Should You Take Probiotics? Science Says it Might Be a Waste
The probiotic industry has a dirty secret: It’s creating a billion-dollar business based on twisted science.
If you are wondering, “do I need probiotics?” Consider this: Probiotics — the healthy bacteria highlighted on most yogurt products — are being added to everything from popcorn to muffin mixes.
According to a report by Grand View Research, the market for probiotics supplements is expected to reach $7 billion in the next 7 years.
Here’s the thing: That business is built on a little bit of science…and a lot of fiction.
“There are many products labeled with the word ‘probiotic’ in the U.S., but not all are responsibly formatted or studied for health benefits,” says Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., executive science officer of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics.
The science is that probiotics are good for you — but only if you have a condition that requires their use.
That’s not something you’ll want to hear if your pantry and fridge are filled with probiotic-infused foods.
“The benefits of probiotics in foods — especially foods that aren’t fermented dairy products — is questionable, at best,” says Shira Doron, M.D., professor of medicine and attending physician in infectious diseases at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Unfortunately, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to food, many probiotic supplements fail to live up to the promise on their label.
Unless you have a specific condition that’s been shown to benefit from probiotics, you likely don’t need them.
“There is no evidence that it is essential to take probiotics to be healthy,” Sanders adds.
Her next point may be even more important:
“You don’t need probiotics if you are healthy,” Sanders says.
The Hype (and Mythology) of Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. Most people treat probiotics the same way they would a multivitamin.
In theory, the benefit of a multivitamin is that it helps make up for deficiencies from your diet. So, if you have a good multivitamin (that’s an entirely different story), and if you don’t have a great diet, then it might offer you some benefits.
Here’s the thing:
Probiotics do not function like multivitamins.
Whereas multivitamins can have a benefit for anyone because it helps support deficiencies, probiotics are really designed to help treat, improve, or solve dysfunction.
You need probiotics if your microbiome (i.e. your gut health) is messed up. This means that taking probiotics can be very helpful if you suffer from a condition such as irritable bowel disease.
But if not, then your use of probiotics might not be doing as much good as you hoped.
The Probiotic-Gut Relationship: It’s Complicated
You might be wondering:
How does a billion dollar business get built on something as shaky as “maybe this will be good for you?”
It all starts with the extremely complex nature of your gut.
It’s so complicated that science needs much more time to figure it out. “The human microbiome may have as many as 200 trillion microorganisms and up to a thousand species,” Doron says.
That’s a lot of biological ground to cover, which is why probiotics are still a field that scientists are trying to understand.
“There are a variety of things we think happen, but we don’t know how that all works,” Doron says.
Three reasons why what you see on probiotic labels isn’t necessarily reflective of what it will do for your body:
Different probiotics may work differently (and again, there hundreds of different types)
Each probiotic may have more than one effect
Not everyone responds the same way to a specific strain
Researchers are currently trying to figure out potential benefits that have shown hypothetical promise.
One theory is that when probiotics reach your gut, they digest available carbs and produce short-chain fatty acids. Those acids then fuel other beneficial microbes in your gut, in turn, producing more fatty acids.
Why should you care?
Because short-chain fatty acids are known to create a healthy microbiome, and they improve colon health.
Another theory is that when some probiotics reach your small intestine, they interact with the immune cells lining your organs. This may lead to a positive immune system response, such as a decreased incidence of respiratory tract infections or improved response to vaccines.
Sanders says some studies suggest that probiotics improve gut barrier integrity, which is why you’ll hear probiotics recommended for some digestive issues.
But, at this point, all of this is hypothetical. Probiotics might be amazing, but — in healthy people — we don’t know if they have extended benefits.
Read the full article on BornFitness.
Originally published April 10, 2018.