Gut flora, and the associated probiotics used to supplement
them, help the body function properly in a variety of ways. Sometimes, though,
the method of assistance is counterintuitive. You may already know that microbes
in the gut can aid in protecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from harmful
infection. But, one of the major reasons why may surprise you.
The beneficial bacteria of the gut do a good job of
keeping out harmful, or pathogenic, bacteria by, to put it simply, taking up
the prime real estate and eating all the good food. In the gut, there is a
limited amount of space that can be occupied along the epithelial cells lining
the inside of the intestines. Access to this lining is essential to bacteria
because the transferal of wastes and nutrients between the inside and outside
of the intestines occurs here. Thus, it is a major gateway between the GI tract
and the rest of the body. Probiotic bacteria occupy the space along the lining,
preventing harmful bacteria from gaining access to this gateway. Without
helpful flora occupying these spaces, potentially harmful species could gain
easy access to the nutrient-rich areas of the body which would allow them to
thrive.
Gut flora also keeps pathogens from gaining access to
nutrients in another way. Most probiotic bacteria establish a symbiotic
relationship with the host (our body). In this relationship, the bacteria
perform essential regulatory and nutrient production processes for the body,
and the body does the same for the bacteria, thus creating a positive
environment for both organisms. Because of this relationship, the body and the
bacteria have developed ways to signal their needs to one another. The bacteria
can tell the body, via chemical signals, when to produce more of the nutrient
which the bacteria needs, and when to produce less. This signaling process
prevents overproduction of the nutrient. And, because pathogenic bacteria often
need the same nutrient to survive, the pathogen is prevented from gaining
access to any excess food.
In this context, the activity of the bacteria through these
two processes is called the barrier effect. It exemplifies the principle of
competitive exclusion, whereby two organisms competing for identical resources
cannot coexist. It is, in essence, one organism being crowded out by another,
fitter organism. Since the body favors the symbiotic probiotic bacteria, the
good bacteria have a leg up in the competition.
Unfortunately, the body can sometimes be stripped of the gut
flora which it has grown accustomed to, making the body vulnerable to
pathogens. This is where a probiotic supplement, such as PRO EM-1, can
be helpful. PRO EM-1 contains symbiotic microorganisms beneficial to the body
which can restore the balance of gut flora in the GI tract. For more about the
relationship between microorganisms and the GI tract, check out Guarner and Malagelada’spaper on the subject.
