Probiotics for Irritable Intestines – are there any?

Problems in the proper functioning of the digestive tract have more or less affected all of us. Most often they are of a transitional nature, resulting e.g. from some small nutrition mistakes. However, a bad diet continued over some days or even months will eventually cause your intestines to rebel.

Healthy nutrition comes to the rescue, tailored to your needs! A healthy diet combined with limiting or giving up stimulants and proper hygiene of life will help you quickly improve your well-being by reducing or resolving gastrointestinal discomfort.

Some of you may have already guessed what this post is going to be about … 

Yes, it is addressed to those who constantly have intestinal problems despite the fact that they care about the quality of the food they consume and even cut off a number of products from the daily menu. All these efforts, unfortunately, do not lead to improvement. Dear readers with hypersensitive intestines – this post is just for you!

 

Symptoms of poor bowel function

• stomachaches,
• diarrhea,
• constipation,
• bloating,
• reflux, commonly called heartburn,
• feeling sick after a meal.

In some people, the above-mentioned symptoms may occur simultaneously, which in the long run makes them lose the joy of eating their quality of life deteriorates. How to enjoy each day, when its inseparable part is severe stomach pain and other, not very pleasant  gastrointestinal discomfort after a meal, culminating in a visit to the restroom?:( 

Chronic gastrointestinal problems should prompt you to visit a specialist doctor, that is a gastroenterologist. It is especially important if, despite a healthy diet rich in good quality food products, you do not notice an improvement in bowel function.

 

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS can be the cause of your symptoms. It involves hypersensitivity of the gastrointestinal tract to factors that do not cause any negative reactions in healthy people. However, in people suffering from IBS, gastrointestinal problems often appear after eating certain foods or when there’s too much stress in their life. What’s more, detailed gastrointestinal tests usually do not show any abnormalities in the functioning of the digestive tract. So the intestines are seemingly healthy despite the fact that the patient suffers every day. This does not mean, of course, that an IBS diagnosis is the final verdict! There are a number of actions that you can implement to calm the hypersensitive digestive tract. In addition to the medications recommended by your gastroenterologist, you can introduce a number of modifications into your everyday life.

 

The effects of stress

As I mentioned above, the intestines of IBS patients are extremely sensitive to stress. For this reason, try to reduce it as much as possible. Of course, I am aware that some of you, reading these words, smiled under your breath … 🙂 How to find peace when we live in a constant hurry, trying to reconcile all the professional duties with family life. Where is the time to pursue your own interests and time to relax? And yet – our intestines often show us that such actions are necessary! If it is impossible to reduce the amount of your daily stress, you should at least try to find some time to work it off. For some, physical activity will be a great solution, and for others some meditation techniques. Just as the saying goes “whatever works”: try to reduce the negative impact of stress in a way that is right for you. 

 

What should your diet look like?

It is impossible to ignore the significant impact of diet on the condition of the problematic gastrointestinal tract. There are many nutritional protocols recommended for patients with irritable bowel syndrome that are tailored to their specific symptoms. 

The procedure is different for people who suffer from chronic diarrhea, and completely different for those with chronic constipation. There is no single solution and general nutritional guidelines do not work for every single hypersensitive bowel patient. Therefore, each problem should be treated individually, and the diet is best adjusted with the help of a dietitian, who will also take into account the patient’s own observations.

Guidelines are important, but after all each of you knows your own body best and notices what harms it. Foods which are often generally considered healthy, are not the best option for you because they can lead to painful consequences. The help of a good dietitian, or “your diet doctor”, can brings excellent results in some people so don’t be afraid to ask for help!

 

Probiotic therapy

When you take into account that the intestines are the “second brain” and the nervous system is directly connected to the gastrointestinal tract with the so called vagus nerve, it is a good idea to learn about some methods that will have a positive effect on the entero-cerebral axis. In this case, probiotics – or live strains of bacteria that support your microbiome – come in handy. This is a very important part of the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome! Studies have shown that in most people with IBS, the intestinal microflora is disturbed. Some beneficial bacteria in the intestine are replaced with potentially pathogenic, putrefactive and fungal microorganisms. In this situation, it is difficult for your bowels to work properly. 

 

Probiotics:

• effectively displace unwanted microbes from the intestine,
• contribute to the regeneration of damaged intestinal epithelium,
• regulate gastrointestinal motility,
• regulate the work of the vagus nerve,
• stimulate the production of serotonin – which is known to have a beneficial effect on the intestines and mood.

But we have to remember that, just like in the case of any diet, the choice of probiotics should be personalized! Probiotic therapy tailored to specific ailments will be the most effective, because different strains of bacteria are recommended for people with the problem of flatulence,  while others help with constipation.. 

Therefore, when severe intestinal problems occur, the examination of microbiota is worth considering. Afterwards, the choice of probiotics will be based on the microbiota system and the complaints reported by the patient.

Probiotics targeted at specific gastric problems are also available on the market. In the case of intestinal problems caused by IBS, such requirements are met by Lactibiane products. I would like to tell you today about two probiotics, developed especially for patients with IBS.

The first one is Lactibiane Tolerance the composition of which is adjusted to those of you who mainly suffer from diarrhea and flatulence. As I mentioned, you can’t treat everyone with a hypersensitive bowel the same way. In people who have excessive stimulation of the intestinal passage, it is necessary to use probiotic bacteria that will calm it down a bit.

Lactibiane Tolerance contains 5 probiotic strains:

• Bifidobacterium lactis LA 303,
• Lactobacillus acidophilus LA 201,
• Lactobacillus plantarum LA 301,
• Lactobacillus salivarius LA 302,
• Bifidobacterium lactis LA 304.

They effectively support the intestinal microflora, additionally inhibiting the inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. So if bloating and diarrhea are your daily routine after every meal – you may have just found your probiotic  best friend!

Another option is the product for people with the problem of constipation whose intestines are too lazy, which manifests itself e.g. by flatulence. If the problem sounds familiar to you, we recommend the Lactibiane Reference probiotic. The composition of the bacteria has been adjusted to stimulate intestinal peristalsis, which is a priority for people with constipation and abdominal pain. 

What’s more, 4 strains of probiotic bacteria contained in this probiotic:

• Bifidobacterium longum LA 101,
• Lactobacillus helveticus LA 102,
• Lactococcus lactis LA 103,
• Streptococcus thermophilus LA 104,

also show the ability to stimulate the immune system. Therefore, those of you who are struggling with reduced immunity should try out this product. Both your intestines and immunity will benefit.

 

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Irritable bowel syndrome is not the only intestinal problem you may face. More dangerous diseases include, for example, chronic inflammation occurring in the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This is an autoimmune disease – it consists in the abnormal reaction of the immune system which attacks the cells of the digestive tract, recognizing them as foreign. Intense treatment is often necessary to calm the overactive GALT immune system.

 

Inflammation

The role of probiotics in suppressing inflammation should not be overlooked. After all, the intestinal microflora is responsible for the proper “training” of your immunity cells. In this situation, you should first of all reach for probiotic strains that have the ability to inhibit inflammation and support the proper system of our microflora. 

Lactibiane Iki is a good solution here, containing a mixture of specially selected 3 probiotic strains:

• Bifidobacterium lactis LA 304,
• Lactobacillus acidophilus LA 201, and
• Lactobacillus salivarius LA 302.

Studies show that they support the return to balance of the intestinal microflora. They help reduce pain and improve gastrointestinal motility.

 

I hope that my advice will bring some relief to your digestive tract. Remember, however, that all probiotics needs time to start working effectively and that’s why you should plan for at least a few weeks of systematic supplementation.

Probiotic therapy must always be accompanied by other activities that regulate the digestive tract, such as improving eating habits or finding time to relax! Digestive tract is very sensitive to the effects of various types of stressors so if you live in a state of constant mental tension, even the best diet and probiotic will not help much.  But if you reduce stress, follow a better diet, and introduce probiotics, you can expect such a combination to work wonders for your health. 

Patrycja Szachta

PhD in Biological Sciences

She obtained a doctorate in biological sciences during her doctoral studies at the Department of Child Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases of the Medical University of Poznan. Author of numerous medical publications in Polish and foreign magazines and chapters in scientific monographs. Scientific Director at the VitaImmun Medical Center. Her tasks include designing and coordination of scientific projects conducted within the framework of the VitaImmun Medical Center. She has had a long practical and theoretical experience in the field of latent food hypersensitivity and intestinal microflora disorders. She specializes in the field of probiotics and prebiotics and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.