What Your Gut Says About Your Health

The Probiotic Prescription

Our stressed-out lifestyle may be our stomach's biggest enemy. According to María Gloria Domínguez Bello, PhD, a professor of microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico, society's hectic pace, which leads to our reliance on junk food and overuse of anti­biotics, is throwing our internal ecosystem out of whack; she believes that there's a link between our gut bacteria and the rise of food allergies and autoimmune diseases -- Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis among many others -- in the industrialized world. "When there is a loss of balance in the different types of intestinal bacteria, they send signals to our immune system to overreact and become inflamed, leading to disease," Domínguez Bello says.

Increasing the number of good bacteria in our GI tract, by taking probiotic supplements and eating foods that contain probiotics, may help combat such health problems, a growing number of scientists say. New research indicates that specialized strains of these good bacteria could also alleviate mood and anxiety disorders. When University of Toronto researchers gave chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers three daily doses of a Lactobacillus strain for two months, it boosted their levels of good bacteria. "At the same time, we reduced their anxiety," says lead researcher A. Venket Rao, PhD. When the patients stopped taking the probiotic, their symptoms reverted as well, he says.

Someday we may all pop designer probiotics tailored to our particular stomachs to fix any ailments. In the meantime, take these actions to keep your gut -- and your entire body -- happy and healthy.

Consume more fiber from fruit and veggies and cut back on processed foods, animal protein, and simple sugars, all of which feed harmful bacteria and contribute to obesity and disease, says Carolyn Snyder, RD, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic. Choose foods that have the fewest ingredients listed on their labels, and chow down on those that contain probiotics (including milk, sauerkraut, and yogurt) and prebiotics, which are certain nondigestible ingredients (found in high-fiber fruit like bananas; whole grains, such as barley and rye; and vegetables like onions and tomatoes) that act as fertilizer for the probiotics in our guts.

If your GI system is a well-oiled machine and you feel great, you probably don't need a probiotic, Dr. Gross says. But if you have symptoms of a condition, like IBS, have your doctor help you pick the right strain for your problem. "If there's an indication for which a probiotic could be useful, I typically suggest looking for formulations containing Bifidobacterium or strains of Lactobacillus," Dr. Gross says. A dose of one billion to 10 billion colony-forming units is usually recommended for diarrhea.

These include laxatives and NSAIDs (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen) as well as broad-spectrum antibiotics (like amoxicillin or tetracycline), which wipe out the good bacteria with the bad. Anyone on an antibiotic should take a probiotic for twice as long as the antibiotic prescription to prevent the nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramping that the medicine can cause, studies suggest.

New research from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center found that as little as one drink a day can increase your risk of an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the small intestine and cause GI distress. If you have diarrhea, bloating, gas, or cramping and drink regularly, cut back on cocktails and see if your symptoms ease up, says study author Scott Gabbard, MD.

Get in a 30-minute daily sweat session, especially when you're feeling frazzled. "To function optimally, the gut needs exercise," Dr. Gross says. "It likes to be jiggled to help move food through your system." When you don't have time to squeeze in a walk, jog, or yoga class, take at least a few minutes a day for some deep breathing or anything else that helps you relax.

Eat your way to a healthier GI tract with this probiotic- and prebiotic-packed menu created by Carolyn Snyder, RD, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic.

Breakfast

An egg-white omelet with onions, asparagus, and tomato, and a slice of rye or whole wheat toast

Midmorning snack

Lowfat Greek yogurt and a banana. (Look for brands with the probiotic strains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus, such as Chobani, Fage, and Stonyfield Oikos.

Lunch

Mixed greens topped with 4 ounces grilled chicken, artichokes, onions, asparagus, and tomatoes and dressed with a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic, and a whole-grain roll

Afternoon snack

Hummus and baby carrots or green bell pepper strips

Dinner

3 ounces grilled salmon with lemon-yogurt sauce, brown rice, and a green salad with onions and tomatoes (To make the lemon-yogurt sauce, stir together 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.)

Nighttime snack

A slice of whole-grain bread with peanut butter and banana, or another Greek yogurt

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, January 2013.