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Lactobacillus brevis: The Health Benefits of Probiotics

Published July 31, 2015

By now, many people are familiar with the multitude of benefits that probiotics offer, but are they right for you specifically? Many people are confused when it comes to picking a probiotic, especially when it comes to choosing the right strain of bacteria. There are many different beneficial strains of bacteria out there, and all them have specific effects. Before diving in, however, you might need to know a little bit more about probiotics (the lactic acid family) and the particular strains that provide the best results for particular situations.

Mind-Blowing Benefits

Most probiotics can be found in dairy products like yogurt, particularly the brands that are labeled with "live and active cultures." That doesn't mean all probiotics are limited exclusively to dairy products. Many strains are naturally occurring in the human body, but a shortage of them can lead to several adverse effects for both your body and mind. ^[1] Having these live microorganisms can boost immune system health, improve heart health, help fight depression, and more just by residing and reproducing in your gastrointestinal tract. By adhering to the walls of your intestinal tract, probiotics help prevent harmful bacteria from replicating and flooding your system in a process known as "competitive exclusion." They can even help fight side effects of repeated antibiotic treatment. The best part is that you find probiotics in a variety of delicious foods.

Lactobacillus brevis: A Strain You Want

Many people are familiar with probiotics on a macro level, but the micro level still eludes the vast majority of people striving to lead a healthy lifestyle. One of the best probiotics for your body is Lactobacillus brevis. Discovered as far back as 1921 by E.B. Fred, W.H. Peterson, and J.A. Anderson, this wonderful bacterium occurs naturally in the human body and is even present in breast milk. As no surprise, Lactobacillus brevis helps boost your immune system, has anti-microbial facets, ^[2] can help with things like periodontal disease or Behcet's Syndrome, and boost the effectiveness of antibiotics against Clostridium difficile. ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] With a resume like that, it's hard not to hire this bacterium for the job of protecting your body!

Don't Forget the Prebiotics!

Of course, you can't have a healthy population of probiotics in your body without food for that population. Prebiotics are what probiotics use to grow strong and can usually be found in high-fiber foods like asparagus, garlic, beans, and more.

A Path to a Better Body

Even with all of the new studies discovering more and more ways probiotics can keep your body healthy, there are still many questions about what exactly a member of the probiotic family is. The Lactobacillus brevis strain is just one of the 15 different bacterial strains in FloraTrex™, our newest probiotic supplement. You can also help your body by knowing what NOT to put in it. Start making your body better today!

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM