• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Thinkstockphotos 186912401 Girl Eating Yogurt

7 Reasons to Get More Probiotics in Your Diet

Sep 30, 2015 |
By Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

By now, you’ve probably already heard about probiotics, however you may be wondering: are probiotics just another fad, or is there really some science behind the health benefits?

Also referred to as “good bacteria,” probiotics are live microorganisms that exist naturally in the gut. Probiotics alter the permeability of the intestinal wall, and help to keep pro-inflammatory compounds from entering the bloodstream. As a result, they help prevent a wide range of chronic conditions and have been shown to help improve many ailments and conditions.

Trying to decide if you should start taking probiotics? To help you sort through the facts, check out these 7 proven benefits of probiotics featured in one of our recent “Get the Skinny” segments:

  • Weight loss/weight control: Probiotics can improve blood sugar control and affect leptin sensitivity (a hormone that helps regulate appetite). Women seem particularly sensitive to the effects of probiotics.
  • Boost mood and fight depression: Taking probiotics is linked with lower levels of anxiety and depression and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: Probiotics appear to help reduce several markers of inflammation in the body.
  • Boost immune system: Studies have shown that taking a probiotic may result in fewer (about 40% less) colds.
  • Gastrointestinal and digestive health, including bloating, gas and diarrhea, as well as chronic conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics may also help maintain remission/prevent relapse of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
  • Urinary tract infections and yeast infections: Probiotic treatment can restore the balance of microflora that may be altered by a variety of factors, including birth control pills and antibiotics.
  • Skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and rosacea

Health effects of probiotics are strain-specific, meaning that the unique types of bacteria are effective for specific conditions. For a summary of probiotics shown to be effective for specific conditions, visit www.usprobiotics.org.

For more details on this topic, watch Molly’s full “Get the Skinny” segment on WGNO.com.

Tags
probiotics

You may also be interested in:

465059100 Little Girl On Potty
Aug 10, 2015

Got Poop Problems? Let’s Straighten Them Out!

For the majority of humankind’s existence, we have been squatting to eliminate waste from our bodies, that is, until the invention of indoor plumbing came along and changed our lives for the better (or so we thought). Physiologically, our body needs to “straighten” the rectum to allow the waste to pass without resistance, and unintentionally, we have sacrificed physiology and function for privacy and comfort.
Thinkstockphotos 85446705 Woman Holding Water Bottle
Food & Fitness
Jul 3, 2015

How Much Water Do You Really Need?

Are you drinking enough water on those long hot days of summer? Check out to see how much water you really need and ways you can get your daily intake easily.
Thinkstockphotos 78056531 Couple Discussing Medication In Pharmacy
Food & Fitness
May 15, 2015

Choosing a Multivitamin That’s Right for You

One of the more confusing questions for many people is whether they should take a daily multivitamin. And, if so, what should I look for?

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide