By Richmond Natural Medicine

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May 6, 2019

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For a healthy digestive tract, we need a balance of good bacteria and beneficial yeast to support the digestion and absorption of our foods, and maintain our immune system.

A healthy amount of probiotics is essential to immune function, as the good bacteria will populate the lining of our digestive tract and crowd out other harmful bacteria from sticking around. When our probiotics are out of balance (known as dysbiosis), we may experience a number of symptoms that can be remedied by changes in diet, decreasing stress, and appropriate supplementation.

Symptoms of Dysbiosis

• Irregular bowel movements
• Bloating in the lower GI
• SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
• Multiple food allergies or sensitivities
• Decreased immune function
• Diarrhea and/or constipation
• Bad breath
• Skin issues such as eczema and acne

The complete picture of our individual gut health, also known as our microbiome, is a topic of increased attention and study in the past 15 years. Probiotics have been linked to digestive health conditions such as SIBO and IBS, autoimmune conditions, and even our mood and behavior. We have between 400-500 million strains of probiotics in our gut (somewhere between 5-6 pounds of healthy bacteria), and it is essential to keep them happy, stable, and fed by eating a diet rich in nutrients and prebiotics.

Dr. Viktoria Beliy takes a holistic diet approach to balance our gut flora, improve the stability and population of healthy probiotics, and maintain a strong digestive tract. When working with patients, she notes, “I see that a diet high in processed foods, refined sugar, and low fiber negatively impacts gut health and probiotic balance”. In each individual case, she will adjust your diet appropriately to re-balance any deficiencies and support the stability of a healthy microbiome through a variety of recommendations.

“Eating a diet that has a good balance of protein, healthy fats, and fiber will provide all of the nutrients that you need for a healthful diet. Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables will provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This diet full of soluble and insoluble fiber will help with proper digestion, elimination, and also provide the ‘food’ [prebiotics] for the probiotics to thrive. In turn, the probiotics will then make short chain fatty acids that will provide the fuel for the colon cells to multiply and form a healthy digestive tract lining. Supplementing with a probiotic supplement is a great option while working on your own probiotic balance and incorporating more foods with probiotic strains.”

There are several fermented foods that are high in probiotics themselves, including kombucha, sauerkraut, full fat yogurt, and kimchi, all of which are wonderful to include in the diet.

Supplementing with Probiotics

Along with individualized dietary recommendations, Dr. Beliy may also recommends specific probiotic supplements. There are hundreds of probiotic supplements on the market today, and not all are created equal. Just like our fingerprints, our gut microbiome is very specific to each of us, and requires an individualized approach. It’s important to match the appropriate supplement to the person, and choose an option that is both probiotic strain specific to each person, and also of excellent quality. Dr. Beliy looks for some specific things when choosing a probiotic supplement for each individual patient.

“I like to look for multiple strains of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Finding a probiotic with fungal spore strains, like Saccharomyces boulardii, will also add some extra coverage. There are specific strains that are better for female health vs. what you would want in a children’s probiotic, which you can always ask your doctor about. Having a prebiotic included in the blend can also be helpful. In general, your probiotic should have at least 10 billion CFU’s. A high quality supplement will be 3rd party tested, look for a seal from NSF or USP on the bottle. Most probiotics should also be refrigerated, however some fungal strains do not need to be refrigerated. Some brands that I’ve seen work well include Klaire Labs, Microbiome Labs, Jarrow, Innate, and Garden of Life.”

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, or feel like you need support with dietary improvements and individualized support, consider scheduling an appointment with Dr. Beliy.

Read more:

Nourishing your Gut Microbiome

The Role of Probiotics in Gut Health

Ferments & Probiotics for Digestive Health

The Role of Prebiotics and Prebiotics in Inducing Gut Immunity