At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, our clinicians can tailor treatment plans for helping to relieve gastrointestinal issues. After all, the gut is linked to several aspects of wellness, including cognition, immune function, sleep, and more! Our previous post discussed the impact of menopause on gut health and the role of functional medicine that we highly recommend you check out.

Your gut is a snug home to a population of bacteria that exceeds human cells tenfold! Research has shown that poor microbiome diversity is linked to forming chronic conditions, including metabolic, neurological, and inflammatory conditions. This is why we recommend lifestyle modifications, as they can contribute to nourishing a happy gut. 

One way to possibly improve your gut is by taking probiotics. Sure, they’ve been frequently mentioned in documentaries, but do you know what exactly these are? In this blog post, our functional medicine clinic explains this, along with how to supplement with them, and the ways our functional medicine practitioner can help. 

What are probiotics?

• • An article from the International Journal of Molecular Sciences defines probiotics as “… living non-pathogenic organisms used as food ingredients to benefit the hosts’ health.” Probiotics can be supplemented via food and/or tablets, capsules or liquid formulations. 
  • Each person’s gut status is unique. This is because gut bacteria are influenced by what you eat, bacterial exposure from when you were born, hygienic practices, and more. Taking probiotics regularly can help restore and manage the beneficial bacteria needed for optimal wellness. 
  • Probiotics can aid in the prevention of dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of gut microorganisms. Ideally, the gut needs an array of bacteria to prevent infections. Dysbiosis has been linked to SIBO, digestive issues (i.e. constipation, diarrhea), food intolerances, malabsorption, chronic inflammation, metabolic concerns, and other issues. 
  • Diarrhea can be  a side effect of antibiotics, as these medications wipe out healthy bacteria and can cause an imbalance in the microbiome. Taking probiotics can potentially relieve antibiotic-associated diarrhea. 
  • According to a Nutrition Today article, “Obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders are characterized by specific alterations in the composition and function of the human gut microbiome.” It’s been speculated that certain gut bacteria are linked to weight gain. So, if weight loss is one of your health goals, try supplementing with the strains Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Emerging research reports that these strains may potentially help manage weight and body fat in people struggling with obesity. 
  • Probiotic supplements are not created equal – there are various strains, and supplementing with certain bacteria can benefit or harm your unique condition. Nevertheless, a functional medicine practitioner can conduct functional medicine testing and build a personalized treatment to support gut healing. 

Things to know about taking probiotics

Ready to give these supplements a try? Probiotics can be consumed through fermented food, and adding these to your meals can contribute to sustaining ‘good’ bacteria. These foods include: 

• • Sauerkraut
  • Yogurt
  • Pickles
  • Miso
  • Cottage cheese
  • Kombucha
  • Apple cider vinegar

Some fermented foods are ideal for their probiotic content due to lactofermentation. This is a process in which lactic acid is produced when sugars and starches act as ‘food’ for bacteria. The beneficial bacteria then become preserved in fermented foods. 

Furthermore, probiotic supplements are available in capsule or liquid forms. To find out which of these supplements to take for your gut health, consider getting gut microbiome lab tests completed. These functional medicine-based tests can scrutinize how much and which bacteria is currently thriving in your gut. Then these test results help us determine which probiotic supplements you should take, such as one with either Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria strains or both. 

So, ask yourself this: What’s going on in your gut? Find out by becoming a new patient at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC), and we’ll introduce you to our clinical team, holistic treatments, and more!

Meet our functional medicine provider

Our functional medicine clinic is located in the Yorkville neighbourhood with easy access to the TTC. When you visit our functional medicine practitioner, you can expect some of these things: 

• • A personalized approach to health: We take your individuality and health goals into consideration, including lifestyle factors, chemical exposures, genetics, and medical history. Your health needs are not compared to other groups of people.
  • An opportunity to use functional lab tests: Some of our lab tests may not  be accessed by conventional medicine practitioners; these tests can disclose meticulous details, such as which bacteria are missing from your gut. 
  • A variety of integrative and functional medicine options: Patients can take advantage of various treatment modalities under one roof, including acupuncture, Western and naturopathic medicine, holistic nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and more. 

Furthermore, IV nutrients can be prescribed by our clinicians. We offer intravenous therapy in our IV Lounge, which is located in our TFMC clinic. When IV therapy is combined with a healthy lifestyle and functional medicine therapies, it may contribute to improving your health condition. 

Our functional medicine clinicians are experienced at tailoring treatment plans for different needs, including nutritional deficiencies, chronic inflammation, muscle recovery, estrogen dominance, cognitive decline, weight loss, and more. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today!

Digestive issues shouldn’t dominate your daily living. Let’s help get to the root of your health issues! Stretch towards optimal health by taking your first steps – simply click here to request your functional medicine consult in Toronto. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

“Antibiotic-associated diarrhea” from Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, posted July 28, 2023, viewed on November 7, 2024. 

Blaabjerg S, Artzi DM, Aabenhus R. Probiotics for the Prevention of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea in Outpatients-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Antibiotics (Basel). 2017 Oct 12;6(4):21. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics6040021. PMID: 29023420; PMCID: PMC5745464.

Davis CD. The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity. Nutr Today. 2016 Jul-Aug;51(4):167-174. doi: 10.1097/NT.0000000000000167. PMID: 27795585; PMCID: PMC5082693.

Durack J, Lynch SV. The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. J Exp Med. 2019 Jan 7;216(1):20-40. doi: 10.1084/jem.20180448. Epub 2018 Oct 15. PMID: 30322864; PMCID: PMC6314516.

“Dysbiosis” from the Cleveland Clinic, last reviewed April 16, 2024, viewed on November 7, 2024. 

“How to get more probiotics” from Harvard Publishing, Harvard Medical School, posted July 23, 2023, viewed on November 7, 2024. 

Sánchez, M. C., Herráiz, A., Tigre, S., Hernández, M., Ciudad, M. J., & Collado, L. (2023). Evidence of the Beneficial Impact of Three Probiotic-Based Food Supplements on the Composition and Metabolic Activity of the Intestinal Microbiota in Healthy Individuals: An Ex Vivo Study. Nutrients, 15(24), 5077. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245077

Vemuri, R., Shankar, E. M., Chieppa, M., Eri, R., & Kavanagh, K. (2020). Beyond Just Bacteria: Functional Biomes in the Gut Ecosystem Including Virome, Mycobiome, Archaeome and Helminths. Microorganisms, 8(4), 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040483

Zhang YJ, Li S, Gan RY, Zhou T, Xu DP, Li HB. Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Apr 2;16(4):7493-519. doi: 10.3390/ijms16047493. PMID: 25849657; PMCID: PMC4425030.