In an earlier article, we explained how probiotics and good bacteria assist your body fight off infections like colds and the dreaded winter flu. But, just how valuable is the ability to do so for you and society at large?
Let’s look at the results of a few studies.
One review of 20 randomised controlled trials studies showed that by, supplementing with a daily probiotic, a person’s recovery from ‘flu is sped up by at least a day and that there are fewer numbers of overall days absent from work or school throughout the year.
Probiotics were also shown to lower the intensity of the sickness as well as the financial cost of being sick as it reduced the number of days on which painkillers, cough medicine, nasal sprays and antibiotics were used. This reduction had no impact on the time the patient spent recovering, which decreased with probiotic supplementation.
Another study that combined a daily dose of Vitamin C with probiotics for children aged 3 to 5 years over a 6-month period showed an incredible 33% decrease in upper respiratory tract infections and a similar 30% reduction for missed school days. This has a compound community affect, reducing the spread of the virus to others and improving educational outcome possibilities for children.
Yet another study calculated that generalised probiotic intake in the US population for 2017–2018 would have saved $373 million in health care for ‘flu-like’ acute respiratory tract infections. It highlighted how essential it is to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, which can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and alter the composition and functions of your microbiota, causing long-lasting harmful effects.
Overall, probiotics are key to combatting the flu and boosting the effectiveness of the immune system.
Clinical studies have shown how they reduce the length and intensity, cost and lifestyle impact of being sick. And, there is no faster or more effective way than using Probitec which delivers 10x to 2000x more live probiotic bacteria to your lower intestine than other brands.
