Most men, when focusing on their health, tend to overlook their gut health, which is a mistake as a healthy gut can impact your health overall.
Probiotics can be highly beneficial to both men and women when it comes to improving both your physical and mental health.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live bacterias and yeasts that are good for your digestive system.
These bacteria are not the type that make you sick, but are “good” or “helpful” bacteria that keeps your gut healthy.
Probiotics can be found in supplements and even some foods, such as yogurt, which is the most common.
Other foods that contain probiotics include:
- Tempeh
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut
- Kombucha
Almost all fermented foods contain probiotics.
Types Of Probiotic Strains
There is more than one type of probiotic.
These types include:
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus probiotics are the ones that can be found in yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
This probiotic mainly assists with the prevention and treatment of infectious diarrhea in both children and adults.
Bifidobacterium
Essential in the digestion process, bifidobacterium probiotics live in your stomach and intestines and are also found in fermented foods.
Saccharomyces Boulardii
Considered a probiotic yeast, saccharomyces boulardii is often used to assist and treat your GI tract.
Benefits Of Probiotics
Now that you have more background on what probiotics are, it’s time to dive into the benefits.
The benefits of probiotics include:
Promotes Digestion
The main benefit of taking probiotics is the replenishment of good bacteria in your gut that can reduce gastrointestinal disorders. (Source)
Probiotics have been shown to support digestive health in the following ways:
- Prevents digestive disorders
- Supports epithelial cell growth
- Fortifies the GI Tract
Basically, in layman's terms, the small probiotics help balance out and remove the bad bacteria in your system.
This can help reduce constipation, bloating, and gas.
Supports Immune System
In addition, you can experience immune system benefits when taking probiotics.
The main benefits of taking probiotics in regards to your immune system, you can prevent diarrhea, improve lactose intolerance symptoms, and modulate your immunity to other issues.
Supports Cognitive Health
Probiotics can also assist with your cognitive health. This is because of something that is called the “Gut-Brain Axis”.
What does that mean?
Bacterial strains that are present in the gut send signals to your brain which can affect your mood, behavior, and cognitive health.
Researchers have shown that probiotics can improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, and overall mental health. (Source)
Even if you do not suffer from these mental issues, you can still benefit from the cognitive effects of taking probiotics, such as improved memory and attention.
Supports Athletic Performance And Recovery
Probiotics also provide benefits to those with a workout regimen.
Benefits that you can experience during workouts include the reduction of muscle fatigue as well as increasing energy levels.
Post-workout you can expect a reduction of inflammation which helps you recover faster and improves your performance for the next workout.
Promotes Weight Loss
In addition, probiotics can assist with weight loss. (Source)
There are a variety of reasons for this including:
- Better workout performance can support weight loss
- Better testosterone levels can support weight loss
- Reduction of body fat percentage
- Regulation of hormones can assist with weight loss
Supports Heart Health
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death, especially for men.
Probiotics have been known to reduce the risk of heart disease by causing the following:
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Reduces blood pressure
- Prevents inflammation
Basically probiotics can help reduce the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed in the body which leads to lower levels of Bad Cholesterol (LDL).
In addition, reducing inflammation can improve blood flow and reduce the chance of blood clots that can promote overall heart health.
Specific Benefits Of Probiotics For Men
In addition to the benefits of probiotics for both genders, there are also additional benefits that men can take advantage of.
These benefits include:
Testosterone Levels
Testosterone is a very important hormone in men that affects many things such as muscle mass, bone density and even their libido.
Probiotics have been shown to be a positive influence on testosterone levels in men.
A study has shown that men who consumed probiotics had increased their testosterone compared to those taking placebos. (Source)
In addition, probiotics have been shown to improve fertility by improving both sperm count and motility.
Prostate Health
The prostate is a gland in men that is susceptible to many different health issues, whose risks can be reduced with probiotics.
These include reducing the risk of enlarged prostates and can improve urinary function.
They can also assist with reducing inflammation in the prostate gland which can reduce issues such as frequent urination, troubles urinating, and even pain while urinating.
Hormone Benefits
In addition, probiotics can assist with adding serotonin into the system which is a very important mood regulator.
Because the serotonin that is present in your gut supports your bodily functions such as autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine actions, probiotics can be a key when it comes to digestive and hormonal support. (Source)
Who Should Not Take Probiotics
Although there are many benefits of probiotics and probiotic supplements, they are not made for everyone.
Those who should not take probiotics include:
- Someone with a severe illness
- Someone with a weakened immune
- People with allergies
- People taking medications that could react badly with probiotics including:
- Antibiotics
- Antifungal products
- Immunosuppressant medication
- Steroids
If you are not sure if probiotics are right for you, you should check with your doctor to make sure adding them to your daily routine is safe.
Best Probiotics For Men
Now that you have decided to take a probiotic, the question becomes: which one?
There are multiple factors to consider when determining what probiotic supplement to take. (Source)
These include:
- Check ingredients to ensure you aren’t taking something you can’t have
- Check what strain or strains are included to make sure you are getting the benefits you want
- Check the CFU Count (number of alive and active microorganisms)
- Does the product require refrigeration? If so, ensure you take the proper care
- If you have a health condition, make sure the chosen supplement will be safe for you
If you are looking for specific benefits, such as probiotics for diarrhea and IBS, there are options out there for you.
Additional Ingredients To Look For
When looking for a probiotic supplement, there are other ingredients to consider.
These include prebiotic fibers, vitamins, and minerals that will work together with the probiotic supplements and can improve the benefits from the included probiotics.
Synbio Tonik
One great option for probiotics for men include Synbio Tonik.
The benefits listed as being associated with Synbio Tonik includes:
- Improved digestion
- Better elimination
- Gut microbiome support
- Strengthened immunity
- Better energy
- More focus
- Reduced stress and anxiety
Synbio Tonik includes multiple probiotic strains included in the Probiotic Blend that boasts 5 billion CFU.
These strains include:
- P. Acidilactici KABP™-021
- L. Plantarum KABP™-021
- L. Plantarum KABP™-023
- Bifidobacterium Lactis
In addition to probiotics, Synbio Tonik also includes a prebiotic blend.
The prebiotic blend includes chicory root inulin, SolnulTM (Resistant Potato Starch), apple pectin, and oat bran.
Synbio Tonik is also vegan, fiber rich, non-dairy, soy-free, non-GMO, caffeine free, and doesn’t contain toxins that can be found in other supplements.
By taking Synbio Tonik, not only are you getting both the benefits of probiotics and prebiotics, you are also getting 17% of your daily fiber needs.
For more information on Synbio Tonik, you can read my comprehensive review.
When Will I Notice Results?
The most important thing that matters when it comes to taking a probiotic, or any supplement is when you will start to see the desired results.
It is important to make sure that you are giving the supplement enough time to do it’s job, but not so long that you continue to invest in a product that isn’t working.
Typically a probiotic can take four weeks for benefits to begin to show, depending on what benefit you are specifically looking for.
However, there are a few factors that contribute to this. These factors include:
- Diet
- Exercise regimen
- Weight
- Sleep patterns
- Overall health
- Consistency in taking the supplement
You should start to notice that the probiotic supplement is working if you begin to see the following:
- Deeper sleep
- Less coughs or colds
- Improved gut health
- Clearer skin
- Sharper mind
- You feel calmer
- Stabilized weight
- Increased energy
Conclusion
In conclusion, probiotics can be better for the overall health for both men and women and should not be overlooked, especially by men.
More and more research has been coming out on the benefits of the “Gut-Brain Axis” relationship and probiotics are a big part of that link. With a healthy gut, you will get many additional benefits.
Both physical and mental health can be improved by taking a probiotic and with the available supplements on the market, there are plenty to choose from.
One of the best probiotics to choose from on the market is Synbio Tonik, and once you start taking it and reaping the benefits, you will feel better than ever.