Is there a link between probiotics and autoimmune diseases? There is a growing number of patients who suffer from a wide range of autoimmune disorders, and although there are treatments like steroids being offered, most people are wondering if there could be a more effective way of treating the diseases. Over the past few years, there have been studies done on how effective probiotics are in treating autoimmune diseases, and the results are quite promising. One of the studies showed that children with Type 1 Diabetes had a lower level of probiotics in their system than healthy children. In 2010, a study done in China also showed that 45 adults treated with probiotics for their rheumatoid arthritis experienced less pain.
More often than not, doctors tend to treat the symptoms of a disease by suppressing or blocking them rather than figuring out what the cause is and treating that instead. The confusing thing about autoimmune diseases, however, is that no one can really tell what causes them. Some propose that inflammation could be the cause as it’s prevalent in almost every autoimmune condition, while others state it’s just another symptom. However, it seems like a good place to start if we’re looking for the root of the problem.
Did you know that 80% of your immune system is in your digestive tract? This means that the components of your gut have a major role to play in the proper functioning of your immune system. This is where probiotics come in play. Probiotics are helpful bacteria, and they have been proven to help boost immunity and prevent inflammation. In order for you to have a functional immune system, probiotics should constitute around 85% of the bacteria found in your gut. Some doctors have figured that including probiotics in a patient’s diet is one approach they can take in fighting autoimmune disorders, as they generally help in improving the immune system altogether. Although the treatment hasn’t been fully proven, a probiotic diet may at the very least alleviate the inflammation.
One benefit that probiotics have to offer is that the risk of developing serious conditions is not as high. The only thing scientists seem to be worried about is how introducing bacteria into your system may affect you. However, those supporting probiotic treatment have stated that if there is already an imbalance of bacteria in your body, the probiotic treatment just seeks to balance things out. Currently, some treatments of autoimmune diseases require that your immune system is completely shut down. This increases the chances of getting cancer, infections, osteoporosis and sometimes even psychiatric illness.
It’s still a bit too early to tell whether probiotic treatment could be more effective in treating autoimmune diseases than the methods that are currently being used. However, the idea shouldn’t be dismissed just because of its simplicity. Studies have gone on to show that modern day diseases are mostly caused by the choices we make in our lifestyle, especially the foods we eat. Maybe reverting back to a diet filled with unprocessed and wholesome foods is all we need to fight them.