Original Post Date:
June 11, 2021
Most people occasionally suffer the unpleasantness of constipation, gas, and bloating. Virtually everyone experiences these problems from time to time, and those who suffer from frequent GI problems know these symptoms all too well. So, can probiotics help people who suffer from gas, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea? Let’s explore these issues and discuss how those who suffer from these annoying symptoms might find some relief.
Gut Microbiome and Your Gut Health
The human digestive system is home to a myriad of microorganisms including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. These microbes, which are collectively referred to as the gut microbiome. However, our primary focus will on the bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract. Almost 99% of the bacteria in the intestinal tract reside in the colon and many intestinal problems are due to bacterial imbalance in the colon. It is increasingly understood that probiotic bacteria play important roles such as the regulation of digestion and the absorption of nutrients, the production of energy, the regulation of moods, emotions, and the functioning of the immune system.
The gut microbiome is estimated to contain about 100 trillion bacteria consisting of millions of species of bacteria. A healthy gut microbiome consists of approximately 85-90% beneficial probiotic bacteria and only 10-15% potentially harmful bacteria. However, numerous factors such as bad diets, medications, stress, poor sleep, and smoking can cause the balance in the microbiome to be disturbed. Bacterial imbalance in the microbiome is known as dysbiosis, which can cause unpleasant symptoms including diarrhea, cramping, constipation, gas, and bloating.
Fortunately, microbiome dysbiosis can be corrected. The first step is to address the conditions that created the bacterial imbalance. Be sure to get enough sleep, limit stress, stop smoking, and eat a diet that includes plenty of plant-based foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Another positive step to restore and improve gut health is to take Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics, which is produced in a multi-year fermentation process that results in the production of over 500 postbiotic metabolites. It is now understood that postbiotic metabolites regulate many aspects of human health.
Do Probiotics Help for Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas & Bloating
Constipation: Let’s start by examining constipation (difficulty passing stool), which is a common problem that many people experience from time to time. It is estimated that 20% of adults and 1/3 of people over 65 years of age in the U.S. suffer from occasional constipation. Common causes of constipation include insufficient fluid intake, a low-fiber diet, and certain medications. Hence, lifestyle modifications are a good first step to correct constipation-related issues.
Studies have shown that people with constipation have dysbiosis¹. So, will probiotics help with constipation? The answer is both yes and no. Studies have shown increasing the relative number of beneficial bacterial species (probiotics) such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium can result in increased water content in feces and improve the frequency of bowel movements. However, taking high-dose probiotics alone is usually not an effective way to increase the population of probiotics in you colon because when the probiotics are taken orally, the bacteria get killed when they contact stomach acid, which is from 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger acid than the acidity in the small intestine and colon.
Here are several methods that have been shown to help resolve constipation. Dehydration and a lack of physical activity are two factors that are associated with constipation. Drinking more water and getting more exercise have been shown to improve the frequency of bowel movements.
Most people with constipation also do not consume adequate amounts of plant-based foods, especially fiber-rich foods such fruits and vegetables². Humans do not possess the genes that are necessary to metabolize dietary fibers. Hence, they travel the length of the GI tract unchanged, until they reach the colon. In the colon, dietary fibers are “food” for your probiotic bacteria, which allows them to grow and proliferate. Probiotic bacteria ferment the dietary fibers, which results in the production of short-chain fatty acids and many other types of postbiotic metabolites that play important roles in regulating human health.
Another method that has been proven to help people with constipation is taking Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics, which is a product that is produced in a multi-year fermentation process that results in the creation of over 500 postbiotic metabolites. Directly ingesting over 500 postbiotic metabolites is a very fast way to improve conditions is the gut microbiome ecosystem and alleviate many gut-related problems. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, female college students with a long history of constipation took either 3 capsules of Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics or a placebo daily for 2 weeks. At the end of 2 weeks, all the women with the long history of constipation experienced significant improvement, whereas the women taking the placebo did not experience any change³.
Diarrhea: Increasing the consumption of dietary fibers has also been shown to reduce the incidence of episodic diarrhea. It may seem strange that increasing the consumption of fiber-rich foods is a recommendation for people who suffer from frequent diarrhea or occasional constipation. This is because probiotic bacteria ferment dietary fibers, which results in the production of postbiotic metabolites that help improve and normalize the microbiome ecosystem. Similarly, talking Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics also frequently helps people who have intermittent diarrhea. This is because the postbiotic metabolites in Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics function like adaptogens, they help normalize bowel function.
Intestinal Gas & Bloating: Everyone produces some intestinal gas; it is the natural result of food being digested. However, excess gas production, which causes bloating, can be very uncomfortable. Excess gas and bloating are symptoms that are caused by bacterial imbalance, or dysbiosis. Rectifying these problems requires correcting the underlying problems in the gut microbiome ecosystem. The issues that need to be addressed are correcting the microbial imbalance, improving the acid/base balance, which needs to be weakly acidic, increasing the production of postbiotic metabolites, and healing the gut lining.
Some people alleviate their gas and bloating by increasing their consumption of prebiotic foods, such vegetables, salad greens, barley, oats, freshly ground flax seeds, and seaweed. However, increasing fiber intake is not always the right answer because if a bacterial imbalance is present in the small intestine, which is referred to as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO, then additional fiber can cause an increase in the production of gas. One of the best ways to improve these symptoms it to take Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics, which helps reset the intestinal microbiome by directly delivering over 500 postbiotic metabolites in each dose.
The Dr. Ohhira’s Reset Challenge: We encourage people who are experiencing intestinal gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation to take the Dr. Ohhira’s Reset Challenge. The recommended dose for Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics is two capsules daily. The Dr. Ohhira’s Reset Challenge involves purchasing a 30-count box of Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics and taking two capsules twice daily for one week. Doubling the dose produces noticeable improvements for many people in within 7 days.
Discover the Dr. Ohhira’s advantage for yourself! Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics are user-friendly; they DO NOT need to be refrigerated. They can be taken any time of day….on a full stomach, or empty stomach. Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics are the only 3-Year fermented food supplement with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics in one pill.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
References:
- Ohkusa T, et al. Gut microbiota and chronic constipation: A review and update. Front. Med. 2019, 6, 19.
- Suenghataiphorn T, et al. Larger vegetable intake helps patients with constipation: socioeconomic analysis from United States–based matched cohorts. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings. 16 July 2024;37(5):726-733.
- Inoue R, et al. Effect of Fermented Vegetable Food “OM-X” (Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics) on Defecation Among Constipated Female College Students.ˆ Results presented at the 69th Annual Meeting of Japan Society of Nutrition & Food Science (Kanagawa)
