Conversations about men’s health often revolve around the same points: make sure you’re drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and hitting the weights frequently. While all of these suggestions are certainly a good foundation for a healthy lifestyle, they fail to consider one of the most important aspects of a well-functioning body — a balanced digestive system.
Your gut microbiome works in tandem with a number of other systems within your body to promote optimum functionality and protect you from issues such as the degradation of your immune system. There are several ways to encourage balance within your gut, but by far the most effective option is to make use of probiotics for Men.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are yeasts and live bacteria that are good for your digestive system. Oftentimes, bacteria get a bad reputation, however, there are a number of species of good bacteria that provide balance to your gut microbiome and are critical in maintaining your body’s ability to fight disease.
Probiotics can be found naturally in several types of foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and kefir. Some of the best probiotics for men, however, can be found in supplements and other products that have been specially curated in order to achieve the goal of maintaining a healthy gut. From supporting your immune system to reducing the prevalence of migraines, there are an array of benefits that can be provided to men with consistent probiotic use. Continue reading to explore the extent of these advantages.
Supports Mental Health
Although it may not seem like it, your gut and your brain are closely linked. The two are constantly in communication with one another in order to dictate how you are feeling both physically and mentally. Because of this, when your gut health is not in a proper state, there is a similar negative effect on your mental health. Probiotic bacteria both produce and metabolize messenger signals that are sent to your brain — the composition of your gut can alter this process. An example of this can be seen with dopamine and serotonin, two pleasure neurotransmitters that are produced in the gut.
Along with this, good bacteria can inhibit a better absorption of nutrients by your body. These nutrients can be used to fuel your brain and enhance its ability. Also, clinical trials such as those performed by Leblhuber, et. al. and published in Current Alzheimer Research in 2018 have found that probiotics can reduce inflammation in the brain that can lead to the development of conditions such as Alzheimers in men.
Increases Testosterone Levels
As men grow older, their levels of testosterone naturally decrease. This can lead to a variety of problems such as decreased libido, decreased sexual function, lower energy levels, fatigue, inadequate physical performance, depressed mood, and cognitive dysfunctionality among several other issues. These can put a damper on your overall quality of life and make it difficult to enjoy the activities that you were once able to easily take part in.
Fortunately, recent studies have been promising when it comes to illustrating how probiotic use can be advantageous for aging men who are seeing decreased levels of testosterone. For example, a recent clinical study discovered that infertile men who were undergoing probiotic and prebiotic treatment were seeing increases in their sperm count and a substantial improvement in regards to their testosterone. This also plays a part in exterior appearance as more balanced levels of testosterone allow you to maintain muscle mass while cutting down on body fat more easily.
Decreases Risk of Prostate Issues
Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer that impacts men in the United States. Recent research that examined the relationship between androgen deprivation therapy (the treatment used to treat prostate cancer in its advanced stages) and the gut microbiome has shown that probiotics may be able to enhance the quality of this treatment.
Similarly, probiotics can help reverse the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is a condition that leads to the enlargement of the prostate and is a primary contributor to urinary tract infections in men. Some strains of probiotics can target the pathogens that initiate these harmful developments and put an end to their growth.