Knowing more about what probiotics are, how these living organisms benefit your health, which are the best probiotics for men, and what dosage to take keeps you healthy the natural way so you can steer clear of diseases, sickness, and expensive medications or surgeries.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live within your digestive tract and other areas of your body.
These good bacteria help your body maintain proper digestive health and fight off bad bacteria that may also dwell within your body.
Believe it or not, your digestive health is linked with nearly every other part of your body and system within it.
For example, studies have linked a healthy gut with lower chronic disease risks, better weight management, and even improved psychological well-being. Examples of common probiotics bacteria strains, or types, you might find in foods and supplements include:
- Saccharomyces boulardii
- Enterococcus faecium
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Lactobacillus bulgaricus
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus gasseri
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus plantarum
To increase the number of or balance probiotics within your body, you can take probiotics supplements and each probiotics-rich foods, such as:
- Some cheeses
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Miso
- Tempeh
- Fermented teas
Many foods rich in probiotics go through a fermentation process, or have good bacteria added during processing.
What are the Benefits of the Best Probiotic for Men?
According to Harvard Medical School, having the right balance of probiotics strains within your body and taking probiotics supplements may produce the following health and wellness benefits:
- A stronger immune system, and protection against viruses and bacterial infections
- Better digestion, improved nutrient breakdown, and increased nutrient absorption
- Restored bacteria balance after taking antibiotics
- A reduced incidence of diarrhea
- A reduced risk of irritable bowel syndrome, Chron’s disease, and ulcerative colitis
- A lower risk of bladder cancer, urinary tract infections, and yeast infections
- Prevention of or a reduced risk of ulcers
- Improved eczema and other skin conditions
- A lower risk of numerous other chronic health conditions
Different strains of the best probiotics for men do different things within your body. Because so many strains of probiotics exist, research is ongoing to determine which strains work best for certain health conditions, and which dosages to take.
Researched-Backed Health Benefits of Probiotics
Specific health benefits studied by researchers involve certain strains of probiotics, many of which might be classified as the best probiotic for men. Some strains work better than others as natural remedies for various health conditions, such as:
#1 Improved Blood Cholesterol
A review published in 2016 in Tropical Life Sciences Research found that probiotics work to improve blood cholesterol mainly due to the secretion of bile salt hydrolase (BSH), which attaches to cholesterol and helps remove it from the body. The researchers found that Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria strains appear to be effective for lowering high cholesterol levels.
More specifically, the following probiotics strains produced the following effects on cholesterol in animal and human studies:
- Yogurt reduced total and LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Bacillus longum and Lactobacillus plantarum reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides
- Lactobacillus plantarum increased HDL (good cholesterol)
Various probiotics strains work differently within the body to produce cholesterol-lowering effects, which is why having a combination of strains in the best probiotic for men works best.
#2 Better Oral Health
Researchers found that probiotics appear to help prevent or reduce the severity of several oral health problems, such as gum disease, cavities, and even bad breath. The 2016 review published in Tropical Life Sciences found the following oral health benefits related to specific probiotics strains:
- Probiotics in dairy foods helped reduce cavities
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus helped prevent tooth decay in children
- Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria strains helped reduce bad mouth bacteria
- Yogurt containing Lactobacilli reuteri reduced bad mouth bacteria up to 80%
- Lactobacillus Reuteri and Lactobacillus brevi reduced plaque in the mouth
- Lactobacilli strains inhibited gingivitis bacteria and reduced gum disease risks
Researchers who completed the review found that various strains of probiotics even reduced bad breath associated with unpleasant sulfur compounds from certain mouth bacteria.
#3 Gastrointestinal Disorder Relief
Because probiotics reside in the gut, you might not be surprised to hear that ingesting some of the best probiotics for men eases symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders.
A review published in 2012 in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and a 2016 study in the journal Medicine discovered the following results related to probiotics and GI health:
- Bifidobacterium infantis relieved irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Lactobacillus reuteri, yogurt, and Saccharomyces boulardii relieved or prevented infections diarrhea
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Saccharomyces boulardii helped prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea
- Saccharomyces boulardii relieved ulcerative cholitis
Taking a probiotic supplement for men containing a variety of friendly bacteria is best to maximize gastrointestinal health and reduce GI symptoms.
#4 Eczema Reduction
Probiotics may also help relieve or reduce eczema, also known as skin condition atopic dermatitis, according to a 2016 review published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
Researchers found that Bifidobacterium bifidum and numerous other Lactobacilli probiotics strains improved eczema symptoms.
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#5 Depression Relief
It might be difficult to believe that probiotics even affect your mental health, but these friendly bacteria appear to do just that. A 2017 review published in Annals of General Psychiatry found that there’s a link between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, linking changes in the microbiome (the good bacteria within your body) to psychiatric disorders.
When conducting the review researchers found that while more research is needed, numerous studies showed beneficial effects of probiotics for depression relief. Strains used in studies discussed in the review include:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Lactobacillus helveticus
- Lactobacillus casei
While ingesting the best probiotic for men isn’t a cure for depression, friendly bacteria appear to lower your risk of developing it and may reduce depression symptoms. If your depression is severe and hinders your quality of life, check in with your doctor right away.
#6 A Stronger Immune System
Because probiotics are good bacteria that help ward off bad bacteria responsible for sickness and disease, it’s no surprise that probiotics help boost your immune system.
A 2018 study published in Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology found that probiotics stimulate the immune system, and ingesting Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus fermentium for 12 weeks significantly reduced upper respiratory infections, symptoms of the common cold, and flu-like symptoms.
#7 Healthy Weight Management
Probiotics may even help you achieve or maintain a healthy body weight if you have a high body mass index (BMI). A 2017 study published in the journal Nutrients found that the following probiotics were associated with healthy weight management for various reasons:
- Lactobacillus gasseri reduced BMI, belly fat, and hip circumference
- Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus plantarum reduced BMI and blood pressure
- Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus casei improved BMI and body fat percentage
- Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus thermophilus reduced body weight and blood pressure
#8 Heart Disease Protection
Having the right balance of healthy gut bacteria also appears to protect you against heart disease, according to a 2017 study published in the Iranian Biomedical Journal.
Researchers found that the following probiotics strains reduced heart damage and improved heart function in rodents:
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus bulgaricus
The researchers say the heart-protective properties of probiotics may be due, at least in part, to antioxidant activity. Another 2016 review published in Food & Function found that probiotics protect your heart because of their role in:
- Lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Improving HDL (good) cholesterol
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improving blood glucose
- Improving body mass index
During a time when heart disease is the number one killer among Americans, taking every precaution to avoid it can add years to your life.
#9 Cancer Prevention
Because probiotics protect the immune system and appear to have antioxidant properties, it might seem natural that these friendly bacteria may also protect you against cancer.
A 2017 review in the International Journal of Molecular and Cellular Medicine found that while more research is needed, animal and human studies show possible benefits of probiotics in cancer treatment and the spread of numerous cancers. Researchers found the following probiotics strains as useful:
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
Numerous other Lactobacillus probiotics strains may aid in cancer prevention or treatment, but more research is needed to determine which probiotics combinations and dosages work best.
#10 Better Blood Sugar Control
Probiotics
also aid in blood sugar control and protect you against developing diabetes. Once reason for this is probiotics’ effects on healthy weight management.
A 2017 review published in Medical Science Monitor found that probiotics improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes, and references the following probiotics strains as beneficial in the review:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacteria lactis
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Bifidobacteria breve
- Bifidobacteria longum
- Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Most studies examining probiotics' effects on blood sugar control use combinations of these or other Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria probiotics strains.
–> Continue to the next page to discover the best probiotics for men.
–> Continue to the next page to discover the best probiotics for men.
