too.

However, the combination of a probiotic plus a CPAP device can do wonders to relieve most of the common fatigue patients experience, and it may lower the risks of other health problems like metabolic syndrome too.

4. Evaluating the real benefits of probiotic foods

Many people choose some foods with the best intentions for their gut based on the latest fads they see on the news, like a recent one regarding caffeinated coffee.

But, drinking coffee every day, with its highly acidic content, just to give your gut health a major boost can also lead to more problems (like heartburn) than benefits.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to protecting that critical balance, and you need a healthy gut to take advantage of the slight benefits any food may provide.

However, taking a daily probiotic formulated with multiple strains of bacteria is a proven way to protect the long-term health of your gut.

When you’re on the lookout for a probiotic that’s formulated to help your gut health get back on track, be sure to look for one with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, plus a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

Resources

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Woman wearing mask with text on photo "Got maskne? Here's the Gut-Skin-Brain axis solution"

The Gut-Skin-Brain Axis Solution For Maskne

Misc, Probiotics, Women’s Health / By @drHoberman

More than ever before, people are experiencing skin problems related to acne, especially around their faces, due to wearing masks, sometimes for extended periods throughout the day. This issue has become so common and chronic, people refer to it as maskne — mask + acne — and dermatologists take this problem just as seriously as their patients.

Living in the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t been easy, but you’ve been making the best of it by following the healthy steps to stay out of harm’s way and protecting your immune system.

Wearing a mask outdoors when running simple errands — going to the grocery store, taking a walk around your neighborhood or navigating situations where social distancing is not feasible — has become our new normal, and it’s likely to stay that way for a little while longer.

It’s nothing new

Maskne isn’t new. Way before the coronavirus pandemic, this issue arose more than you think, mostly with sweaty athletes who wear helmets with straps.

However, maskne has become such a thing that medical experts from Yale Medicine and John Hopkins Medicine to the American Academy of Dermatology have weighed in on treating it.

Most of the steps these institutions recommend are based on common sense.

Keep your face clean with mild soaps (definitely no antibacterial soaps).
Easy on the makeup and skincare products if you use them.
On masks, be sure you’re using ones made from materials that don’t irritate your skin and wash fabric masks you’re regularly wearing.
Men with facial hair or fair skin and extra hair follicles, pay attention to excess irritation and ingrown hairs.

Some professionals even believe probiotic cosmetic creams can be a good way to treat acne. Certainly, some creams may help but do they get to the heart of the problem?

Your gut’s role

When it comes to acne, the health of your gut really matters in several ways, demonstrating that the gut-skin-brain axis connection is a real thing.

For one, doctors prescribe lots of medications to treat acne. In moderate to severe cases, antibiotics are the go-to drugs that create all kinds of problems we’ve discussed a lot in this space.

Unmanaged stress is another concern that triggers acne. There’s certainly plenty of that to go around with having to deal with the coronavirus every day, not to mention poor Western diets full of sugar and a lack of exercise.

These challenges disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, triggering inflammation that shows up on your body as acne or, in this case, maskne.

So what can you do about it?

An extensive report detailed in Frontiers in Microbiology points to a simple solution: Successful treatments of acne with varieties of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families in the form of probiotics.

What’s more, we’ve seen over and over how probiotics formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteriathat promote a diverse, healthy gut microbiome make a big difference in the health of your gut which happens to be connected to your brain and skin too.

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic features a proprietary blend of 10 beneficial strains of bacteria, along with a very important prebiotic (FOS), to protect your gut-brain-skin axis and help ease the effects of maskne.

References

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Are You Boiling Your Water?

Disease, Misc, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

With the remnants of the multiple winter storms finally making their way out of the United States, an estimated 14 million Texans and many more across the country are being affected by boil-water advisories.

Suppose you haven’t encountered a boil water advisory before. In that case, local utility companies issue them during and after natural disasters, including this most recent trio of winter storms and even hurricanes like ones that have hit the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in the past.

Local utilities typically order boil water advisories to protect your body from the possibility of water contaminated by parasites, viruses, and bacteria that can make you sick – and yes, these recommendations extend to our furry friends and pets as well!

What does the boil water advisory mean for you? In short, there are certain things you should and should notdo with tap water unless it’s boiled first. Local water experts instruct you to boil tap water (even if it’s filtered) for at least two to three minutes before drinking it, using it for cooking meals or brushing your teeth. That includes water or ice delivery systems connected to your refrigerator.

However, bathing (don’t drink the bathwater!), using your dishwasher, and doing laundry are all still acceptable with clear-running tap water. Keep in mind, we’re also still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, so this isn’t an excuse to skip handwashing with antibacterial soap!

During the aftermath of these natural disasters is no time for your family to forget to take a probiotic either. EndoMune Advanced Probiotic has 30 billion colony forming units of 10 strains of beneficial bacteria (plus a very important prebiotic) that could give your intestinal immune system a much-needed boost when your body may come into contact with nasty bacteria that can harm you. Don’t forget – your pets can also benefit from probiotics and a healthy immune system, just like we humans do.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and take your probiotics, friends!

Resources

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Sleep Apnea and Your Gut Health

Disease, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Have you heard complaints from your loved ones about not getting enough sleep due to the sound of your snoring? Anywhere from 50-70 million Americans deal with a sleep disorder, and nearly a third of them struggle with some form of sleep apnea, a condition in which your breathing starts and stops repeatedly and involuntarily throughout the night.

Different forms of sleep apnea have unique symptoms but some crossover, like insomnia, headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness.

When the natural circadian rhythms that govern your body’s sleep-wake cycles get disturbed by something as minor and temporary as jet lag, your gut feels it. Mess those rhythms up and you run the risk of more health problems, and serious ones too.

New evidence shows sleep apnea — a more serious health problem — may also affect your gut.

I can hear you snoring!

Curious about the effects of sleep apnea on gut health, scientists at the University of Missouri launched an experiment using three sets of mice to examine how the gut microbiome reacts.

Researchers exposed male mice to two environments — one with normal room air or the other restricting their airflow (designed to mimic sleep apnea) — for six weeks.

Then, scientists took those fecal samples from both animal groups, and evenly transplanted them into the third group of young mice, then monitored their sleep for three days.

No surprise, the mice that received transplants from male mice with restricted airflow experienced a common symptom of sleep apnea: Increased sleepiness during regular times of the day when they should be wide awake.

“By manipulating the gut microbiome, or the byproducts of the gut microbiota, we would be in a position to prevent or at least [treat] some of the consequences of sleep apnea,” said Dr. David Gozal, the lead author on this study.

In fact. Dr. Gozal suggested the combination of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and a probiotic could offer patients some important benefits.

The human side of things

Not only could probiotics and a CPAP device eliminate much of the daytime fatigue due to a lack of sleep, but both could also reduce the likelihood of other health issues linked to sleep apnea.

The most serious problem: The cluster of symptoms that increase your risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease known as metabolic syndrome.

If you’re on the lookout for an excellent probiotic, be sure that it contains multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that protect the balance of bacteria in your gut.

Also, check product labels to ensure any product you consider contains prebiotics, the unsung heroes that do the dirty work behind the scenes of feeding the good bacteria in your gut and stimulating their growth.

Plus, taking a prebiotic every day has been shown to improve the quality of sleep too!

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic is uniquely fortified with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria plus a proven prebiotic(FOS) so you can work on improving your sleep.

References

Sleep Apnea and Your Gut Health Read More »

Could a Probiotic Help You?

Digestive Health, Drug interactions, Mental Health, Probiotics, Women’s Health / By @drHoberman

Probiotics seem to be everywhere right now; in the cereal aisle at the grocery store, lining the supplement shelves, we’re even seeing them in the beauty and skincare section! Hearing about all the benefits of probiotics may have you wondering, “Do I need to take one?”

Defined by the World Health Organization, probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” They are not chemicals like antibiotics, but cultures of live bacteria or yeasts that help to maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut microbiome. When your gut becomes unbalanced it can cause many health issues, such as gas, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and obesity. Probiotics have been shown to help “restore the healthy composition and function of the gut microbiome” and thus, help combat many of these troublesome issues.

Think taking a probiotic supplement could benefit you? Below we’ll discuss a handful of reasons why people may be adding a probiotic supplement to their daily routine.

When you need immune system support

Do you feel like you get sick every flu or cold season? If yes, then you may need to strengthen your immune system. 70-80% of your immune system resides in your gut and the health of your microbiome directly impacts the overall health of your immune system. Probiotics are a great way to help support your immune system and protect your body against harmful viruses.

When you’re taking antibiotics

Antibiotics are used to kill disease-causing bacteria in the body. This is good, but sometimes taking an antibiotic can trigger diarrhea. That’s because these strong antibiotics can kill our good bacteria while targeting the bad bacteria resulting in an unbalanced microbiome. Taking a probiotic while on antibiotics is a great way to help your body stay in balance and prevent a case of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

It’s important to remember to take your probiotic supplements at least two hours after taking your antibiotics to ensure the antibiotics do not kill the good bacteria in your probiotics!

When you’re having digestive problems (and when you’re not!)

If you constantly suffer from stomach problems such as gas, constipation, bloating, and diarrhea, your microbiome may be unbalanced. Taking a probiotic has been shown to help restore the balance of your gut microbiome and improve the functioning of your GI tract.

When you have allergies

Up to 30% of the general population suffers from one or more atopic diseases including allergies, asthma, and eczema. These are usually caused by heightened immune responses to common allergens, especially inhaled or food allergens. Probiotics have been shown to help alleviate allergic inflammation and food allergy symptoms. Another published study demonstrated that the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei decreased the number of days preschool children with allergic rhinitis were sick over 12 months. If you tend to lock yourself inside during allergy season, then a probiotic may be what you need!

When you experience frequent yeast infections

If you suffer from frequent yeast infections, it could be a sign that there is a disturbance of the beneficial bacteria in your body. Studies have shown that supplementing with probiotics can improve symptoms of yeast infections and may also be able to prevent potential infections. Vaginal yeast infections are surprisingly common, as 75% of all women are likely to have a yeast infection at least once in their lives. While there are many treatment options, beginning to take a probiotic supplement is one of the easiest, all-natural ways to correct the loss of good bacteria and bring your body back into balance.

Convinced yet?

It can be difficult to maintain the balance of bacteria in your microbiome when things like diet, travel, and stress can throw it off. In some circumstances, eating plenty of probiotic-rich foods may not be enough, and a probiotic supplement may be able to help keep everything in line. If you find yourself experiencing any of these health concerns consider taking a probiotic supplement to help achieve a healthy microbiome, strong immune system, and an overall healthy body.

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take a probiotic during coronavirus pandemic

Could Your Unbalanced Gut Worsen the Coronavirus?

Digestive Health, Disease, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve reminded you about some simple steps you should be taking to protect the health of your gut during these coronavirus times. Many things affect your gut microbiome’s balance, from the meals you eat every day to the sleep you get every night. All of these things determine how well your immune system functions.

That critical balance — or the lack of it — and the volume of bacteria in your gut may play a critical role not only in how severe your battle with the novel coronavirus may be, but also in how your immune system responds to it.

The lack of gut bacteria balance

A team of Chinese researchers studied how the gut influences the novel coronavirus’s severity by comparing stool and blood samples from 100 hospitalized patients with a coronavirus diagnosis to 78 healthy patients who took part in a microbiome study before the pandemic began.

Among those coronavirus patients, 41 provided multiple stool samples while hospital-bound, and 27 shared stool samples up to 30 days after they recovered. The gut microbiome differences between healthy patients and those who fought COVID-19 were pretty dramatic.

Accounting for the lack of balance, researchers determined the guts of novel coronavirus patients contained fewer beneficial strains of bacteria that triggered an immune system response.

Also, lower numbers of some gut bacteria, including Bifidobacterium bifidum, were linked to more severe coronavirus infections after taking into account patients’ age and their use of antibiotics.

(Bifidobacterium bifidum is one of 10 strains that make up the potent mix of beneficial bacteria in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.)

What’s more, this depletion of bacteria was measured in samples up to 30 days after patients recovered.

The imbalances show up in the blood too!

When COVID-19 infects the human body, the immune system can sometimes go into overdrive, producing inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. If those cytokines become excessive, a destructive “storm” may result, causing the failure of multiple organs, tissue damage, and septic shock.

An examination of blood samples found more instances of these inflammatory cytokines and chemical markers linked to tissue damage in coronavirus patients also experiencing gut bacteria imbalances.

All of these facts led researchers to conclude that the gut microbiome may have more influence on your body’s immune response to the coronavirus, along with its severity and how you’ll recover from it.

What this means for you

Although scientists were unwilling to cite any concrete causes, it’s clear to them there are connections between the microbiome and inflammatory diseases and that boosting the beneficial bacteria in the gut depleted by the novel coronavirus could become a way to lessen its severity.

As you know, many factors play a role in your gut’s health and diversity, from sleep schedules and exercise to your eating habits.

Taking a probiotic is one of the most straightforward steps you can take to protect the health of your gut too. But not any generic probiotic will do…

That’s why it’s important to look for a probiotic with multiple strains of proven beneficial bacteria like those from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families.

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic is uniquely fortified with ten strains of beneficial bacteria from both families along with a very important prebiotic (FOS) to protect your gut 24/7.

References

Could Your Unbalanced Gut Worsen the Coronavirus? Read More »

Prescription medicine + donuts = higher IBD risks

Antibiotics + High-Fat Diet = Higher IBD Risks

Drug interactions, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Whenever we talk about antibiotics, the subject always comes around to the same health challenge…Do you rely on antibiotics to “cure” common health problems that would probably get resolved on their own? And, do you pressure your family physician into prescribing you an antibiotic you may not need?

When you rely on antibiotics too often, they may eventually stop working, especially when you need them to.

So, would you make a different decision about taking an antibiotic if doing so made you much more vulnerable to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

Multiple risk factors

An international team of researchers conducted a two-part study, first analyzing fecal samples of 92 patients, including 49 suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to measure fecal calprotectin, a biomarker for intestinal inflammation. Elevated levels of this biomarker, considered a pre-IBD biomarker, were discovered in 19 IBS patients. But that’s not the key takeaway…

Patients who had a recent history of taking antibiotics plus eating a high-fat diet regularly elevated their risks of pre-IBD problems by a factor of 9, compared to those who ate a healthier diet, and had no recent history of antibiotic use.

Considering these risks separately, a patient’s pre-IBD probabilities fell, but not as much as you’d expect, especially with the presence of antibiotics elevating pre-IBD by nearly 4 times compared to high-fat diets alone (nearly 3 times).

Scientists also discovered why antibiotics and high-fat diets create so many problems by analyzing a group of mouse models: Their presence disrupts the work of the mitochondria in the cells that line the intestines to consume oxygen. Those disruptions may evolve into more serious problems in which healthy gut bacteria gets replaced by more harmful bacteria, leading to inflammation and possible pre-IBD symptoms.

So what can you do to stay healthy and possibly stay out of the way of IBD?

It’s all about moderation

This study really drives home a very important point: The foods you eat and the medications you take — especially antibiotics — can work for or against you. Moderation is the critical take-home message here. Eating some fat is good and important, and indulging on occasion is fine, but not all the time!

The same applies to antibiotics. If your family doctor recommends an antibiotic, be sure to ask lots of questions about how and when to take them. (Don’t skip doses or stop taking them early if you feel better.)

For all of the good antibiotics can do, they also deplete the beneficial bacteria in your gut that keeps your immune system strong. When you need to take an antibiotic and protect your gut health, be sure to take a probiotic two hours before to give those beneficial bacteria a head start.

Read our latest advisory on how to get the best out of taking a probiotic here!

When you’re looking for a probiotic, you should strongly consider one formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that provide proven results like those from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families.

And, when you’re reading product labels, be sure to look for a prebiotic, the guys that do the dirty work behind the scenes by feeding the good bacteria living in your gut. Some probiotics don’t have them!

Fortunately, our multi-strain probiotic, EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, is uniquely fortified with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria, plus a proven prebiotic (FOS) to protect your gut.

References

Antibiotics + High-Fat Diet = Higher IBD Risks Read More »

Are Gut-Harming Chemicals Hiding in Your Home?

Disease, Misc, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

It’s never been easier to keep our homes and ourselves clean and germ-free, even during a pandemic. All of that antimicrobial/antibacterial “power” comes a great cost, however, creating overly sterilized home environments that are too clean for own good gut health. Gut-harming chemicals can hide in places you’d never think to look, like yoga mats and even the walls of your home.

But, what about other chemicals that find their way into other products our families come in contact with every day, like shampoos, detergents, cosmetics and water-repellant fabrics?

These substances — semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) — can be just as harmful to human gut health, especially to the youngest of us.

Unhealthy tradeoffs for convenience

A group of scientists examined how the impact of SVOCs in everyday environments affected gut health by measuring their levels in blood, urine and fecal samples taken from 69 young children (from toddlers to preschoolers).

In those samples, scientists detected levels of SVOCs commonly found in raincoats, shower curtains, soaps, shampoos and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) used to coat non-stick cookware, fast food packaging, carpets and furniture.

What’s more, children with higher levels of PFASs in their bloodstreams experienced reductions in the diversity and amounts of bacteria in their guts.

Here’s how resourceful and remarkable the human gut is: Children who had higher levels of these chemicals in their blood also had several kinds of bacteria in their guts that clean up toxic materials.

Unfortunately, these unique strains of bacteria aren’t usually found in the human gut. In fact, they are often used to clean up harmful chemical residues (think dry cleaning solvents) from the environment.

“Finding the increased levels of these bacteria in the gut means that, potentially, the gut microbiome is trying to correct itself,” says lead researcher Dr. Courtney Gardner.

“Gaining a more holistic understanding of the interactions between man-made chemicals, the gut microbiome and human health is a critical step in advancing public health.”

The probiotic solution

If exposure to these chemicals that persist in our environment is a constant problem for all of us, the best and healthiest solution for protecting our gut health is a simple one.

Taking a probiotic formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that mirrors and enhances the diversity of your gut microbiome is critical.

The 10 tried-and-true strains of beneficial bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic along with the prebiotic (FOS) can make a very big difference in balancing your gut microbiome and promoting better immune health too.

Resources

Are Gut-Harming Chemicals Hiding in Your Home? Read More »

Your Gut Healthy Protocol During the Coronavirus Holiday Season

Disease, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

It’s THAT time of year when our thoughts turn to the holidays and celebrating the end of the old year and the start of a brand new one.

But this holiday season is unlike any other in recent memory, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

During the Thanksgiving break, the CDC asked Americans to stay put and not travel. So far, there are no indications that future advisories from federal health officials will change very much at least in the short term.

With families staying at home as much as possible and limiting their contact to very small groups of people — appropriately distanced, of course — the last thing you should be worried about is your gut health, right?

Wrong. Here are 3 reasons why you should be:

How are you sleeping?

The health of your gut (and your body) is affected by shifts in your body’s circadian eat-sleep-wake cycles.

Disturbing that schedule — anything from long work hours to getting to know your new PS5 — messes up those natural processes the gut performs on its own while you’re sleeping.

Getting the sleep you need and sticking with a schedule matters, along with eating enough prebiotics, a natural part of whole foods ranging from onions to almonds and jicama.

How are your emotions?

Because many of you are staying home and glued to your work desk (or that shiny new PS5 next to your TV), your emotions may be up, down or all around depending on your mood and the time of day.

It’s certainly understandable, given that we live for our human connections to the outside world.

Maintaining the vital connection that links your brain, intestines, and emotions — your gut-brain axis — helps you regulate those stressors naturally and effectively.

How’s your diet?

If you’re staying home a lot more, your once healthy and balanced diet may have fallen by the wayside, in favor of more highly processed foods full of sugar — real or artificial — and chemicals that disrupt the critical balance of good bacteria in your gut.

5 ways to protect your immune system

This trio of variables all leads up to one very serious problem: A disrupted immune system that can leave you very vulnerable to an array of health problems.

What’s more, a growing number of experts all over the world are coming around to the belief that gut health is the key, not only to stay healthy in the good times, but to reduce your risk of respiratory infections too.

With all of this in mind, here’s your updated gut-health protocol to help you and your family stay safe during this coronavirus holiday season:

Keep the surfaces in your bathrooms and kitchens as clean as possible.
Get on a sleep schedule and stick to it. (Put the PS5 in the closet when you’re not using it.)
About schedules: Take breaks for healthy, balanced meals away from the TV or computer screens and get a little exercise. Even a short walk with your dog helps!
Keep those hands clean with plain soap and water. No antibacterial soap necessary!
Give your gut health a much-needed boost by taking a probiotic, ideally containing multiple strains of beneficial bacteria.

Although your gut is a diverse environment that requires an array of species to do countless things behind the scenes, lots of probiotics still rely on one strain of beneficial bacteria to do the heavy lifting. Simply, these single-strain probiotics just aren’t up to the job.

Our multi-strain probiotic, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, is fortified with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, plus a prebiotic (FOS) that feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Protecting your gut by following our updated protocol will help you stay healthy through the holidays and to a better 2021.

References

Microorganisms

Frontiers in Psychiatry

PNAS

Gut Microbiota For Health

UNC Health/WRAL.com

Current Pharmaceutical Design

Your Gut Healthy Protocol During the Coronavirus Holiday Season Read More »

Protect Your Gut From Aspirin

Digestive Health, Drug interactions, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Taking a drug for any condition, especially for the long-term, may create problems — especially for your gut — if you don’t manage it properly.

It doesn’t matter whether that drug is prescribed by your physician or one you pick it up on your own at a pharmacy either.

Although antibiotics have been a known trigger for troublesome gut-related problems, reports have emerged more recently about issues with many more drugs and even over-the-counter (OTC) medications like heartburn drugs.

Still, many patients assume OTC drugs sold without a prescription, especially pain relievers, have no short- or long-term risks associated with taking them.

Even taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like a daily aspirin at a low dose can be a problem, contributing to an increased risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding in the gut.

And, the risks can grow when you’re taking other drugs at the same time, as we shared recently in our blog post about taking an antibiotic along with an NSAID pain reliever.

Probiotics to the rescue!

Luckily, there may be a probiotic solution to this problem, according to a recent study conducted by Irish scientists.

We know that Bifidobacteria is typically found in the guts of newborns, but the amount of those species tends to decline over time.

After good results with mice, researchers turned their attention to a trial with 75 healthy human subjects who were prescribed either a large dose of aspirin (300 mg) for six weeks and Bifidobacterium breve for eight weeks or just a daily aspirin and a placebo for that same time.

(Bifidobacterium breve is one of the 10 species of beneficial bacteria contained in like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.)

During that period, scientists monitored the probiotic progress via minimally invasive video capsule endoscopy (VCE) procedures.

At the end of the study period, patients who took a probiotic scored lower for intestinal problems and ulcers compared to the placebo group.

What’s more, the use of a probiotic didn’t interfere with the main cardiovascular reasons people take a daily aspirin.

The take-home message

Taking a drug every day, no matter how beneficial it may be or benign you believe it is, comes with health risks.

Some of these issues may affect how your immune system operates naturally at its primary source — the human gut — that helps to protect you from disease.

We’re also seeing growing evidence of how beneficial bacteria from the EndoMune family may relieve some of the common problems associated with aspirin too.

Resources

Gastroenterology

University College Cork

Gut Microbiota For Health

Drugs.com

Mayo Clinic

Protect Your Gut From Aspirin Read More »