Most people know that probiotics are great to improve gastrointestinal heath. This is why people look for yogurt and probiotic supplements to control or recover from diarrhea. However, today’s science have understood that probiotic foods and supplements have a positive effect in other aspects of people’s heath. The best probiotics for men have surprising health benefits that would help avoiding common diseases in males, and even making them more attractive. Do you want to find out how?
The best probiotics for men’s bad breath
If you are one of those guys suffering from bad breath, you’re not alone. Several men need to control their oral health and avoid bad breath to be more attractive to women. However, it might sound surprising to know that probiotic foods and supplements can help promoting oral health and cutting halitosis, which is the clinical name to bad breath. A study published in 2010 in a Japanese Dental College showed that the administration of probiotic lactobacilli improved malodor in patients with this problem after 2 weeks.
The best probiotic supplement for bad breath has proven to be Lactobacillus salivarius WB21, and this was further proven in the clinical trials performed in the same institution published in 2014. The bacteria usually related to bad breath had lower levels after 14 days, and the bad odor, assessed by volatile sulfur compounds, was reduced after using this type of supplement. So, choose wisely and you don’t need to be afraid to speak up anymore.
Avoid excess gas with probiotic foods
The best probiotics for men can also enhance your digestive system and may aid with lactose tolerance and other causes of excess gas. So, if you went through that awkward moment in your date when excess gas was about to ruin it all, maybe what you need is to add probiotic foods or supplements to your diet.
Through the years, several studies have found that probiotics lead to an improvement in abdominal bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain and even constipation. This is not surprising, because probiotic foods are known to improve the function and health of the gastrointestinal tract. We do have a lot of bacteria in our gut, and need it to be filled with “good bacteria” that fight disease and inflammation. Probiotics can cause disease-causing organisms to be replaced by good bacteria that will even help us digest lactose, and resolve the annoying sensation of excessive gas.
Effects on men’s energy and nutrition
Men usually want to look fit and healthy, and nutrition is an important part to look better. The best probiotics for men can also modulate the gut microflora to increase the absorption of important nutrients that may be the key to obtain the body of your dreams. Probiotic lactobacilli and other species are important sources of digestive enzyme such as phytase, which increases the availability and absorption of several minerals. That is the reason why probiotic foods are being used as a cheap and safe tool for vegetarians. Probiotics can convert a diet with low availability of minerals and proteins into a higher availability, giving you the vitamins and minerals you need to increase your energy levels and keep them up.
Escape the number one killer for men
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for men in the United States, and similar results are shown worldwide. Trying to look for solutions, many different organizations are created, and initiatives are started, mainly focused on prevention strategies. Prevention strategies comprise a smart nutrition alongside with exercise, which have been found to increase levels of “good cholesterol” and decrease levels of “bad cholesterol”. However, an additional tool that can be used to lower bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease are probiotic foods and supplements.
A recent study of Lactobacillus kefiri DH5 shows that this specific strain can cause a direct reduction of cholesterol in the intestines, but there is also a change in the genetic expression in fat cells that causes them to burn fat. These recent findings show that probiotic foods can both improve blood cholesterol levels and fight off obesity. There is no doubt that probiotics can be a smart tool to help men avoid one of the main causes of death worldwide.
Probiotics for urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases?
When it comes to sexual intercourse, we may be glad to know when there is a quick turnaround to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. In the case of probiotics foods and supplements, some Lactobacillus strains have been found to migrate to the genitals after oral intake, helping patients avoid yeast infections and similar diseases. Most of these studies are performed in women, but there is a high possibility that males would also avoid yeast infections and similar diseases with probiotic use.
Similarly, most studies on urinary tract infections are performed in female because they are usually more susceptible. But males can suffer from severe and complicated urinary tract infections, and males over 50 are in a higher risk of acquiring them. Probiotics have been found to reduce the risk of urinary infections by pathogenic bacteria, and the best probiotics for men who want to avoid urinary tract infections are Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus fermentum RC-14. Prevention is always better than antibiotic treatment, and using probiotic foods and supplements has proven to have no side effects, which is the reason why many people is turning their attention to them along with today’s scientific advances.
Finally, we should highlight the importance of the gut microflora for the immune response in the rest of the body. It is well known that the intestines has a lymphoid tissue associated to it. In fact, 70% of the body’s lymphoid tissue is located there, and many different immune functions depend on it to start defending our bodies against disease. Probiotic foods are known to modify the composition of this microflora, influencing intestinal function as well as immune function. With a responsive immune system, you will be no longer susceptible to common diseases, and will be able to eliminate bacteria more easily. The best probiotics for men will give you the energy, the nutrients, the looks, and the bodily defenses you need to make the best out of your every day.
References:
Bodera, P., & Chcialowski, A. (2009). Immunomodulatory effect of probiotic bacteria. Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery, 3(1), 58-64.
Famularo, G., De Simone, C., Pandey, V., Sahu, A. R., & Minisola, G. (2005). Probiotic lactobacilli: an innovative tool to correct the malabsorption syndrome of vegetarians?. Medical Hypotheses, 65(6), 1132-1135.
Ford, A. C., Quigley, E. M., Lacy, B. E., Lembo, A. J., Saito, Y. A., Schiller, L. R., … & Moayyedi, P. (2014). Efficacy of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in irritable bowel syndrome and chronic idiopathic constipation: systematic review and meta-analysis. The American journal of gastroenterology, 109(10), 1547.
Karen is a health blog author who has been writing about healthy living since 2013. She started her journey by adopting a vegan diet and eating only organic foods, but the more she learned, the more she realized that we should all be eating plant-based diets exclusively. As an expert in nutrition and wellness, Karen blogs to educate readers on how they can live happier and healthier lives through food choices!
