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Streptococcus thermophilus: The Health Benefits of Probiotics

Published September 06, 2015

When someone mentions probiotics, they're referring to actual bacteria that live in your gut. Your gut is populated with all kinds of microorganisms—some good and some bad. In order to keep a healthy balance, good bacteria needs to keep the harmful variety in check. But, due to modern diets and lifestyles, the good guys can drop in numbers, allowing for what you might want to think of as a hostile takeover. One particular probiotic strain, Streptococcus thermophilus, is an important strain that may support colon health, support the immune system, protect against small intestine irritation, and also fight against antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Streptococcus thermophilus: A Strain You Want

As a fairly popular probiotic choice, S. thermophilus is also used to create lactic acid, so you can find it in fermented products like yogurt. And because it breaks down lactose into the acid, it's also often prescribed to lactose-intolerant individuals (to make it easier to digest dairy.) But it doesn't stop there! Not only can it boost a person's immune system, but it can also help with colon health, possibly even lowering the risk for colon cancer. ^[1]

There is some research that S. thermophilus may be helpful during chemotherapy by protecting the intestinal tissues from irritation caused by chemotherapy drugs. ^[2] Another study shows S. thermophilus correlates with better growth in children. ^[3] Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a growing issue today, and people are seeking natural methods for relief. Since antibiotics kill good bacteria and sometimes allow harmful bacteria to grow, diarrhea is often a result. Certain strains of S. thermophilus have been shown to reduce AAD. ^[4] This isn't surprising, considering that many other probiotic strains also provide similar benefits.

The Take Home

As you can see, probiotics are important for a lot of reasons, and the perks listed here are just the tip of the iceberg! If you want to get more probiotics, you can find them in fermented foods or in a top quality probiotic supplement. Look for a probiotic that contains a combination of different strains as well as prebiotics. The addition of prebiotics to a probiotic supplement allow the probiotic bacteria to proliferate in your intestines by providing nourishment. Look for ingredients like gum arabic and inulin to determine if your supplement contains prebiotics.

Do you take probiotics for your health? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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