Multi-probiotics are supplements containing two or more probiotic strains that can improve the balance of intestinal flora. They are available in various forms and can relieve various digestive issues. However, they may cause side effects and should be taken under the guidance of a healthcare provider. Diet and environment can also balance intestinal flora.
A multi-probiotic is a type of probiotic multi-vitamin; that is, a probiotic supplement that contains two or more probiotic strains. A probiotic is a microorganism that resides in its host’s intestinal tract and feeds on bacteria harmful to the host. The word “probiotics” was coined by German scientist Werner Kollath in the early 1950s and stands in contrast to antibiotics, which are compounds that inhibit or destroy bacterial growth. In the 1980s, bacteriologists suggested that probiotics benefited the digestive tract of the host in which they lived, and thus earned the nickname “good bacteria.” Multi-probiotics may be available as probiotic tablets, powders, or probiotic drops in the belief that these supplements improve the balance of a person’s intestinal flora.
Multi-probiotic supplements are widely available in health food stores and natural vitamin stores as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). They are manufactured and regulated as food and not as a pharmaceutical. Probiotics are believed to relieve gastroenteritis, rotovirus diarrhea and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, chronic constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. Some researchers claim that multiple probiotics could alleviate the effects of colitis, cirrhosis, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Nutritionists emphasize that diet and environment can balance the conditions of the intestinal flora. The probiotic genus Bifidobacterium is found in the intestines of breastfed babies who suffer from diarrhea far less than their milk-fed peers. Lactobacillus is one of the most common probiotic cultures and is available in many foods. Common food sources for probiotics are found primarily in dairy and fermented products, such as yogurt, dietary supplements, soy beverages, miso, and milk. Lactose intolerant patients can take multiprobiotic supplements to supply the intestines and stomach with bacterial lactase, an enzyme necessary for the digestion of dairy products.
Illness, stress, disease, and some medications can upset the delicate bacterial environment in the digestive tract. Antibiotics, which are necessary to treat bacterial diseases, also kill the good bacteria in the intestine. Multi-probiotic supplements attempt to alleviate the side effects of antibiotics and restore the intestinal tract to its normal function.
The safety of multiple probiotics has not been extensively investigated, but common side effects among sensitive patients include digestive upsets such as gas and bloating. Probiotics could possibly cause infections that require the need for antibiotics or disrupt normal metabolic processes in the digestive tract. A multi-probiotic could overstimulate the immune system. Also, one strain of probiotics may affect one person and not another, and therefore it is advisable to contact a health care provider before starting a multiprobiotic regimen.
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