Trillions of bacteria consisting of thousands of species live in our intestines. Their total weight can reach approximately 1.5-2 kg in each individual. This population of bacteria is called themicrobiome. Although a part of the microbiome is common to every individual, the remaining part varies from person to person. These bacteria affect our health directly and indirectly. For example, some bacteria in our intestines synthesize vitamin K, and our body, especially our liver, uses vitamin K for important functions. Any situation that affects the microbiome in our intestines (using antibiotics, changing eating habits) can have a positive or negative impact on our health. For this reason, it is of great importance to keep the microbiome in our intestines in a healthy balance.
Especially in recent years, studies have been conducted that suggest and show a connection between the microbiome in the intestines and many diseases. The method of these studies is generally as follows: stool samples of a group of people with a disease and a group of healthy people without that disease are collected. The results from these two groups (bacterial species in the diseased group and bacterial species in the healthy group) are compared and interpreted. If a significant change is detected between the microbiomes in the intestines of these two groups, it is thought that this may have a connection with the disease in question. However, there is a situation here that we should not overlook: differences in the microbiomes in the intestines of individuals with and without a disease may not mean that they are the cause of the disease. This difference between microbiomes may not be the cause of the disease, but a consequence of it. In addition, apart from these possibilities, differences in the nutritional habits of individuals with diseases and healthy individuals may also affect their microbiomes. Therefore, it is important to consider different aspects when interpreting such studies.
Probiotics are foods consisting of bacteria and yeast organisms. Probiotics are thought to positively affect our health in the following ways: strengthening our digestion and immunity, affecting our microbiome, preventing harmful bacteria that cause disease. To compete with others, and to secrete substances that kill them. As we mentioned before, just as there are thousands of types of bacteria in our intestines, probiotics also have many formulas and combinations; Various probiotic products contain different numbers and different bacterial populations.
There are many clinical studies on probiotics. These studies, unlike the studies mentioned above, are research aimed at treatment of a specific disease. The method of these studies is to divide a certain number of people with a disease into two groups, give the probiotic in question to one group and not give it to the other group, and compare the results. Thus, it can be easily determined which symptoms and disease parameters the probiotic is good for. If the results can be confirmed by other studies, it may be concluded that the probiotic in question partially or completely cures a certain disease. Doctors can recommend and prescribe probiotic products to their patients based on such studies and their own clinical experience.
Although probiotics mostly affect health positively, they can cause side effects, just like drugs. Some probiotic products contain milk and egg proteins and may cause allergic reactions in individuals who are hypersensitive to them. Additionally, probiotics can cause severe and dangerous conditions called bacteremia and fungalemia, which lead to the growth of bacteria or fungi in the bloodstream. This may occur especially in individuals whose immune system is weakened, whose digestive system barrier is damaged, who have a catheter, who have serious illnesses, who have recently undergone major surgery, who have been hospitalized for a long time (months), and who have received many antibiotic treatments. For this reason, it would be healthier and safer to consult a doctor before using a probiotic product and to decide together with the doctor whether to use probiotics or not.
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