Science is learning new things every day about how the condition of our gut has a huge impact on our overall health.
As a result of this, tummy-healing probiotic supplements are growing rapidly in popularity because they’re great for all sort of stomach issues.
Today I’m going to tell you all about the best probiotics for diarrhea and how they work.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are a type of supplement that contains microorganisms intended to make you feel better overall. These supplements do this by introducing helpful or “good” bacteria to your body, specifically in your digestive system.
They help restore gut health, which science has shown is a much bigger deal than was previously realized in medicine.
There are several different strains of yeasts and bacteria used in probiotics. S. cerevisiae, lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, lactobacillus casei DN-114 001, lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285, and lactobacillus casei Lbc80r are common strains of bacteria used for treatment of diarrhea.
Types of Probiotic Supplement and Where to Get Them
You can find probiotic supplements most commonly in capsule form. Some formulations (usually for children) are available as a liquid if you have trouble swallowing pills.
You can usually find a small selection of probiotic supplements in supermarkets, pharmacies, health food stores, and from many online retailers.
Probiotics are also frequently added to dairy products, particularly yogurt. Many popular brand names have lines of yogurt particularly intended for their probiotic support. You can also find these helpful microorganisms in regular yogurt as well, even lines aimed at kids’.
What Does Gut Health Really Mean?
Gut health essentially refers to your digestive system’s optimal functioning. However, there’s a lot involved in a healthy, working digestive system. In order for our digestive system to function properly, the microbes living in our intestines must be well-balanced.
Science is beginning to discover that our gut health and the microbes that inhabit it contribute a great deal to our overall health. The wellbeing of your gut can make a difference in so many things, and problems there can hold sway over almost every health condition imaginable.
How Do Probiotics Help?
First, it’s important to note that you already have probiotics in your body. These bacteria are always present in your digestive system, but illness and lifestyle choices can deplete or cause imbalance.
Probiotic supplements only aim to maintain healthy levels of good gut bacteria and to balance out the levels of good and bad gut bacteria. They can help you recover from illness or diminish the effects of damaging lifestyle choices and poor diet.
What Causes Diarrhea?
Diarrhea has several potential causes. Food allergies or intolerances, bacterial infections (often from contaminated food or drink), diseases of the intestines like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, stress, and medication side effects can all cause diarrhea.
This condition, which is characterized by loose, watery stools and abdominal discomfort, is typically not dangerous.
However, dehydration is a potentially dangerous side effect of diarrhea, particularly in young children or the elderly.
Why Are Probiotics Helpful for Diarrhea?
Probiotics use their gut microbe balancing powers to help alleviate the symptoms of diarrhea and may even help your body recover from the condition more quickly. When your gut flora is well balanced, your digestive system can begin to function normally again.
Particularly in cases of diarrhea caused by bad bacteria from food poisoning like E. Coli or salmonella, the good bacteria provided by these supplements may help eliminate the bad.
Who Should Be Taking Probiotics to Treat Diarrhea?
Probiotics are appropriate for use in all people, both young and old. They have been found to help diarrhea caused by certain conditions better than others. In any case, probiotics are unlikely to hurt those suffering from diarrhea either way.
Kids with diarrhea caused by rotavirus (a common but potentially serious stomach bug), diarrhea caused by antibiotics, and diarrhea that accompanies C. difficile (a potentially life threatening bacterial infection that causes inflammation in the colon) may particularly benefit from probiotic use.
How to Choose the Best Probiotics for Diarrhea
The answer to this question really depends on the root cause of diarrhea. The different strains of bacteria and yeast contained in probiotic supplements can have various effects on diarrhea.
The best thing to do before using probiotics to treat diarrhea is to figure out what is causing it. In identifying the underlying cause of this uncomfortable stomach condition, you can more aptly seek out the right probiotic.
We’ll go over a few great probiotics below, and I’ll break down the pros and cons for you so that you can decide which probiotic supplement you should use.
Do Probiotics Work the Same for Everyone?
These supplements have different effects on everyone. This is because everyone’s gut microbiota is different. Various bacteria strains can have varying effects due to this.
And the Winner Is…
My pick for the best probiotic for diarrhea is the Schwartz Probiotic. Overall, this supplement contains many of the bacterial strains that are recommended for diarrhea, plus their contributions to overall gut health that can help overall health.
It also seemed to come with less side effects and be well tolerated by most people.
When searching for a product to help you feel better, feeling worse is the last thing you want. As is always the case when it comes to over the counter remedies, it’s important to talk with your doctor about the use of supplements like these. They will be able to assess the overall safety of the product and its potential effectiveness in your particular situation.
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