Have you ever heard of probiotics? These tiny living organisms could be your gut’s best friend! Probiotics are good bacteria that reside in your gut and help maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms.
So why are probiotics so important for gut health? Well, your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, and when bad bacteria start to outnumber the good ones, it can lead to all sorts of health problems. But consuming probiotics can help restore that balance by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria.
In 2022, the probiotic market was valued at 57.8 billion USD and is expected to grow at a CAGR rate of 8.1% with revenue to reach 85.4 billion USD by 2027 (Markets and Markets, 2022).
So what’s driving this growth?
For starters, consumers are becoming more health-conscious and looking for natural ways to improve their health. Probiotics fit the box perfectly – they’re natural and safe to support gut health and boost overall well-being. Another driving force for this growth is the increasing prevalence of digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Probiotics are effective in treating these conditions by restoring the balance of the gut and reducing inflammation. And let’s not forget the rise of functional foods, beverages and supplements. These products have been enhanced with added nutrition and functional ingredients – like probiotics. You can find probiotic-induced yoghurt, drinks, ice cream etc. with promising benefits towards one’s gut immunity.
Studies have been conducted across the globe to study the benefits of probiotics on human digestive systems. From January 2011 to December 2012, (Palumboa, et al., 2016), The long-term study showed that the combination treatment with probiotics had a significant improvement in MMDAI after 18 months as compared to the control.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the role of probiotics in the treatment of Bacterial vaginosis (BV) in adult women. The analysis suggested that only probiotic regimes are safe for the treatment of BV and have both intermediate and long-term positive benefits (Chen, et al., 2022). Another systemic review was done to study the effect of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). The key finding of this review suggested that using probiotics as adjuvant therapy for AAD reduces the risk with a RR (risk ratio) of 0.58. The results across various subgroups and sensitivity analyses were consistent.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all probiotics are created equal. The effectiveness of probiotics is created equal. The effectiveness of probiotics depends on the specific strain and dose consumed, as well as individual gut microbiota and overall health.
All in all, probiotics are a promising area of research for improving digestive health and overall immunity. So why not try adding some fermented foods to your diet or give a probiotic supplement a try?
